Laughter is the Best Medicine

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cFzHZ8JYVWk What consumes your mind consumes your life We live in a world weighed down by tragedy and adversity. And we have been conditioned to believe that tragedies require tragic mindsets and hardships demand hardened spirits. We also live in a world overflowing with abundance and joy. But we cannot see the good from the... Continue Reading →

The Stories We Tell Ourselves

POWER OF THE MIND In this psychology video, I share concrete strategies for transforming painful emotional experiences using a model of cognitive psychology. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=119i-Qv-ep0 What’s real? What’s distorted? An A-B-C Formula for reality testing that is especially helpful during outer circumstances beyond a person’s control. A-B-C House Flood Scenario The scenario I describe in the... Continue Reading →

Face Everything and Rise

Fight or Flight Threat Response Every time we feel threatened (threat is the fundamental definition of stress) our first instinct is to “fight or flight“. This perpetual “fight or flight” response loop eventually creates a host of secondary problems, above and beyond, the original stressor. Powerpoint Slide from Broaden and Build Leadership Event, January 2022... Continue Reading →

Empowering Conversations About Change

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? The Sun Still Rises Coffee Tastes Delicious Trees Greet You on Your Walk Favourite Movie Still Delights Bed is Comfie... Continue Reading →

Resilience and Mental Health: Healthy Workplace Keynote

Healthy Workplace Awards I recently did a virtual keynote at the Healthy Workplace Awards Ceremony. Watch Video: Click Here Given all we are collectively going through, I thought the notes and video from the virtual keynote presentation would be helpful to everyone. News Release: CTV News Especially as we wrap up 2020. A year where... Continue Reading →

Situational Anxiety Interview

Mental Health Matters Interview with Dr. Kathy Garland Situational Anxiety vs. Clinical Anxiety 1. Video Format of Interview Watch on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7ttX6h_D8o&feature=youtu.be 2. Podcast Format of Interview Available on SoundCloud and Apple Podcasts. https://soundcloud.com/user-240189621/mental-health-matters-dr-dinardo-and-situational-anxiety Reflection Questions What did you learn about situational versus clinical anxiety from our interview? Can you relate to the personal example of heightened... Continue Reading →

IS THIS NORMAL? Temporary Emotions vs Mental Illness

The most common question people ask when they discover I'm a retired psychologist is - "Is This Normal?" This question is a significant motivator for creating this psychology blog in the first place. Because too often people suffer because of lack of understanding versus a diagnosable medical condition. differential diagnosis  ·  the process of differentiating... Continue Reading →

3 C’s of Thriving Under Pressure

A map for transforming stress into strength In my TEDx Talk and in the leadership videos below, I discuss how to THRIVE under pressure using 3 stress resilience tools: 1. Commitment Envisioning a higher purpose above and beyond the immediate stressor. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjxCsK2qudw 2. Control Focusing on the things you can change and letting go of the things you can’t. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVEjYGl9c0k... Continue Reading →

CPR: Sustainable Resilience & Mental Health Habits

sus·tain·a·bil·i·ty /səˌstānəˈbilədē/ The ability to be maintained at a certain rate or level. Catch Pause Repair (CPR) is a Framework for Sustainable Mental Health & Resilience Habits. CPR includes three simple steps as outlined in the video below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVfeKg78fEY 1. Catch Catch yourself before a stress response escalates by becoming more aware of what triggers... Continue Reading →

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