Tag: Blog

Empowering Conversations About Change

On By Dr. Andrea DinardoIn Change and Transformation, Coping Strategies, Emotional Awareness, Health Psychology, Mental Health Education, Mindfulness, Motivation, Positive Psychology, Psychology Class, Reflection Question, Resilience, Stress Hardiness, Video17 Comments

The Psychology of Change

During this week’s health psychology lecture, we talked about the psychology of change, including the parts of our lives that remain ‘unchanged’ during rapid and unexpected change.

What Remains During Change?

  1. The Sun Still Rises
  2. Coffee Tastes Delicious
  3. Trees Greet You on Your Walk
  4. Favourite Movie Still Delights
  5. Bed is Comfie at the End of the Day
  6. Street You Live on Hasn’t Changed
  7. Love for Family and Friends Endures
CHANGE > ANCHOR > ADAPT > TRANSFORM

Your Turn

Consistency

Make a list of what remains consistent in times of rapid change and use it as a grounding technique at the start and end of each day.

Grounding

In doing so, you anchor and ground yourself in a sense of knowing and trust in your built-in strengths and happiness.

Motivation

“Flying starts from the ground up. The more grounded you are, the higher you fly.”

Psychology Videos on Change

SAYING NO Are you a feeler or a thinker?

On By Dr. Andrea DinardoIn Coping Strategies, Emotional Awareness, Health Psychology, Personality Assessment, Resources, Strengths Assessment, Stress Management, Video41 Comments

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Do you have a difficult time saying no?

While others in your life say no without a second thought.

Is this confusing and at times upsetting for you?

Are you hard on yourself because of this discrepancy between yourself and others?

You may be interested to discover that Saying No is not a one size fits all.

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Join me in my virtual psychology classroom as I share one factor that explains why some people have more difficulty saying no and holding boundaries than others — Your Personality.

Feelers vs. Thinkers

Feelers

In this video I describe how individuals who are overly sensitive to the feelings of others (HSPs, Empaths, ENFJs) often focus on the needs of others to the exclusion of themselves.

Video: SAYING NO Are you a feeler or a thinker?

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❤️ Feelers take things more personally than thinkers.

Often causing feelers to say YES on the outside when on the inside their intuition is telling them to SAY NO.

Result = Mixed Messages + Unnecessary Stress

Thinkers

By contrast, individuals who are left brain dominant (thinkers on the Myers Briggs scale) are more straightforward and logical in their response to requests from friends and coworkers.

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Consequently, thinkers do not focus to the same extent on the emotions of “the requesters” in the same way that feelers (eg., ENFJ’s) on the on the Myers Briggs do.

💡 Saying no comes naturally to thinkers.

Thinkers know what they want and use analytics + logic not the emotions of the person in front of them as their guiding force.

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Learning from each other

On the plus side:

Feelers and thinkers make incredible teammates.

At work and in life.

Balance is everything. 🧠 + ❤️

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Additional Information

1. Right Brain versus Left Brain
2. Are you a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP)?
3. Learn About Myers Briggs Personality Profile
4. Subscribe to my YouTube Channel

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Let me know in comments below how your personality impacts different areas of your life, including saying No.

Please share techniques you’ve developed for setting boundaries too!

I’d love to know!

Dr. D 📚

One Final Note:

In Addition to Personality and Individual Differences

Situation Also Impacts Our Ability to Say NO + Stand Firm

Video: Saying No is Easier When You Feel Safe

How does a psychologist make a clinical diagnosis?

On By Dr. Andrea DinardoIn Mental Health, Psychology Class, Teaching, Training and Development, Video35 Comments

Psychology in Your Life

The intention for this post is to introduce you to one aspect of the diagnostic process — specifically: differential diagnosis.

And ultimately to help you understand that psychological assessment is a complex, worthwhile process.

Dr. Andrea Dinardo

What’s normal 🆚 clinical?

To answer that question, I would like to invite you into my clinical psychology class. 

Specifically, when I teach the concept of “Differential Diagnosis” using the STATE versus TRAIT anxiety distinction. 

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STATE 🆚 TRAIT ANXIETY

Misdiagnosis

People often believe they have generalized anxiety or panic disorder, when in fact, what they are experiencing is an acute reaction to a short-lived, stressful circumstance.

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Differential Diagnosis

For example, STATE anxiety involves temporary and situational symptoms to stress inducing events (public speaking, midterms, first dates) universal to all of us. 

In contrast, TRAIT anxiety has more lasting, debilitating, and pervasive symptoms (eg., impacts all aspects of an individual’s life) independent of external events.

Psychology on Campus

For additional insights into the diagnostic process, including how I teach this concept in the liberal arts program, check out my latest video:

Reflection Questions

1. How is understanding the state 🆚 trait distinction applicable and/or helpful in your daily life?

2. Have you ever jumped to the conclusion about yourself or someone else regarding a diagnosis, only to discover later that the condition was temporary?

3. What psychology topics and ideas would you like to learn more about?

Dr. D 📕❤️

DrAndreaDinardo.com

Claim Your Prize

On By Dr. Andrea DinardoIn Affirmation, courage, Hope, Optimism, Positivity, Psychology Class, Video

Inspiration is everywhere.

Today’s post is brought to you from my psychology classroom.

I hope it inspires you to claim the joy in your life.

Good vibes, after all, start on the inside.

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We spend so much time creating future opportunities that we often forget to claim the magic we’ve manifested – right in front of us. 🏆

Don’t wait for your dreams to happen.

Make them happen.

Stop wishing.

Stop waiting.

Seize the day.

Claim your prize. 💥

For full post: watch psychology video below.

If not now, when?

Writing in One Word.

On By Dr. Andrea DinardoIn community, Emotional Freedom, Empowerment, Flow, Gratitude, Happiness, Health, Hope, Inspiration, Mindfulness, Optimism, Peace, Positive Psychology, purpose26 Comments

In One Word: Describe how you feel when you write.

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Writing makes me feel ALIVE!

For me, writing is all encompassing.

The words become the beat of my heart.

The words become the oxygen I breathe.

The words become all that I touch, feel, and see.

For me, writing is all encompassing.

I am the words. And the words are me.

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How does writing make YOU feel?

Related Post: Happiness in One Word.