Life

6 TED Talks That’ll Solve All Your Life Problems

There really is a TED talk for everything.

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There’s nothing quite like going on a TED Talk marathon. After hours of videos you suddenly feel like you can conquer anything and solve all the world’s problems. Its wide scope of coverage means you can find an innovative, digestible solution to just about every problem we may encounter.

So let’s use that scope to your advantage! Here’s a curated list of TED Talks for the biggest issues facing 20-somethings, to make life a little bit easier. 

Can’t Get Hired?

“Experience” is often the barrier between you and your dream job. But according to TED Resident Jason Shen, the best way to make yourself more attractive to employers is to find a way to demonstrate your relevant skills, alongside your traditional resume and cover letter. 

Stressed?

No one is a stranger to stress, but too many people are treating it wrong. Psychologist Kelly McGonigal explains how rethinking the way we imagine stress can change its effect on the body. Believing stress is a health risk has been shown to increase the risk of premature death via stress.

If your life is full of stress, reimagining it as a force for good rather than evil may literally save your life.

Can’t Make New Friends?

As much as university and work can be melting pot, too often we end up befriending people who are basically copies of ourselves. It’s all too easy to go through uni without having any meaningful relationships with a diverse range of people.

Organizational psychologist Tanya Menon outlines some simple ways to get out of your bubble and run into new people. Tiny things from changing the bathroom you use can vary the people you mix with, and the relationships you end up forming.

Feeling Lost In Your 20s? 

As house prices rise and grad jobs diminish, it’s very easy for your twenties to feel like adolescence 2.0. But clinical psychologist Meg Jay warns against this attitude, proclaiming your twenties are a formative decade, and set the foundations for how the rest of your life will play out.

While this may seem like a daunting prospect, she also provides ways to make the most of your 20s, including exploring options, and making the most of weak ties, otherwise known as friends of friends of friends. The whole world is at our feet, and it’s up to us to explore it. 

Can’t Save Money? 

Being short of money is a natural part of being a student, so knowing how to save is essential to staying above water. Behavioural economist Shlomo Benartzi uses behavioural science studies to show the best way to save is to save continuously and gradually, instead of thinking of savings as a goal for the future.

Can’t Decide On A Career? 

Choosing a career path can be a difficult task, especially when your passions lie in more than one field. That’s where career coach, writer and artist Emilie Wapnick comes in. She introduces a group of people called “multipotentialites,” otherwise known as people who cannot stick to one career path or passion. She shows the strength to be found in being a multipotentialite, and the importance of collaboration between multipotentialies and specialists. If you’re stuck at a fork in the career road, this one is for you.