NOTE FROM TED: While some may find this helpful as a complementary approach, please do not look to this talk as a substitute for mental health advice and seek professional help if you are struggling. This talk only represents the speaker's personal approach to and understanding of mental health. TEDx events are independently organized by volunteers. The guidelines we give TEDx organizers are described in more detail here: http://storage.ted.com/tedx/manuals/tedx_content_guidelines.pdfIn “Ex Nihilo: Creating from Nothing ,” Jayden John Jacob takes the audience on a journey through silence, struggle, and self-discovery. From the pain of losing a friend to the birth of a global movement, this talk is a testament to how ideas can emerge from emptiness—and reshape lives. Jayden challenges us to look at our own voids not with fear, but with the eyes of a creator. Jayden John Jacob is the teenage founder and CEO of Menorah, The World’s First Free Mental Health App Exclusively for Men. Featured in Khaleej Times and recognized by platforms like the YMCA, Achievers World and more, Jayden leads global conversations around emotional well-being, youth entrepreneurship, and social innovation. At TEDxYouth@GIISAbuDhabi, he shares the raw, personal story behind creating something meaningful—ex nihilo. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

NOTE FROM TED: This talk only represents the speaker’s personal policy approach to elections and voting. TEDx events are independently organized by volunteers. The guidelines we give TEDx organizers are described in more detail here: http://storage.ted.com/tedx/manuals/tedx_content_guidelines.pdfThe Revival of Fusion Voting: Why You Should Be Rooting For It Dan Cantor co-founded the New York Working Families Party and served as the party's National Director from 1998-2018. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

This talk dives into the unique strengths of ADHD, reframing it as a powerful asset rather than a limitation. Through personal experiences and insights, it explores how harnessing ADHD’s creativity, energy, and unconventional thinking can drive innovation and success in unexpected ways. Student at Uptown International School This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

NOTE FROM TED: Please do not look to this talk as a substitute for mental health advice and seek professional help if you are struggling. This talk only represents the speaker’s personal experiences with and understanding of OCD and related treatment. TEDx events are independently organized by volunteers. The guidelines we give TEDx organizers are described in more detail here: http://storage.ted.com/tedx/manuals/tedx_content_guidelines.pdfAs a relatively common psychological disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is often flippantly regarded as the need to keep things tidy or clean. While this certainly exists as a form of OCD, the potential nightmare it can create and the extremes it can balloon to for its sufferers often fails to be considered. In middle school, Zane Smith developed a sudden and intense burst of obsessive anxiety around various fears of contamination and watched helplessly as his control over almost all aspects of daily life began to fall away. His talk discusses his journey from losing hours and days of his life to nightmarish, compulsive rituals, to the fight against his mind and the tactics he used in his hardened journey to victory over it. Zane spent his childhood and adolescence living in changing environments and countries, moving from China to the Philippines, to Canada, to Türkiye, to India and finally to the United Kingdom, where he graduated from the International Baccalaureate programme. He has now returned to Canada for his first year of university studies at the University of British Columbia, where he hopes to pursue astrophysics. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

NOTE FROM TED: This talk only represents the speaker’s views and understanding of technology, dopamine, and the brain, which remains an ongoing field of study. Comparisons to drug addiction lack scientific support. TEDx events are independently organized by volunteers. The guidelines we give TEDx organizers are described in more detail here: http://storage.ted.com/tedx/manuals/tedx_content_guidelines.pdfIn her TEDx talk Do I Really Want to Press Play on This?, Christabelle explores how social media and constant digital stimulation subtly reshape our brains, our relationships, and our sense of self. Drawing on neuroscience, particularly the dopamine system, psychology, and her personal choice to step away from social media, she invites the audience to pause and reflect: what are we really pressing play on, and at what cost? Christabelle Talaro is a Montreal-based intervention worker and psychology graduate passionate about mental health, resilience, and community care. With experience supporting vulnerable populations and researching cultural identity conflicts, she advocates for intentional, human-centred approaches in an increasingly disconnected world. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

NOTE FROM TED: This talk only reflects the speaker's personal religious views and beliefs. TEDx events are independently organized by volunteers. The guidelines we give TEDx organizers are described in more detail here: http://storage.ted.com/tedx/manuals/tedx_content_guidelines.pdf“Becoming Free: The Audacity to Be You” challenges the audience to embrace their full, authentic selves as a radical act of freedom. He describes modern society as a “crisis of conformity” that pressures individuals to perform, seek validation, and curate false versions of themselves in pursuit of approval. Through passionate storytelling, Michael argues that true freedom cannot exist while living according to others’ expectations or scripts. Instead, he calls for a bold, unapologetic reclamation of identity, reminding listeners that they were born powerful, valuable, and unique without needing external affirmation. His message is clear: stop performing, start being, and surround yourself with people who support your truth. Freedom, he insists, begins with the courage to be exactly who you are.Rev. Michael A. Walrond, Jr., affectionately known as Pastor Mike, is a transformative leader, visionary pastor, and one of the most compelling voices in modern faith. As Senior Pastor of First Corinthian Baptist Church in Harlem, he leads a vibrant community of over 10,000 members with a message rooted in radical love, courageous authenticity, and justice-driven faith. Pastor Mike is the founder of Harlem’s Dream Center and H.O.P.E. Center—spaces committed to creative empowerment and mental health healing. A graduate of Morehouse College and Duke University Divinity School, his leadership has been honored by Ebony Magazine, New York City’s Clergy Advisory Council, and the National Action Network. He is the author of Searching for Agabus and the forthcoming The Way of the Carpenter. Pastor Mike is married to Rev. Dr. LaKeesha N. Walrond, President of New York Theological Seminary, and together they are building a legacy of faith, family, and fearless love. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx