Confidence Course

Confidence and Success at David Game College: a new course in Confidence Building

Students are often far more capable than they realise. This is why David Game College will run a series of seminars on Confidence – what is it, and how to build it as part of its ongoing commitment to positive mental health and wellbeing. One of the key ingredients to social and academic development is confidence and belief in one’s abilities. Students who lack confidence can find that it impacts how they develop real friendships and it can also hinder them from taking advantage of opportunities. Belief in one’s self is the best anti-anxiety and anti-depression tonic that exists, and through this course we will equip students with the knowledge and skills to improve their confidence. The course recognises the debilitating effects that a lack of confidence can have and its sympathetic and supportive approach takes students through in total psychological safety.

Our Course, Confidence – what is it, and how to build it - is the first of its kind within the UK secondary system in that it looks at the biological and psychological reasons behind what causes a lack or loss of confidence.  Anxiety and depression correlate strongly with low confidence levels and self-esteem, but the specific reasons for a lack of confidence and self-esteem are complex. The course uses the lens of evolutionary psychology to help probe why some people lack confidence.  The course is divided into six interdependent modules and those who wish can elect to complete public speaking at the end of the course.

The fundamentals aims of the course are to help students understand:

• The nature of confidence, its purpose and how it links to motivation and success
• The biological and psychological basis of many common conditions, such as anxiety, depression and stress, and how these can impede confidence and generate low self-esteem
• Why so much of modern stress and anxiety is the result of a mismatch with our modern environment, and how can we recognise the causes of stress and anxiety in a modern environment
• What are the effective and evidence-based techniques that can be applied to build confidence in different situations, e.g. interviews, meeting new people, public speaking, making presentations and showing leadership

The course is free and open to all students. It is run by our Co-Principal in conjunction with guest speakers. Mr John Dalton has extensive experience in teaching executive presence and confidence building techniques to many professionals for over 20 years. For him and the College – this comes out of a strong social mission to help students who lack of confidence, regain it and use this to form a bridge to their future success.

Programme modules:

1. What is confidence and why does it matter?
2. The biological basis for stress, anxiety and depression – how does evolutionary psychology help?
3. Evidence-based techniques for reducing stress and anxiety
4. How to build confidence
5. Public speaking – the ultimate fear
6. Secrets revealed by body language – and how to read others