Protecting Your Mental Health

Almost one in five people have a mental health diagnosis, so when most people think of mental health, they think of such things as depression or some type of anxiety.  While those are mental health diagnoses, it is misleading to only think of mental health issues that have already reached a critical level and have caused someone to seek help and get a diagnosis.   Another way to think about mental health is to consider what can be done to promote good mental health or to prevent mental … [Read more...]

Delayed Grief

Recently I read an article in the New York Times by Nicole Johnson called” My Mother Died When I was 7.  I’m Grieving 37 Years Later  (https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/17/well/family/delayed-grief.html ) it took me back to an experience I had many years ago. I was engaged to get married and was observing the death of my father by lighting a memorial candle.  Suddenly, I was overcome with sadness and tears and felt overwhelmed with the thought that my father would never know my wonderful … [Read more...]

Coping with the “What If” of Anxious Thinking (Part 2)

In the previous blog (https://dralisonblock.com/coping-with-the-what-if-of-anxious-thinking-part-1/), I talked about the value of Exposure and Response Prevention (E/RP) often used for OCD. But could E/RP be used for other diagnoses where people struggle with “what if” thinking, such as social anxiety, panic disorder, separation anxiety, and others? Some authors think that it can be a help. If life is uncertain and if our "what-if" thinking is due to that uncertainty, then it would be … [Read more...]

Stress & Coping in the Time of Coronavirus

No one needs to tell us that we are stressed about the COVID-19 pandemic. We are all suffering from chronic stress – fatigue, irritability, changes in our eating habits, problems sleeping, difficulty concentrating – because of the uncertainty that this illness brings. And because it has gone on so long, the constant stress disrupts our ability to remember things and pay attention. Just yesterday, a friend put her milk in the freezer instead of in the refrigerator. Another friend called me, sure … [Read more...]

Emotional Intelligence In Business

   Recently I attended a New Jersey Business and Industry Association Women Leaders Forum. One of the breakout sessions was called “Is Emotional Intelligence a Leader’s Secret Weapon?” While nothing that was said there is new, it is a wonderful reminder that high emotional intelligence (EI) leads to more success in all things: parenting, friendship, volunteer relationships, work success, and personal fulfillment. Why is that? There are four main reasons. • People with higher EI have better … [Read more...]