They used to show us some TED talks in junior and senior high school. We usually had to write a reflective response for a grade. Now, we don't earn grades for reflecting on motivational speakers. We earn contentment.
If you are grieving a relationship.
"How to fix a broken heart" by Guy Winch
"At some point in our lives, almost every one of us will have our heartbroken. Imagine how different things would be if we paid more attention to this unique emotional pain. Psychologist Guy Winch reveals how recovering from heartbreak starts with a determination to fight our instincts to idealize and search for answers that aren't there -- and offers a toolkit on how to, eventually, move on. Our hearts might sometimes be broken, but we don't have to break with them."
If your self-esteem is low.
"Get comfortable with being uncomfortable" by Luvvie Ajayi.
"Luvvie Ajayi isn't afraid to speak her mind or to be the one dissenting voice in a crowd, and neither should you. "Your silence serves no one," says the writer, activist and self-proclaimed professional troublemaker. In this bright, uplifting talk, Ajayi shares three questions to ask yourself if you're teetering on the edge of speaking up or quieting down -- and encourages all of us to get a little more comfortable with being uncomfortable."
If you need motivation to pursue your goals.
"Embrace the near win" by Sarah Lewis
"At her first museum job, art historian Sarah Lewis noticed something important about an artist she was studying: Not every artwork was a total masterpiece. She asks us to consider the role of the almost-failure, the near win, in our own lives. In our pursuit of success and mastery, is it actually our near wins that push us forward?"
If you want a mood booster NOW.
"The brain-changing benefits of exercise" by Wendy Suzuki.
"What's the most transformative thing that you can do for your brain today? Exercise! says neuroscientist Wendy Suzuki. Get inspired to go to the gym as Suzuki discusses the science of how working out boosts your mood and memory -- and protects your brain against neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's."
If you're being bullied.
"To this day... to the bullied and beautiful" by Shane Koyczan.
"By turn hilarious and haunting, poet Shane Koyczan puts his finger on the pulse of what it's like to be young and … different. "To This Day," his spoken-word poem about bullying, captivated millions as a viral video (created, crowd-source style, by 80 animators). Here, he gives a glorious, live reprise with backstory and violin accompaniment by Hannah Epperson."
If you feel like you are alone in your depression.
This talk contains mature content.
"There's no shame in taking care of your mental health" by Sangu Delle.
"When stress got to be too much for TED Fellow Sangu Delle, he had to confront his own deep prejudice: that men shouldn't take care of their mental health. In a personal talk, Delle shares how he learned to handle anxiety in a society that's uncomfortable with emotions. As he says: 'Being honest about how we feel doesn't make us weak -- it makes us human.'"
If you crave happiness.
"Where joy hides and how to find it" by Ingrid Fetell Lee.
"Cherry blossoms and rainbows, bubbles and googly eyes: Why do some things seem to create such universal joy? In this captivating talk, Ingrid Fetell Lee reveals the surprisingly tangible roots of joy and shows how we all can find -- and create -- more of it in the world around us."
If you feel full of regrets and you don't know who you are.
"The psychology of your future self" by Dan Gilbert.
"'Human beings are works in progress that mistakenly think they're finished.' Dan Gilbert shares recent research on a phenomenon he calls the "end of history illusion," where we somehow imagine that the person we are right now is the person we'll be for the rest of time. Hint: that's not the case."
