https://youtu.be/MXd_bZn1lqo 50 Calming Exercises Light a candle. Notice the flicker of the flame. Open a window. Watch the trees sway in the breeze. Breathe in fresh air. Record last night’s dreams in a journal. Smile while reading this sentence. Dance to a song from your teenage years. Belt out show tunes in the shower. Burn... Continue Reading →
Three Ways to Bounce Forward
https://youtu.be/ldOlNJ0ds0c The idea we have for our life rarely matches up with the life we end up with. Plan A is fantasy. Plan B is reality. Growth is not a straight line, which is often a blessing in disguise, yet something we seldom realize in the thick of life. How do we move on from... Continue Reading →
Emotional CPR: Catch Pause Repair
One thing that I have learned as a psychology professor and former psychologist is that “simple things on repeat” have the greatest impact on our health and happiness. This is why I want to share a sustainable model of emotional and mental health habits called CPR: Catch Pause Repair. Emotional CPR: Video Edition https://youtu.be/8VvwITnvrhs https://youtu.be/DbBwCkQ9sKI... 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 →
Cultivating Mental Health Daily: School Board Speech
Mental Wellness Education This month I had the opportunity to give a speech on cultivating mental health daily to 700 people at the Greater Essex County District School Board in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. https://youtu.be/I08EUaQ8g9Y Audience Members The audience was comprised of education support staff and front line workers, including Education Assistants, Child and Youth Care... Continue Reading →
Embracing Change
Change is both personal and universal. Everyone goes through changes and transformations. We are born. We grow old. What sets us apart is how we experience change. 1. Personality of Change How we perceive the world has a significant impact on how we experience change. Type A vs. Type B Individuals with a Type A... Continue Reading →
Put a Time Limit on Negativity
Time and Energy Management When I was a kid, my mom set a timer for almost everything we did. Whether it was how long we spent doing our homework, weeding the garden, watching television, or complaining about life’s challenges. 1. Passing versus Permanent Difficulties Setting time limits helped us understand that nothing lasts forever, good... Continue Reading →
Staying Motivated During Challenging Times
Today’s story begins in the middle of a spin class. The point in time where you feel like giving up the most. Because the middle is always the hardest. Whether it be the middle of a semester, the middle of a week, or the middle of a pandemic. It was thirty minutes into class, and... Continue Reading →
Training and Keynotes
Dr. Andrea Dinardo has been speaking professionally for 25 years on a number of psychology topics, including: Thriving Under Pressure Resilient Leadership Embracing Change Positive Psychology Stress and Anxiety Solutions Resilience and Mental Health Energy and Time Management Strength-Based Leadership Peak Performance and Flow Social and Emotional Intelligence Igniting Motivation and Drive Contact Dr. Andrea Click Here Sample Speeches... Continue Reading →
Coping With Loneliness During the Holidays
When we feel a painful emotion, our first instinct is to pull away. To numb the pain. To hide from the intensity. This was the case for Sarah and Jack, two unique individuals with vastly different circumstances. But they each experienced the same emotion: loneliness. An emotion that is heightened during the holidays. SARAH Sarah... Continue Reading →
5 Ways to Focus Better
Why Can't I Remember Anything? One of the most frequent questions I was asked as a practicing psychologist and more recently as a psychology professor is why can't I remember anything. The problem is most likely a focusing issue — not a memory issue. An important distinction between memory and attention that I share in... Continue Reading →
Community Education
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqs-qUHSAnA In Celebration of Mental Health Awareness Month CULTIVATING MENTAL HEALTH DAILY In this video, I share an overview of my psychology article in The Drive Magazine (May, Issue 121). An issue devoted entirely to mental health awareness, treatment, and prevention. With the ultimate goal of ending the stigma of mental illness. A topic I... Continue Reading →
Optimism Bootcamp Workshop and Article
OPTIMISM BOOTCAMP: Overcoming Learned Helplessness is a dynamic, interactive psychology workshop based on an article I wrote for The Drive Magazine https://youtu.be/z_DNIWYh6vE 1/ Optimism Article https://thedrivemagazine.com/posts/optimism-bootcamp 2/ Optimism Bootcamp - April 2019 https://youtu.be/z_DNIWYh6vE 3/ Optimism Bootcamp - August 2019 https://youtu.be/LgACYyFv2YQ
Failure as Feedback | The Drive Magazine
There are two ways of looking at failure. Failure as FEEDBACK. Failure as PUNISHMENT. ⊕⊕⊕⊕⊕ One energizes. The other paralyzes. WHY FAILURE IS NECESSARYI believe that failure is essential for success, at work and in our personal lives. Failure lights our way to what we’re ultimately meant to do. Especially when we embrace it and... Continue Reading →
Lean into Loneliness: The Drive Magazine
Good news to share! This month I published my first psychology advice column for a Canadian magazine. The same magazine that profiled my work in positive psychology. My intention for the psychology article is to inspire and comfort individuals experiencing loneliness during the holidays. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JU1eYOWaleg Writing Hopes I have been writing psychology textbooks for McGraw-Hill... Continue Reading →
Enhancing well-being during the holidays
Do you find Christmas holidays stressful? If you’re anything like me (and Santa Claus), you answered yes. Something I wrote about in the December issue of The DRIVE magazine. Including the benefits of leaning into difficult emotions. Because the more we try to fight discomfort, the longer it lasts. "The root of all suffering is attachment." Buddha Stop... Continue Reading →