TedTalks - Ideas Worth Using
During quarantine, we’ve all had the opportunity to spend more time to ourselves. Despite the slump many of us are feeling from being at home all day, I’ve been determined to find ways to stay productive, positive and take this added time to myself to take courses on LinkedIn Learning, self development and just to learn something new!
One of my favourite ways to do this has been through watching TedTalks. I’ve always been a fan of TedTalk videos, so I’ve completed a list of some of my favourite ones which I’ve actually taken the advice of and why I think you should give them a watch.
I’ve always been a big believer in your mindset substantially impacting your life. Staying positive is crucial to not only success in your personal and professional life, but your overall well being as well. I have often found myself stressing over the negatives and failing to realize how fortunate I truly am.
In his Ted Talk, Shawn Achor, author of the Happiness Advantage speaks about how happiness always seems like a far away goal that people always strive towards. For example, you’ll have a sales target, reach it, then immediately set a new goal. There's the idea that happiness always comes after an achievement. But when we always set new goals or targets for ourselves, when will we truly be happy?
We often fail to realize all the great things we currently have in our lives, so Shawn suggested writing down 3 things you are grateful for and one thing that made you happy everyday. This helps you reflect and relive a positive experience from your day. This is a strategy I’ve used for years and it genuinely makes you feel better and oftentimes puts things into perspective. Anything from being healthy to having a roof over your head can be something you’re grateful for. I found that taking the time to reflect gives you time in your day for yourself which we often don’t take enough of.
What Makes A Good Life
Another Ted Talk which I found really interesting was “What makes a good life”. This presentation was about a Harvard study which followed men throughout their lives. Not only is it mind blowing that this study has lasted so long but the results were both surprising and heartwarming. Some of the participants of this study began when they were sophomores and are now in their nineties. While following the participants throughout the years, everything was tracked from their careers, relationships and even health.
The findings point to the fact that the key to a happy and healthy life is having strong meaningful relationships. This study found that those who had strong relationships lived longer, stayed mentally sharp and had better overall health, regardless of any medical conditions they had. Maintaining relationships with people is so important, so make sure to reach out and check in with people who you’re important to and take time to continue strengthening relationships with your family and close friends since not only are these relationships what truly what keep us happy and healthy, but I’m sure your family and friends would love to hear from you.
Finally, one of my all time favourites is “How to Make Stress Your Friend”. This one I feel a personal connection to because I have always said I love the feeling of being stressed and I feel like I’m at my happiest and perform best when I’m a little stressed out. This has always raised concern for people or they’ve said I’m crazy for always seeking new things to add to my plate or new projects to start, but luckily, this Ted Talk validates my feelings towards stress.
In her Ted Talk, Kelly McGonigal speaks about a study which demonstrates that your perspective on stress can actually impact your body’s reaction to it. So, those who thought stress was bad for their health had actual health implications when stressed out whereas those who thought stress was a good thing had positive physical reactions when under stress.
When you’re stressed you start sweating, your heart rate increases and many people see this as a negative thing. However, Kelly tells us to think of this physical reaction as us feeling energized as we prepare to face a challenge. Anyone who knows me knows I love public speaking and giving presentations. Public speaking is actually the number one biggest fear people have. In order to combat this, whenever I feel nervous about presenting, I think to myself, “I am so excited to present” and this positive mindset fuels me to do well. I use a similar strategy when I have a lot of work to do. I view the stress of deadlines and tasks as an exciting motivator to get it done which often drives me to work harder than I normally would.
This change in perspective not only allows you to minimize your negative feelings, but can be used to drive productivity and increases your happiness. So, give it a try! I guarantee it’ll make a big difference next time you have to give a presentation or are feeling the heat of a fast approaching deadline or challenge.
While you may have gotten some of the highlights of the TedTalks from reading this, I highly suggest you watch them yourselves. I’m sure you’ll take away something unique from the TedTalks. I also encourage you to learn from these presentations and take action if that be to start a gratitude journal, reach out to those you care about or change your perspective on stress. These made an impact on my life and I hope they positively impact yours too.