Everyone gets anxious at times, but how can you tell when worrying and fear crosses the line and needs attention? Dr. Jen Gunter introduces a special part of the brain called the amygdala and shares the science behind your brain's threat-detection system, what causes it to malfunction and the most effective ways of treating an anxiety disorder. ...

Imagine there's someone standing next to you all the time pointing out every! single! thing! you're doing wrong. This is what millions of anxiety sufferers feel on a daily basis, and it's awful. Anxiety researcher Olivia Remes lays out a roadmap to getting rid of that "someone." It begins, she says, with being kinder to ourselves and to others.

Anxiety is a normal part of life, so why are we so afraid of it? Psychologist Lisa Damour breaks down how to recognize when anxiety is helpful and when it's harmful, offering simple solutions for calming yourself and taking back control when you feel it slipping away. (This conversation, hosted by TED science curator David Biello, was part of an...

Have you ever felt your throat closing up during a presentation, or your voice getting shaky during a stressful exchange with your boss? Speech pathologist Jackie Gartner-Schmidt shares the anatomical processes that cause our voices to betray our anxiety -- and some easy, practical ways to alleviate those telltale vocal tremors.

Why are global levels of anxiety and depression so high? Social epidemiologist Richard Wilkinson presents compelling data on the impact of inequality on mental health and social relationships in countries around the world. "Inequality," he says, "is the enemy between us."

As a comedian and performer, Jordan Raskopolous does not suffer from stage fright. Away from the spotlight, however, it's a different story. For her, everyday experiences like talking on the phone produce the kind of anxiety most people feel on stage. In this personal and funny talk about the nuances of mental health, she shares her experiences...

What if you could transform your anxiety into something you can actually use during your work day? Neuroscientist Wendy Suzuki shares two evidence-based activities -- breathing and movement -- that can soothe your nervous system and fuel creativity and connection.

Growing up means facing new challenges -- but for some kids, uncertain situations lead to anxiety that parents often seek to soothe. Psychologist Anne Marie Albano explains how constantly rushing to fix a child's problems can perpetuate a lifelong cycle of dependence and resentment -- and shares why a healthy dose of risk helps kids cultivate la...

When was the last time you felt like an outsider? Now imagine if you felt that way every time you entered your workplace. This is what many women and people of color feel every day at work, especially in the tech industry -- they have to overcome the anxiety of being treated like an outsider before they can do the work they were actually hired t...

It's normal to feel anxious or overwhelmed by climate change, says psychologist Renée Lertzman. Can we turn those feelings into something productive? In an affirming talk, Lertzman discusses the emotional effects of climate change and offers insights on how psychology can help us discover both the creativity and resilience needed to act on envir...

The stress you may feel being otherized or stereotyped can take a significant toll on your health and well-being. In this thoughtful conversation, social psychologist Valerie Purdie-Greenaway reveals the true source of this anxiety (hint: it isn't the individual) and shares strategies on building resilient systems of support for ourselves and ot...

In crowds, at parties, meetings, get-togethers with friends, everyday interactions: social anxiety can show up as an unwelcome guest at any time. But why? Psychologist Fallon Goodman digs into the source of social anxiety, setting the record straight about this common condition with practical solutions to help you feel the most authentically "yo...

Emotional abuse can be incredibly damaging, increasing a person's chances of developing depression and anxiety. But these behaviors can be subtle and difficult to spot, both from within and outside a relationship. It also often makes people doubt their perceptions of their own mistreatment. How can we recognize these patterns in real life? Viann...

Bluegrass artist Sierra Hull plays her mandolin and sings an original song, reminding us that even amid fear and anxiety, beauty can still be found.

Hot flashes, joint pain, anxiety, depression, difficulty sleeping -- these unforgiving menopause symptoms directly impact work but often go overlooked and under-discussed as a taboo topic, says entrepreneur Andrea Berchowitz. She gives practical advice on how to create a menopause-friendly work culture that supports gender equity and diversity r...

