I’m currently sat on a 12-hour flight from Boston to Doha (yay for in-flight wifi); having just had a pretty emotionally turbulent week of international travel for work.

Without going into the gory, snot-smothered details – I ain’t really built for the big city. For me crowds = panic attacks. So as you can imagine, the New York bit was particularly ‘interesting‘.

Anyway, to alleviate my boredom on flights, I usually download a huge pile of YouTube videos (mostly TED talks and techy stuff I want to learn about.

Getting on the plane today, the first video that auto-played from my random TED talks list, was “This Could Be Why You’re Depressed or Anxious” by Johann Hari – which is interesting being that it is also mental health week.

Having very recently quite unceremoniously curled up into a ball by the bins in Terminal A, Doha because “there were people“, I figured the YouTube algorithm was probably sending me a not-so-subliminal message and I pressed ‘play’.

(I highly recommend you do the same on the full talk that is embedded below)….

THE BIGGEST TAKE-AWAY FROM THIS PRESENTATION

But if you want me to just cut straight to the most stand-out part of this presentation for me, it is when Johann says words to the effect of:

If you have depression or anxiety, you are not broken, weak or crazy.

You are simply a HUMAN with UNMET NEEDS.

Johann Hari (paraphrased)

So if you are feeling depressed or anxious, don’t think of yourself as a malfunctioning machine; simply ask yourself: “what are my unmet needs?“.

Are you feeling lonely?

Isolated from others with similar interests or mindsets to yourself?

Lacking a sense of purpose?

A job that doesn’t use your real skills and talents?

Feeling unseen, unheard and undervalued?

List them down!!!

Whatever you come up with, they are NOT flaws in your character!

They are simply unmet needs!

How good is that when we realise that we CAN get better?

That we can begin to find ways to discover solutions for filling our own unique needs?

Johann goes on to say:

Your despression and anxiety is NOT a malfunction!

It is a SIGNAL that is trying to tell you something!

What are those signals trying to tell you is missing?

When we listen to those signals, we can go out and begin to look for the nourishing and liberating things that can free us.

WATCH THE FULL TALK BELOW: “This Could Be Why You’re Depressed or Anxious”, Johann Hari

What do you think is causing greater signals of depression and anxiety in today’s society?

Don’t forget to share this incredible talk with you community – you never know who else may need to hear Joahnn’s words today!

Sarah x