TED Talks Daily TED Talks

"I can't do this." "I didn't deserve this promotion." "When will they find me out?" If you've had thoughts like these, you aren't alone. Nearly 70 percent of people have experienced imposter syndrome -- even some of the most successful ones! The difference is in how they can use imposter thoughts as fuel, rather than a fire to burn them out. Organizational psychologist Adam Grant shares three steps you can take to harness your own self-doubt as a fuel for success, and why we stand to gain more from embracing our insecurities rather than hiding from them.

What's the best way to get over heartbreak? Rapper and writer Dessa came up with an unconventional approach after a chance viewing of Helen Fisher's TED Talk about the brains of the lovestruck. In a wryly funny talk, she describes how she worked with a neuroscientist to try to get her brain to fall out of love with her ex -- and shares wisdom about romance that she gained along the way.

Offering tips from the well-known program he helped develop, Bill Burnett, executive director of Stanford's Life Design Lab, illustrates the ways design thinking can be used to help build the life you want. This talk was filmed at TEDxStanford. All TEDx events are organized independently by volunteers in the spirit of TED's mission of ideas worth spreading.

In a moving talk, journalist Johann Hari shares fresh insights on the causes of depression and anxiety from experts around the world -- as well as some exciting emerging solutions. "If you're depressed or anxious, you're not weak and you're not crazy -- you're a human being with unmet needs," Hari says.

When you listen to music, multiple areas of your brain become engaged and active. But when you actually play an instrument, that activity becomes more like a full-body brain workout. What's going on? Educator Anita Collins explains the fireworks that go off in musicians' brains when they play and examines some of the long-term positive effects of this mental workout. (Directed by Sharon Colman Graham, narrated by Addison Anderson, music by Peter Gosling)

Anxiety helps keep us alive. But how can you tell when it crosses the line from survival instinct to serious problem? For the more than 30 percent of Americans who will experience an anxiety disorder, stigma around mental health problems makes it hard to find out. Dr. Jen Gunter breaks down where those stigmas originated, the science behind our brain's threat-detection system, what makes it malfunction and the most effective ways of treating it.