Check out the latest talks, interviews, and articles from Megan Bruneau. For hundreds more, check out her author pages on Huffington Post, Forbes, MindBodyGreen, Thrillist, Thought Catalog, Gaia, Entrepreneur, Verily and Quartz.
Let’s be real: every person deserves a little extra self-care this holiday season. But most of us know a woman warrior who ought to be reminded to take allllll that love she gives others—and direct it inward.
Here are twelve female-founded gift ideas that will remind that inspirational woman in your life to pause and pamper herself.
Read MoreAs a therapist and executive coach, motivation is a common topic that enters my virtual office. I can assure you that even your high-performing CEO, surgeon, and attorney struggle to develop their slide decks before the eleventh hour or get on their Pelotons. Brilliant and accomplished as they are, they can’t seem to figure out why they can’t just “get it done.”
Read MoreEnergized by the hope of herd immunity and a return to normalcy, America appears to be cautiously emerging from the past year’s collective depression. And considering 2020’s mental health statistics, the cloud is lifting not a moment too soon. Last year, one in four people aged 18 to 24 seriously contemplated suicide (CDC); a Help.org survey showed one in three adults “knowing someone with an addiction;” more than one in three adults in the U.S. reported symptoms of anxiety and depression disorder – compared to one in ten when surveyed the previous year; and eight in ten adults described the pandemic as a “significant source of stress in [their lives]” (APA). And while heartbreaking, as a therapist and executive coach I believe the negative effects of lockdown restrictions offer a silver lining: advice for how we can improve our mental health and increase our resilience well beyond the remainder of the pandemic.
Read MoreI’ve been working with Melissa* for close to two years. Her initial email, with “Can u help me?” in the subject line, was spurred by a recent breakup – yet another relationship, I soon learned, that Melissa’s eating disorder had stolen from her.
Read MoreVirtually no one is psychologically unaffected during this “unprecedented” time. Whether your discomfort is primarily related to health, financial security, or the general “fog” of uncertainty, our collective global sentiment falls somewhere between disorientation and panic. And because our usual sources of guidance and reassurance have been replaced with questions marks, here are a few tips for preserving mental health I’ve been sharing with my clients:
Read MoreI used to take day-planning to the next level: every morning, I would make a list, planning my schedule down to the minute. It wasn’t so much that I needed task reminders; my exhaustive daily lists ensured every moment was planned—and I wouldn’t be caught in a space of unstructured time.
Read MoreAs a therapist and unapologetically anxious individual, I’m always on the lookout for holistic products that quieten the relentless noise of my inner world. And when I come across seemingly effective stuff, I want to spread the gospel. So I’ve rounded up eight gift ideas that may ease your loved one’s anxiety—and in the process, may ease your anxiety about finding a last-minute gift for your loved one.
Read MoreAlthough these days I focus primarily on entrepreneurial mental health, I began my counseling career immersed in the eating disorder recovery world. The prior decade of quietly trying to heal myself from bulimia and anorexia had instilled in me a fervent desire to support others – both directly as as clinician and indirectly as an advocate.
Read MoreI intentionally describe myself as a "writer," not a "therapist" on my Hinge profile. Don't get me wrong, I'm proud of what I get to do for a living; however, the dudes who aren't immediately scared off because they think therapists can read minds will inevitably ask how I got into psychology – and I just prefer to save the "wounded healer" monologue for in-person.
Read MoreLast month, I had the pleasure of attending the Global Connections for Women Entrepreneurship Ball at the Harvard Club in Manhattan. The charity event recognized game-changing women leaders, with benefits going toward the GC4W Entrepreneurship Scholarship Fund. With access to the brilliant honorees, I was compelled to ask five of them the best advice they've ever received. Here's what they responded:
Read MoreAs a therapist and executive coach, I frequently speak with badass women encouraged to medicate away their feelings. Ashamed over what they perceive to be "emotional instability," they fear they're "too sensitive" to warrant a seat in the boardroom. They've been told tears don't belong in the workplace. They believe they're frauds the moment they notice anxiety creeping in (and then feel another layer of anxiety telling them to get rid of their anxiety).
