The 10 Best TedTalks on Mental Health

TED is an organisation working to spread ideas and inspire people globally in the form of videos and presentations on certain topics. They keep their videos to eighteen minutes or less, and offer them in over one hundred different languages. Their work has become renowned globally and they have built a diverse community of people who are passionate about changing the world and learning from other.

There are speeches on creativity, on rags-to-riches stories, on technology and hundreds of other topics. Today, we are going to lay out the top ten talks related to mental health and wellbeing. Check them out!

10. Why We Get Mad – and Why it’s Healthy, Ryan Martin

Ryan Martin gives an interesting insight into how getting angry and frustrated can be good for you. Ryan is an anger researcher and explains some of the cognitive processes behind being mad, and encourages a 'healthy dose' of it!

9. The Voices in My Head, Eleanor Longden

We all have voices in our head, and they all say different things. Some are positive, some are negative, some are confusing. Eleanor Longden gives us an insight into understanding and dealing with the voices.

8. Why You Should Quit Social Media, Cal Newport

This is an interesting one. We're all on social media these days and there are multiple benefits to having those accounts. However, Cal offers up some strong reasons for deleting your social accounts. Could he be right?

7. How To Practice Emotional First Aid, Guy Winch

Have you heard of emotional first aid before? It could be one of the most important skills you learn. Guy Winch compares going to a doctor with a flue to how we deal with our mental issues.

6. Your Brain is More Than a Bag of Chemicals, Dave Anderson

Are drugs and medication the best way to support our mental health? Dave Anderson explores how the brain works as a whole and introduces new research that could lead to targeted psychiatric medications with better results and less side effects.

5. A Simple Trick to Improve Positive Thinking, Alison Ledgerwood

4. The Best Way to Help is Often Just to Listen, Sophie Andrews

We all know about the importance of talking to each other, but there is a particularly helpful skill in listening, too. Sophie Andrews introduces us to the idea that you don't always need to give advice when someone opens up to you.

3. What’s So Funny About Mental Illness?, Ruby Wax

Ruby Wax gives a brilliant presentation on the stigma surrounding mental health, mixing humour and energy with serious information. She asks why diseases of the brain don't get the same sympathy as those of the rest of the body, and draws on her own experience of dealing with clinical depression, too.

2. Mental Health for All By Involving All, Vikram Patel

Over 400 million people suffer from mental health issues worldwide, but yet the majority don't receive appropriate care or treatment. Vikram, an Indian psychiatrist, explores the idea of training community members and empowering ordinary people to care for others. A truly inspiring talk.

1. There’s No Shame in Looking After Your Mental Health, Sangu Delle

Here it is, your number one, an amazing talk by Sangu Delle on accepting that you need support and how he dealt with his own anxiety. The title of the talk says it all - there is no shame in looking after your mental health!

As you can see, the guys in TED have produced some really impressive content. The above 10 are a sample and only my own opinion on the best ten videos related to mental health, so feel free to let us know what you think! If you have any other videos that you think should be in the list, we’d love to hear about them.

Alternatively, if video isn’t for you, why not flick through our Anti-anxiety Playlist!