In a moving talk, journalist Johann Hari shares fresh insights on the causes of depression and anxiety from experts around the world -- as well as some exciting emerging solutions. "If you're depressed or anxious, you're not weak and you're not crazy -- you're a human being with unmet needs," Hari says.

Could CBD, a chemical compound found in the cannabis plant, help treat opioid addiction? Neuroscientist Yasmin Hurd discusses why current treatment strategies, such as methadone, aren't enough to end the opioid epidemic -- and shares how CBD could help reduce the cravings and anxiety associated with drug use and relapse, potentially providing a ...

In a dating landscape plagued with anxiety about double-texts and who grabs the check, "it's way easier to have rules than to have feelings," says stand-up comedian and podcast host Jared Freid. In this funny talk, he shares how owning your feelings can help you avoid a minefield of trick questions and shifting social norms.

Former NFL quarterback Alex Smith almost died after a particularly rough tackle snapped his leg in 2018 -- yet he was back on the field just two years later. In this inspiring talk, he shares his hard-won insights on overcoming fear, self-doubt and anxiety that could help anyone endure life's challenges. (This talk contains graphic images.)

The parenting section of the bookstore is overwhelming -- it's "a giant, candy-colored monument to our collective panic," as writer Jennifer Senior puts it. Why is parenthood filled with so much anxiety? Because the goal of modern, middle-class parents -- to raise happy children -- is so elusive. In this honest talk, Senior offers some kinder an...

Many of the symptoms of menopause -- hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, memory lapses, depression and anxiety -- start in the brain. How exactly does menopause impact cognitive health? Sharing groundbreaking findings from her research, neuroscientist Lisa Mosconi reveals how decreasing hormonal levels affect brain aging -- and shares simple li...

We face an endless string of choices, which leads us to feel anxiety, guilt and pangs of inadequacy that we are perhaps making the wrong ones. But philosopher Renata Salecl asks: Could individual choices be distracting us from something bigger—our power as social thinkers? A bold call for us to stop taking personal choice so seriously and focus ...

School can be rife with stress, anxiety, panic attacks and even burnout -- but there's often no formal policy for students who need to prioritize their well-being. Hailey Hardcastle explains why schools should offer mental health days and allow students time to practice emotional hygiene without stigma. Follow along to learn how she and a team o...

How do music and psychedelics impact your brain? Neuroscientist Frederick Streeter Barrett discusses the specific neural regions activated when you listen to music and undergo the effects of psychedelic drugs like LSD or psilocybin (magic mushrooms). Learn about his research on how these experiences, when paired with the right conditions, may su...

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 ...

Neuroscientist Kay M. Tye investigates how your brain gives rise to complex emotional states like depression, anxiety or loneliness. From the cutting edge of science, she shares her latest findings -- including the development of a tool that uses light to activate specific neurons and create dramatic behavioral changes in mice. Learn how these d...

In a lyrical talk full of radical imagination, poet Aja Monet and community organizer phillip agnew share the story of how they fell in love and what they've learned about the powerful connection between great social movements and meaningful art. Journey to Smoke Signals Studio in Miami, their home and community art space where they're creating ...

Can you look at someone's face and know what they're feeling? Does everyone experience happiness, sadness and anxiety the same way? What are emotions anyway? For the past 25 years, psychology professor Lisa Feldman Barrett has mapped facial expressions, scanned brains and analyzed hundreds of physiology studies to understand what emotions really...

Success is energizing. But it's also anxiety-provoking and exhausting. Each time we achieve it, we often tend to immediately seek out the next step upward. Drawing on a two-decade career in executive search, interviewing thousands of the most successful people in the world, Laura Gassner Otting explains why success doesn't bring happiness, and h...

It's a fateful moment in history. We've seen divisive elections, divided societies and the growth of extremism -- all fueled by anxiety and uncertainty. "Is there something we can do, each of us, to be able to face the future without fear?" asks Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks. In this electrifying talk, the spiritual leader gives us three specific wa...