Read MoreAfter a few minutes of speaking with Blue Mercury cofounder and CEO Marla Beck, it's clear why a box of the luxury retailer's most popular product – M-61 Power Glow Peel – is sold every eight seconds. During our interview for The Failure Factor, the mother-of-three reveals how the trailblazing e-commerce company almost failed initially, and Beck and her husband slept on his sister's couch for months to reduce burn while they pivoted to retail.
Read MoreIn 1999, I was thirteen years old and using the internet to talk to boys over the newly released MSN Messenger. Michael Cammarata, also thirteen, was using the internet to make his first million. Introduced to the world of StarCraft by a neighbor, Cammarata began building related websites and programming software – before convincing his older brother (on whom he had "information") to give him two thousand dollars so he could purchase a dedicated server and start a hosting business. Over the next few years, Cammarata moved from hosting to online advertising and had created $85 million in revenue by his mid-twenties. He ultimately settled in the natural space as the cofounder and CEO of Schmidt's Naturals, one of the world’s fastest growing wellness brands.
Read MoreI didn't realize I had insomnia until I was in college, when a friend told me he'd "woke[n] up in the middle of the night" – and that was his whole story. I remember feeling confused – didn't everyone take hours to fall asleep, then wake up in the middle of the night six, seven, thirteen times like I did?
Read MoreDuring a recent emotional rough patch, I found myself craving dance. I've spent years optimizing my mental health and have learned dance is one of the most reliable ways of shifting my mood – particularly when its positive effects aren't negated shortly thereafter with a hangover (because historically for me they've gone hand-in-hand). So knowing 3am tequila shots and a regrettable makeout would probably cancel out the therapeutic benefits of a night of clubbing, I shot a text to a couple of friends asking if they had any recommendations for accessible (daytime, sober) dance workouts in the city. Both returned with the same answer: 305 Fitness.
Read MoreEarlier this year, a New York Times’ article summarized recent findings that acne can increase the risk for depression. Responses to the article ranged from “Well obviously!” to heartbreaking comments like “Acne destroyed my life [because of] relentless bullying, mockery, and humiliation.” Walter Faulstroh, founder and CEO of HUM Nutrition, knows the physical and emotional pain of acne well, struggling for years to find a sustainable solution for his breakouts.
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As someone who chooses not to medicate their ADHD, I’ve accepted I’ll always require multiple sets of apartment keys and will keep replacing my credit cards monthly until I finally muster the focus to sign up for Apple Pay. But my distractibility and disorganization are well worth the tradeoff for the creativity, energy, enthusiasm, and intuition that have been integral in my success. Yet another strength of the “entrepreneurial superpower” is an affinity for multitasking – I love dividing my energy between coaching, writing, speaking, podcasting, creating digital content, and managing team members (who are much better at the administrative and production tasks on which I have trouble focusing)
Read MoreYou should never mix business and pleasure, right? Dismissing the adage, millions of couples choose to start companies together. In 2000, it was estimated that 3 million of the 22 million US small business were couple-owned, and that number has likely risen. As a therapist and executive coach, I’m often privy to the challenges (and sometimes colossal disasters) that can emerge when romantic partners start businesses – or when business partners start romances. Help-seeking selection effect aside, most partnerships can agree there are inevitable strains placed on both the relationship and the business. Thus, I’m always curious to learn from the cofounder couples who are doing it right. Lara and Ben Mead, founders of Varley women’s activewear and lifestyle brand, are an example.
Read MoreI often (half) joke that dating is great training for entrepreneurship. Lack of predictability and control is common to both, and the discomfort of anxiety, rejection, disappointment, frustration, anger, powerlessness, and so on are inevitable. If we want to grow our businesses, we have to learn how to navigate the entrepreneurial emotional roller coaster – and dating in 2018 is excellent practice in said proverbial emotional roller coaster (especially in New York City).
Read MoreAs a therapist and executive coach, part of my job is helping my clients get to know themselves really well – and learn what contributes to their optimal mental health and success. While one person might thrive in a fast-paced, high-energy environment, another might feel overstimulated and suffocated. Nikisha Riley, social media influencer, model, and skincare line entrepreneur was the latter. Raised in Brooklyn, the Folie Apothecary founder knew she needed an environment more conducive to mental health when she began having panic attacks, heart palpitations, and couldn’t leave the house unless a friend was with her. Unable to cope in the city, Riley moved to Austin, Texas, where she was later diagnosed with anxiety, mild depression, and ADHD.
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