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Videos worth your time
Talks and short practices I come back to, from people whose work fits the heart of Just Love Now.
Be Kind to Your Mind
For the moments your inner critic gets loud and you'd like a kinder voice in your corner.
The Space Between Self-Esteem and Self Compassion: Kristin Neff at TEDxCentennialParkWomen
Kristin Neff · TEDx Talks · 19 min
Kristin Neff explains why chasing self-esteem can leave us feeling worse, and how self-compassion offers steadier ground. It's the heart of the shift from inner critic to inner coach: speaking to yourself the way you'd speak to someone you love.
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General Self-Compassion Break | Mindful Practice for Emotional Support Guided by Dr. Kristin Neff
Kristin Neff · Dr. Kristin Neff · 5 min
A five-minute guided practice for when you're struggling or being hard on yourself. Try it right after a rough moment, the same way you'd try the Best-Friend Test.
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Guided Meditation: The RAIN of Self Compassion with Tara Brach
Tara Brach · Tara Brach · 12 min
Tara Brach gently walks you through RAIN: Recognize, Allow, Investigate, Nurture. It's a slow, kind way to notice what you're feeling without judging it, then offer yourself some care.
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Listening to shame | Brené Brown | TED
Brené Brown · TED · 21 min
Brené Brown draws a clear line between "I did something bad" and "I am bad." I love this one because it shows how we can own our mistakes from warmth instead of shame.
Watch on YouTubeThe Power of Yet
If you've ever said "I can't," these are a gentle reminder that your story isn't finished, and neither are you.
The power of yet | Carol S Dweck | TEDxNorrköping
Carol Dweck · TEDx Talks · 11 min
Carol Dweck, the researcher behind the idea of a growth mindset, shares what changes when "not yet" replaces "I failed." One small word can turn a dead end into a path.
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Eduardo Briceño: How to get better at the things you care about | TED
Eduardo Briceño · TED · 11 min
Eduardo Briceño talks about the difference between always performing and making room to learn. It's a kind nudge to pick one tiny step and practice it, instead of waiting to be good at it first.
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You Can Learn Anything
Khan Academy · Khan Academy · 2 min
Under two minutes, and worth watching together with your teen. It's a short, hopeful reminder that struggling with something is part of learning it, not proof you can't.
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How to practice effectively...for just about anything - Annie Bosler and Don Greene
Annie Bosler and Don Greene · TED-Ed · 5 min
A short animated lesson on what good practice actually looks like: focused, slow and patient. It pairs well with the "I'm learning" shift and the idea of one small step at a time.
Watch on YouTubeCalm in the Moment
Short, practical videos for when your body is racing ahead of you and you need a way back to right now.
Dr. Dan Siegel's Hand Model of the Brain
Dan Siegel · Dr. Dan Siegel · 8 min
Dan Siegel uses your own hand to show what happens in the brain when we "flip our lid." Once you've seen it, the Pause makes so much sense, for you and for your teen.
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Dan Siegel: Name it to Tame it
Dan Siegel · Dalai Lama Center for Peace and Education · 4 min
Why putting a feeling into words can help it settle. This is the Gentle Pause in action: name what's happening like a kind observer, and the storm often softens.
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Breathing Meditation | UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center
Diana Winston · UCLA Health · 6 min
A five-minute guided breathing meditation from UCLA's Mindful Awareness Research Center. Keep it for a stressful afternoon, and let the exhale be a little longer than the inhale.
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Guided Video: Practicing Grounding
A licensed therapist with Children's Healthcare of Atlanta (Strong4Life) · Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Strong4Life · 2 min
A short guided grounding practice that brings your attention back to the present moment instead of the worry. Use it alongside the 5-4-3-2-1 tool when your thoughts are running ahead: you're here, you're okay, you can begin again.
Watch on YouTubeParenting with Connection
For parents and caregivers of every kind who want to stay close to their teen, especially after the hard moments.
The Single Most Important Parenting Strategy | Becky Kennedy | TED
Becky Kennedy · TED · 14 min
Dr. Becky Kennedy makes the case that repair matters more than getting it right the first time. If you've ever replayed a moment you wish you'd handled differently, this one is for you: there's no perfect parent, and you can always go back and reconnect.
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Coaching Teens to Recognize and Manage Emotions
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) · 4 min
A short, practical look at helping your teen notice and handle big feelings. It fits right in with Notice, Pause, Check, Choose: feelings are welcome, and we can still help our kids find a useful next step.
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Brené Brown on Empathy
Brené Brown · Royal Society of Arts · 3 min
A beautifully animated three minutes on the difference between empathy and sympathy. It's a gentle reminder that when our teens are hurting, they usually need us to sit with them, not fix it.
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How to help teens deal with stress
Lisa Damour · CBS News · 5 min
Psychologist Lisa Damour talks about how teenagers cope with stress and how the adults around them can help. A calm, grounded take for any parent worried about a stressed-out teen.
Watch on YouTubeFor Teens
Real talk about your brain, your thoughts and your big feelings, with no lectures and nothing about you that needs fixing.
Sarah-Jayne Blakemore: The mysterious workings of the adolescent brain
Sarah-Jayne Blakemore · TED · 14 min
Neuroscientist Sarah-Jayne Blakemore explains how the teenage brain is still growing and changing. If you've ever felt like your feelings are "too much," it helps to know your brain is doing important work right now.
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Dan Siegel: The Purpose of the Teenage Brain
Dan Siegel · Greater Good Science Center · 8 min
Dan Siegel explains how the teen years are getting you ready for adulthood. It's a hopeful way to see the big emotions, the pull toward friends and the craving for new things as strengths, not problems.
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Understanding Thoughts for High School Students | Child Mind Institute
Child Mind Institute · Child Mind Institute · 5 min
High school students talk about how thoughts, feelings and actions are all connected, and how easy it is to fall into thinking traps. It's a great match for the Check step: what do I know, and what else could be true?
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Managing Intense Emotions for High School Students | Child Mind Institute
Child Mind Institute · Child Mind Institute · 6 min
Teens share what helps when emotions feel huge. Pick one idea that fits you and try it the next time you feel a wave coming, and remember a trusted adult can help too.
Watch on YouTubeGratitude and Joy
A few reminders that joy and gratitude are things you can practice, one small moment at a time.
Want to be happy? Be grateful | David Steindl-Rast
David Steindl-Rast · TED · 15 min
Brother David Steindl-Rast offers a simple way to live gratefully: stop, look, go. It's the shift from scarcity to love, made gentle and doable in the middle of an ordinary day.
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An Experiment in Gratitude | The Science of Happiness
SoulPancake · SoulPancake · 7 min
People write about someone who matters to them, then call that person and read it aloud. Have tissues nearby. It might inspire you to send your own thank-you note this week.
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The happy secret to better work | Shawn Achor
Shawn Achor · TED · 12 min
A funny, fast-moving talk about why happiness can come first rather than waiting at the finish line. Near the end he shares small daily habits, including writing down things you're grateful for, which is a close cousin of Three Good Things.
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What Teens Are Thankful For
Greater Good Science Center · Greater Good Science Center · 2 min
High schoolers read their gratitude letters to the people they wrote them for. It's a sweet two minutes to watch with your teen, and a lovely nudge to tell someone what they mean to you.
Watch on YouTubeThese videos belong to their creators and are linked here because they fit the spirit of this site. Watching them is not a substitute for professional care.