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3 TED Talks for when you’re feeling down

Written by: Hannah Morgan | WVUGo Media - Copywriter/Editor

Inspirational sign on a picket fence
Photography by Hannah Morgan 

When you’re feeling blue, there is a comfort that comes when someone sits down with you and brings a little pep talk. It can be hard to open up to someone, but with TED Talk, you don’t have to say a word. Just listen.

On some days, nothing seems to be going right. Maybe it’s stress from starting a new job, or those days when love seems a little far away or when a little kind word of encouragement seems like a little bit of sun peaking through rain clouds. It’s okay to feel this way.

The good thing is, TED Talk has the little snippets of good news and inspiration we need. Below is a list of three videos I have found that makes my day a little better.

1. For when you’re feeling stressed

Stress-it can be a big mood killer. It feels heavy inside and causes the brain to feel like the world might be ending. But one professional says that we can turn stress into something positive.

In this TED Talk, a health psychologist by the name of Kelly McGonigal dives into the reality and science behind stress. She says that if we change our mindset about how stress affects us, it’s not only healthier, but allows us to become ready for whatever is thrown our way.

2. For when you’re in need of a little love

In this speech, Robert Carley reminds everyone that they are lovely, lovable and loved. He tells a sweet story of when he was a young lad and when he first fell in love. When they first met, he felt unworthy of her. In the end, they ended up living happily ever after- kind of. Even though their hardships, one thing never failed: love.

This is a TED Talk that will stay embedded in my heart forever, and one that I’ll probably always listen to when love seems too far away.


3. For when you’re in need of a little encouragement

You are in control of your future, but it all depends on mindset. As the speaker Isaac Lidsky says, “see beyond your fears”.

But Lidsky knows that it isn’t that simple. At the age of 25, he began to lose his sight. It was then, after thinking that his life was never going to bed the same, he realized that reality is “only a perception”.

He ends the talk with a challenge: to let go of all fears and assumptions.


In the end, these three talks explain that it’s okay to feel stressed, normal to need a little love and that everyone is in control of their future, regardless of what is presented. We’re all human. It’s possible to make a gloomy day a little brighter.

About the Author

Hannah Grace Morgan is a part of the Writing/Editing Team for WVUGo. She is a senior studying journalism and political science. Hannah is from Oceana, West Virginia where the closest stoplight is about an hour drive away. Hannah has written for the Daily Athenaeum, WV News, the Register-Herald and now for WVUGo.

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