The best TED Talks on happiness, according to a therapist
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I love TED Talks. They’re like mini college lectures (think 20 minutes or less!) with extremely practical applications. You can find a TED Talk on just about any topic you’re interested in. As a mental health professional, I’m highly interested in what makes people happy. Luckily for all of us, there are some brilliant researchers out there who are wondering the same thing. Here are four TED Talks on happiness that I recommend you check out.
Focus on the good
This is definitely the TED Talk I reference the most with clients. I’ve even attempted to draw diagrams to illustrate the speaker’s concepts with little success – I’m a therapist, not an artist.
Dr. Rick Hanson, a psychologist and author of “Hardwiring Happiness,” pulls from his own life experiences to provide real-life examples for his research. He grew up feeling lonely and inadequate, but he began to notice that when he took the time to savor the good things that happened to him, he felt better. He eventually became a neuropsychologist and learned that there is a scientific basis for this process.
Here are my top takeaways from Dr. Rick Hanson:
Our brains are constantly changing and we can shape them through our experiences.
Positive experiences have a weaker impact on the brain than negative experiences due to negativity bias.
We can overcome this negativity bias and strengthen the positive experiences in our brain by taking the time to savor them and integrate them into our being.
There is a four-step process for taking in the good: Have it, Enrich it, Absorb it, and Link it.
By taking in the good, we can build up our inner strengths and resilience, and make ourselves happier and more confident.
The talk is full of practical tips and advice for how to take in the good, and it is a hopeful and inspiring message about the power of our minds to change our brains and our lives. Check this video out if you’re interested in a simple way to hack your brain into being more happy.
Stay in the moment
According to the speaker, businessman Barry Margerum, the key to happiness is mindfulness. He emphasizes that our minds are constantly wandering, either to the past or the future (can you relate?), and that this can prevent us from being fully present in the current moment. When we are mindful, we are able to focus on our breath and our body sensations, and to let go of our thoughts and judgments.
Here are some additional points that he makes:
Mindfulness and meditation can help us to cope with stress and to live happier lives.
Mindfulness is not about stopping your thoughts, but about letting go of your judgments about your thoughts.
Meditation is a practice, and it takes time and effort to develop the skill of mindfulness.
Meditation can help us to improve our focus and concentration, reduce stress and anxiety, and increase our happiness and well-being.
Meditation can help us to make better decisions, as it allows us to see things more clearly and objectively.
My personal recommendation for getting into meditation and mindfulness is the Insight Timer app! You’ll find tons of free guided meditations categorized by whatever you need in the moment, from reducing anxiety to falling asleep.
Pay attention to the small stuff
I will be happy when ______.
If you’re able to answer that question, then you may have fallen into the happiness trap – waiting on external factors to make us happy – that speaker and happiness coach Marlena Brothers Frank has identified.
Instead, the speaker shared her simple, yet profound, advice for finding and maintaining happiness. In her talk, she tells the story of her grandmother who searched her whole life for happiness, and found it in the little things, such as the warmth of the sun and the sound of the rain.
Here’s what Marlena learned:
We often get happiness wrong by thinking that it will come from external things. However, studies have shown that these things have very little impact on our long-term happiness.
True happiness comes from living a meaningful life and having strong relationships.
The three main sources of happiness: being present, being grateful, and being connected with others.
So, rather than waiting for the next big thing to come around to finally make you happy (retirement, new job, new romantic partner), what can you do in your life at this very moment to tune into the moment, express gratitude, and connect with another human?
Move your body
In this final video, Wendy Suzuki, neuroscientist and author of “Healthy Brain, Happy Life,” discusses the scientific explanation behind why exercise is so good for your brain. Not only does it have immediate effects on your mood, but it also protects your brain against neurodegenerative diseases.
Here are the main points of her talk:
Exercise immediately increases the levels of neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, and noradrenaline, which improve mood and focus.
Regular exercise increases the volume of the hippocampus, which is responsible for long-term memory, and improves cognitive function.
Exercise protects the brain from neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and dementia.
You don’t have to be a gym rat to see these results: the recommended amount of exercise is 3-4 times a week for 30 minutes per session. Taking a walk on your lunch break, using the stairs, or dancing will do the trick!
For a lot of people, maintaining a fitness routine is difficult because change doesn’t happen immediately. We’re working our butts off but our fitness goals still seem so far away. I suggest reframing your workout not as a small step in a long, long hike to reach a finish line, but rather an effort to improve your mood that very day. The long-term benefits will come in time but you get to reap the benefits of increased happiness each time you move your body.
