As some of you might know, in recent years I’ve started to look differently at things. “Things” is a very general turn of phrase, however, the only suitable other word would be “everything”. I’ve always been a keen advocate for self-development and seeing as I have been self-studying Buddhism, mindfulness and meditation, taking on a mindfulness diploma seemed like a great idea, especially when New Skills Academy got in touch and asked if I would like to take one of their courses (for free) and review the process.
I am currently working on a mindfulness diploma course. I’ll be honest, by now I thought I might be further along in the course (I’m a speed reader with keen research skills) however, the course content is so much more detailed than I expected, and I’m glad of it.
I am six modules into this nine-module course. Once I’ve finished I will receive a certified and recognised certificate, with this particular course being verified and supported by the Complementary Medical Association (CMA) and the IOA. I couldn’t use this course, for example, to earn credits/points towards higher level study however it is a fantastic way to build my knowledge, develop myself and to springboard into a new career/speciality if I wish.
I’ve looked at online courses before. Some are brilliant, some are basic, for want of a better word. This particular course has really worked the grey matter. Not only are the course materials (all online) brilliantly written, there are links to further information that may be of interest and more. The mechanics of the course are simple, with the online portal being very easy to use. You may log on and off as and when you need to, take notes on-screen as you go (I prefer a notebook and have been scribbling away) and there are a number of ways to access support. Having undertaken a number of distance learning courses and qualifications in the past, I’ve always come away more knowledgeable than I was to start with and have been able to use the course matter in my work (I’m a freelance copywriter) and personally. With this course, I’m taking away so much more.
I’ve been privately studying mindfulness for some time, am working on my own mindfulness and use meditation daily (I’m getting better at it with practice). Six modules in and I’ve a thirst for more and am sure that once I’ve completed this course, and hopefully passed it, that I will be ready to learn more (once I’ve “unpacked” all that I’ve learned so far).
New Skills Academy are new to me and I will be honest, when I hit the first page of my dashboard I thought “Oh my days, this looks really basic”, and I was partially right. The simplicity of the site and the navigation is very user-friendly, which makes getting on with the task at hand very easy. The course materials are equally user-friendly but anything but lacklustre.
Would I do another New Skills Academy course after this one? If the right course was available, based on how much I have enjoyed this course, how highly I rate the content and how easy it has been to navigate, yes, I would.
Once you grow up and leave full-time education, often the onus to continue your learning falls solely on you. What I love about online courses such as these is that you have complete control over what you learn, when you learn, how you learn and what you’ll use that learning for. For me, this course is less about professional development, although, between this and my own experience, I am well qualified to write about mindfulness as part of my professional work, and more about expanding my own knowledge and understanding of mindfulness. The aim for me of this particular course is to broaden my mind, to learn and to put that learning to good use. Many use mindfulness to help with anxiety, stress or other issues and it can work well as a standalone tool or together with additional aid from somewhere such as BetterHelp.com.
Have a look at the course available. Is there something that you like the look of?
