TED talks on mental health: How to maintain good mental wellbeing in summary:
- In this blog, we feature a curated selection of TED Talks centred around mental health, offering valuable insights and perspectives.
- The talks provide valuable insights into the significance of destigmatising mental health issues and promoting open conversations in the workplace.
- These TED talks help empower HR professionals with resources and inspiration from knowledgeable speakers to better support mental wellbeing initiatives within their organisations.
With the nonsense of April Fool’s Day now behind us, it’s time to focus on something much more important – Stress Awareness Month.
Taking place every April since 1992, the national awareness event shines a spotlight on the causes and solutions to our modern stress epidemic – and with good reason! With a staggering 74% of UK adults feeling so stressed in the past year that they’ve been overwhelmed or unable to cope, it’s more important than ever to recognise the warning signs of stress, and take mental wellbeing seriously.
For people professionals, this is doubly so. In our recent ground-breaking report HR Under Pressure, we discovered the shocking fact that 64% of people professionals constantly feel stress or unmanageable pressure. Worse still, 83% of people professionals we surveyed told us they had to take time away from work due to stress-related conditions in the past year.
Clearly, the modern world we live (and work) in is proving difficult for many of us. So, what can be done to support better and more positive mental health?
Of course, we’d always recommend seeking professional help if you feel stress, or have worries about your mental health that becoming overwhelming (The NHS and Mind charity websites both have useful points of contact). However, if you’re looking to just take small steps to improve your wellbeing, TED Talks are a great place to start.
We’ve selected 5 excellent TED Talks that discuss how you can make small changes to improve your mental wellbeing – why not give them a watch?
1. The brain-changing benefits of exercise
Sometimes, the answer to maintaining wellbeing can be deceptively simple: a quick workout session. In this TED Talk, respected neuroscientist Wendy Suzuki discusses the science of how short but regular exercise can greatly boost mood and memory.
Exercises that get your heart rate up, like a quick ‘power walk’ around your neighbourhood, can be beneficial, not just for your physical but mental health, too. For those that struggle in getting into exercise, Wendy even suggests the minimum time you should exercise to gain long-term benefits!
2. All it takes is 10 mindful minutes
When your daily schedule comprises of an inbox pinging nonstop, the phone ringing, and running through today’s to-do list in your head, when do you have time to just do nothing? Not looking at your phone, not talking, not thinking. Just absolutely nothing.
In a society where busy is the norm, doing nothing can seem like a luxury. But when busyness and a cluttered mind are affecting your health, it might be a ‘luxury’ we must afford. Mindfulness expert and meditation app Headspace co-founder, Andy Puddicombe, says that you don’t need to be a monk to experience the transformative power of practising mindfulness. He suggests taking just 10 minutes a day to do nothing, experiencing the present moment.
3. Prepare for stressful moments
When you’re in a stressful situation, your judgement may become cloudy and you might make rash decisions, invariably adding to further stress later on. According to neuroscientist Daniel Levitin, it is because your brain releases cortisol during stressful situations, inhibiting rational, logical thinking.
Stress, work-related or not, is sometimes unavoidable. So, Daniel suggests creating a system that will help you be more prepared should that stressful situation crop up. Not only will this help manage workplace stress more effectively, but it will also help build personal resilience.
4. Be aware of the words you use
Do you ever get a feeling when you talk to someone, read their comments, emails, etc., that while nothing seems to be out of the ordinary, something still seems a bit off? Reading between the lines can be a simple, but very effective way to help, according to neuroscientist Mariano Sigman when spotting tell-tale signs of ill wellbeing.
In this fascinating talk, Mariano shares a quantitative study on the works of ancient Greek philosophers. He looks at the origins of introspection, and how the words we use give a glimpse into our mental health. So, if you catch yourself or others using negative, self-defeating words, it might be worth checking in to see if everything’s okay.
5. Know when to seek help or advice
When children get hurt or need help, they look towards a reliable adult and ask for support. But growing up, when did we start thinking that not asking for help is a sign of independence and strength?
Former kindergarten teacher, YeYoon Kim, learned from her students that there’s power in asking for support. And more often than not, others are not just willing but happy to lend you a hand.
Whether you’re stressed due to a project, juggling work and parenting responsibilities, or fearing a potential job loss, it’s important to know that you don’t have to deal with everything alone.
Paul Bauer
Paul Bauer is the Head of Content at Cezanne. Based in the Utopia of Milton Keynes (his words, not ours!) he’s worked within the employee benefits, engagement and HR sectors for over six years. He's also earned multiple industry awards for his work - including a coveted Roses Creative Award.
