TED Talk Tuesday

TW: Mental Health, Loss of Child, Depression

Welcome to TED Talk Tuesday—the occasional Tuesday where we will share a TED Talk video that we have found particularly helpful, insightful, or just plain entertaining.

I have a friend who has been pretty hard hit by severe medical issues. The chronic pain and loss of independence has left them feeling, understandably, really depressed. This friend has always had a curious mind, loving to learn new things and explore how and why people do things. As a way of coping, they started looking for stories of others going through similar struggles. That’s when they found the TED Talk “How to Do Laundry When You’re Depressed” and sent it my way.

If you have ever had any level of depression (or ADHD, burnout, chronic pain, etc.) you may relate and find comfort from this particular presentation by KC Davis. A therapist, KC helps reframe the negative inner dialogue that tells we’re “lazy” or “terrible” when depression (or other hard times) leave you struggling to do the basics at home, like cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc.

Offering shortcuts to get by when you feel like you’ve barely got it together, KC’s presentation hits home with viewer after viewer. The comment section on YouTube, where the video is hosted, is filled with people sharing how it has helped them through tough times and even just to stop being so hard on themselves.

We hope you find value in this TED talk. KC Davis also wrote How to Keep House While Drowning: A Gentle Approach to Cleaning and Organizing.