Articles
Browse every published article connected to Susan Dunn, with exact attribution and full-archive search.
Articles
Browse every published article connected to Susan Dunn, or search within this exact expert archive.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) affects about 5% of us severely and perhaps 25% of us more mildly. Women and young adults are more likely to suffer from it. It’s a form of depression that, according to the National Mental Health Association (NMHA), is a real illness with sometimes severe ...
I love Mr. Mafioso on AskMen. “Look, college boy,” he writes, “there are certain lessons that all the books in the world couldn’t teach you.” Strikes a chord with me. I came out of college quite the college girl. It was a college in rural Minnesota, very ...
Currently, the leading causes of death for women in the US are: 1. Heart Disease, 29.9% 2. Cancer, 21.8% 3. Stroke, 8.4% 4. Chronic lower respiratory diseases, 5.1% 5. Diabetes, 3.1% 6. Influenza and pneumonia, 3.0% 7. Alzheimer’s disease, 2.9% 8. Unintentional injuries, 2.8% 9. Kidney disease, ...
Has everyone in your office been grafted so there’s no more evolving? Let’s say the “party line” is demanded of everyone, like a graft on a plant, so eventually everyone’s thinking the same way. New people are hired, chosen to be as similar to the old as possible, and then they get grafted. ...
When the sea of life gets stormy, how can you stay shipshape and ride the waves? You’re the CAPTAIN of your ship. Being empowered means having a deep sense of confidence that you can take charge of your ship and handle whatever comes up. Use your personal power and intentionality to keep your ...
Another Christmas come and gone. What a workout for the emotions! I’m the EQ Coach, but that doesn’t mean I know all there is to know about emotional management – it’s a lifelong proposition; and it doesn’t mean my emotions don’t give me a ride for their money – remember, 2 of our 3 brains ...
Halloween is an exciting night for children and a busy time for their parents. With such excitement, it’s easy for children to forget basic safety rules. n When emotions are running high, it’s a good time to remember to “use your head.” Plan ahead and plan to have a safe Halloween. Raise ...
One of the things we all dislike about psychologists is terms like "vulnerable to loss." Who, pray tell me, is not "vulnerable to loss"? It is devastating to lose someone who made your world a better place. Or some thing that did, like a career, a special house, your left leg, the ability to ...
When we think of Valentine’s Day, we tend to think of two lovers celebrating together. If you aren’t paired at this time, don’t let yourself get left out! Here are 14 great ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day YOUR way. 1. Celebrate with a child! If you don’t have one, borrow one! Invite ...
Casey’s 5 years old and reminds me of Edith-Ann. She sometimes even stomps her foot and tosses her head. And that’s the truth! Casey’s what you’d call “high-maintenance.” She likes things to be just so, reacts strongly to what’s going on, and tends to get wound-up. We’ve been working on ...
As Christmas draws closer, and emotions escalate, we asked a pro for some tips. Anne Dibala, M.D., is a psychiatrist, addictionologist, and The Recovery Coach™ (http://www.responsiblerecovery.com ) SD: Anne, we’re into the home stretch, and the pressures are getting worse, not better. Can ...
Everyone’s big on emotional intelligence now, because we’ve learned the hard way that a person’s people skills can make or break them in the workplace. If the person is highly exceptional in their field, it can be a close call, but all things being equal, we prefer to work and socialize with ...
Matthew is not ambivalent about the war. He’s for it, 100%. This is his “first” war, being 30 years old. He’s watching the news avidly on t.v., is glad we’re over there, and sends me emails to that affect. My client in Australia has strain in her voice when we talk. She assumes I’m “against ...
Let's face it, some families live in each other's pockets and love it, while others prefer a little distance. But parents, especially, like to get the whole gang together once in a while. Also you might be hosting the step-kids for the summer. What venue you choose for these occasions makes ...
Multiculturalism is a reality in the US and for those of us who do business globally. The US has more legal immigrants yearly than all the other countries in the world combined. Also there are vast cultural differences among "native" Americans living in the US for several generations, as you ...
Being a good guest isn't a passive affair. It means actively participating in making the party or gathering a success. There are certain people I like to invite to anything I give because I know they'll show up and leave on time, they'll be able to talk to anyone, and they'll help me with little ...
More people are hiring a coach every day. Choosing a coach is an important decision. To choose wisely, use your emotional intelligence - all parts of your brain, emotional as well as cognitive. HOW TO START YOUR SEARCH Start by doing the research. n· Enter "EQ coach" on a search engine, ...
I’ve counseled some truly beautiful people – I mean physically beautiful. People whom anyone would term “stunning.” I’ve also know some personally, and worked with some. Aside from being beautiful (which is a big “aside), I’d say the “other things” we look for in life (or that hunt us down) ...
How do you stay motivated when you don’t feel like doing something? There’s the ‘carrot and stick’ philosophy which works for children. How do you “motivate” your 10 year old to clean up his room? Either punish him for not doing it, or hold out a reward for him when he does do it, the ...
Q: What’s worse than moving ? A: Moving in the middle of the school year. My family did it more than once when I was growing up. I still remember some of the incidents-being introduced in the front of the class, having to share a locker until they could find one for me, breaking into the ...
I don't know about you, but at this time of year I always think of work. It’s harvest time. Because of the years I spent in the MidWest, I was around people who were harvesting produce, bringing in the crop for the year. The quirks of nature notwithstanding, they would be reaping what they ...
“Don’t ask your father the minute he walks in the door,” my Mom used to tell me. “Wait till he’s in a good mood. Let him unwind a little.” Then some time later, she would alert me that “the good mood” had arrived, and it was time to ask him. It was a mystery to me, but gradually I began to ...
Got your attention? Everyone’s favorite subject. I’ll begin by stating again a myth that dies hard: That people over 50 [substitute your own age] aren’t having sex. Part of this is that we just don’t want to think of our parents as actually having sex, no matter how old they are, no matter ...
I’ve had more potential partners through eharmony.com ( http://tinyurl.com/2lyea ) than I ever did dating around my hometown,” says my client whom I’ll call Mary. She’s over 50, single, and interested in finding a life partner. “I’ve always done better with some sort of introduction,” she ...
It used to be a college education was enough, and then you would learn a few job skills and be on your way. People often stayed in the same job, much less career, for their entire working life. In today’s fast-paced workplace, the college education is just the beginning, and you must ...
“How can I get them to buy-in to this idea?” Anna, a bank manager, asked me. She had an idea for restructuring the department. She knew it would work, but only if everyone would agree to it. She talked about different department members: Bob, who disagreed with anything anyone proposed. ...
If you ARE looking for that perfect relationship, stop reading this article and do one of two things: (1) Go to one of those websites that promises something like that and be “taken” again, or (2) Brush up on your emotional intelligence skills. Looking for anything perfect is an ...
As we all race to understand Emotional Intelligence, arguably the hottest thing on the business scene globally, there are many questions. As ‘Ask the EQ Expert’ for a business website, I’ve been asked:nn· Isn’t ‘Emotional Intelligence’ a ...
Remember your Optimism rules: Attribute bad things to something that isn't permanent, pervasive, or personal. Attribute good events to things that ARE permanent, pervasive, and personal. Learned Optimism is the emotionally intelligent way to reduce stress, live longer, be healthier, recover ...
Safety first whenever you're in the car, but for most of us, it's a pocket of time, and time is what we have the least of. Know yourself. If you're the kind who can't do two things at once, don't. Driving time can be a great source of stress if you let it be, but if you are intentional, and ...
Chances are you’ve heard about Emotional Intelligence, the ability to understand and manage the emotions of yourself and others, and to apply this understanding in conjunction with your understanding of cognitive thinking for better people skills, better decisions, better relationships, more ...
Serving as “Attract Your Dream Partner” expert for a major website, I get questions. I get the same questions in my coaching practice. “I saw this girl in the bookstore and I want to ask her out. What do I do?” “I want to ask this woman out but I can’t get her attention.” “There’s this woman ...
We’re coming down to the wire. How’s it feeling to you? Why do I ask that? Well, whatever you’re celebrating, and whatever your religious orientation, Christmas is a celebration, a celebration that for many has a spiritual basis to it. That is, it’s supposed to be merry, at the least, and ...
If you’re familiar with the lyrics to “Lady Will Power,” by Gary Puckett and the Union Gap, you understand this woman is under some pressure. Just what is “will power”? In emotional intelligence language, we would call it Intentionality. Emotional intelligence means being able to understand ...
When are you planning to get old? According to a recent study, you'd better move the date back. "Contrary to common belief, many people can live well into their 90s without becoming cognitively impaired, study findings indicate." - Neurology 2003; 60: 477–480 But statistics are ...
THE MONDAY FROM HELL Keely was the last person to arrive at the office Monday morning and when she walked in, she could feel the tension in the air. As she walked back to her office, others looked up and rolled their eyes or shook their heads, and she knew what was going on. Their boss, the ...
Most children love to clean up along with you. In fact, much of the Montessori Method of early childhood education makes use of this fact. If you notice their "work", praise it, and take it seriously, you'll keep them interested and you might also instill some good future work habits. Don't tune ...
If you want to stay well, the best path for handling anger is to experience as little of it as possible. However, we aren’t all lamas, we live in increasingly stressful times, and to be numb and feel nothing is no solution either. We need our emotions for the information they give us and to ...
People have emotions and emotions are contagious. How you conduct yourself and what values you live by define your culture, just as they do the other person's. Businesses have cultures and so do groups, committees, clubs, organizations and any situation where two or more people are together. ...
It’s amazing what people don’t think to tell you when you’re new to their place of business. Everyone should be required to work somewhere new for a “first day” about once a year to remember what it’s like. Someone who’s worked in the same office for months of years forgets, so you’ll have to ...
We are nothing, if not the sum total of our experiences, but when is it "baggage" and when is it not. Baggage is when you’re weighed-down by past experiences, stuck and unable to move forward from the weight. We think of it along with such terms as dumping it, getting rid of it, carrying ...
There's no better way to promote your business for free than to write articles on the Internet. It is particularly good for promoting services where advertising doesn't work as well even if you can afford it. All business is about relationship. You can't meet face-to-face with each person, or ...
“Something we were withholding made us weak/Until we found out that it was ourselves," wrote Robert Frost, in "The Gift Outright." Frost recited this poem at John F. Kennedy’s inauguration in 1961. With the words, “And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you -- ask ...
He did it again – my stockbroker. He rolled a ten-bagger into my lap. That means the stock he picked for me went up x10. Then he had me sell just before it started its decline. I bought low and sold high. Or rather he did. Making me (and him) that kind of money isn’t what I’d call ...
Around the end of January, post-holiday blues combine with bad weather, debt, allergens, failed resolutions, and long hours of darkness. In fact last year a scientist, using a formula of things that make us feel bad, labeled January 24 the most depressing day of the year. It’s a nasty ...
The days of dining by plucking fruit from trees and roasting small animals over the fire, eating with fingers, and perhaps fighting with others over the scraps are long gone. Or are they? More and more we swing our car through the drive-in, grab our food from the window, and proceed to eat ...
Finding a husband at midlife is a challenge. Since people date for different reasons, if you want marriage, you must differentiate yourself, select men accordingly, and behave differently. n Some of the problems are that there are more women than men at this age, some men prefer to date ...
There are 97 million Americans over the age of 45, and of those, 40%, or 36.2 million, are single. If you’re over 50 and looking, I have some good news. Like a good coach, I’m going to pump you up! The ratio of females to males increases with each decade, but does it really matter? No, for ...
It happens. You hate your boss, but you love your job. Or you love your boss, but hate your job. Or you’ve seen a colleague in that position, or you have a client so encumbered. I’ve seen it play itself out in more than one work situation. In fact, in one situation, I accompanied the ...
Studies show that most New Year’s resolutions are broken by January 15th. Getting organized is most people’s number one priority, yet it never seems to happen. Here are the top 10 ways to get organized. 1. Hire a coach. USA Weekend says: “Coaches help clients navigate their warp-speed lives ...