If your head could use some fresh air, watch these TED Talks on anxiety. They'll help you embrace life for what it is, and yourself for who you are. You might even find something new to embrace: a new life, a new hope, new energy. And since we're all connected, all here together, when you heal, the world heals with you.

“There’s something very freeing about finding out that you have a mental health issue. Oh, there’s nothing wrong with me! There’s just something wrong with me. Maybe I can do something about that.” — Jordan Raskopoulos

4 TED Talks on Anxiety to Inspire How You Heal

1. You are your greatest ally, with Jessica Amos

Watch this short video to remember: this moment is enough and you can always come back home to it. Use Jessica's simple visualization whenever you feel lost in your own thoughts. Her overall message: be on your own side.

2. A new plan for anxious feelings: escape the custard! with Neil Hughes

When Neil began explaining what he meant by “walking on custard,” I was struck by how spot on this metaphor was. If you feel like you’re trudging through life, searching for some solid ground to stand on... watch this. It might help you break the cycle.

As he says in the video, “It’s exhausting being anxious. It sucks up all our energy and leaves very little energy to deal with the root of the problem.”

3. Living with high functioning anxiety, with Jordan Raskopoulos

If you struggle with social events, this talk is a must watch. Jordan is smart, funny, and sheds light on high functioning anxiety. She says:

"We have such a heightened sense of worry and such a fear of failure that we are often high achieving, and perfectionists. The problem is that our level of worry is so high that even simple tasks require a huge amount of mental energy and completing multiple tasks at the same time is very difficult, which is why situations where there’s a lot of stimulation, like a party, can overwhelm us and make us shut down."

4. All it takes is 10 mindful minutes, with Andy Puddicombe

Mindfulness expert Andy Puddicombe, co-founder of the guided-meditation website and app Headspace, starts this video out by asking: “When did you last take any time to do nothing—just 10 minutes, undisturbed?”

“I think the present moment is so underrated—sounds so ordinary,” he says, “and yet we spend so little time in the present moment that it’s anything but ordinary.”

Don't take this life, this short chance to be here as you are, for granted. Watch this talk. You'll feel more in control of how you spend your time here.

. . .

Tell me:

Which of these talks did you really need to hear today?

Tell me in the comments. I read every single one, and I’d love to know!

With love,

Jen

P.S. Need to stop taking all your worries to bed with you? Get my book Sleep Rituals for 100 at-home practices that are all about you + the present moment. You’ll have meditations and so many other tools you can use anytime. To feel better. Lighter. Free to live your life.