Ideas worth spreading

3 steps of anxiety overload -- and how you can take back control

798,787 views | Lisa Damour • TED Membership

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 exclusive TED Membership event. Visit ted.com/membership to become a TED Member.)

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 exclusive TED Membership event. Visit ted.com/membership to become a TED Member.)

Read Lisa's latest book, The Emotional Lives of Teenagers.

Check out the guidance offered by the National Institute of Mental Health on how to care for your emotional well-being.

About the speaker

Psychologist, author, podcaster

See speaker profile

Lisa Damour explains why intense feelings -- including negative ones -- are an inevitable part of life, and how we can better understand them.

Lisa Damour, PhD | Ask Lisa: The Psychology of Parenting, 2020 | Listen

"When Is Anxiety a Disorder? When Does Sadness Become Depression?"

Damour and her co-host Reena Ninan discuss the difference between healthy and unhealthy anxiety and explain how anxiety changes the activity of the heart and lungs. They also consider the difference between sadness and depression and highlight when it's time to seek professional help.

Lisa Damour, PhD | DrLisaDamour.com, 2022 | Article

"How Breathing Reduces Anxiety"

This free, downloadable bookmark describes why controlled breathing reduces anxiety and details the steps involved in an effective breathing practice.

Lisa Damour, PhD | The New York Times, 2020 | Article

"Helping Teens Make Room for Uncomfortable Emotions"

This article explains how psychological health includes being able to bear — and make good use of — unpleasant feelings.

Lisa Damour, PhD | The New York Times, 2021 | Article

"Teenagers, Anxiety Can Be Your Friend"

This article highlights how anxiety can serve as a personal warning system that helps us notice when things are on the wrong track. It also debunks three key myths about anxiety: that we're better off without anxiety, that there's little we can do to combat anxiety and that it's best to avoid the things that make us anxious.

Lisa Damour, PhD | CBS This Morning, 2019 | Watch

"Why Not All Anxiety is Bad"

Damour joins Norah O'Donnell of CBS News to discuss the important role that anxiety and other uncomfortable emotions can play in our daily lives.

Learn more

Read Lisa's latest book, The Emotional Lives of Teenagers.

Check out the guidance offered by the National Institute of Mental Health on how to care for your emotional well-being.