Kelly McGonigal: How to make stress your friend

This talk inspired me because I believe I suffer from stress. Stress is a person's response to a stressor such as an environmental condition or a stimulus. Stress is a body's method of reacting to a challenge. According to the stressful event, the body's way to respond to stress is by sympathetic nervous system activation which results in the fight-or-flight response. Stress describes a negative condition or a positive condition that can have an impact on a person's mental and physical well-being.

I often worry too much with regards to university work and I have a fear of failing so I become stressful, which sometimes causes me nosebleeds and also lack of sleep. However this video has opened my eyes to the fact that I can view stress as a positive contributor to my work. As my heart rate increases I can say that it is trying to meet the demands of my action and my heavier breathing is improving oxygen transportation to my brain. This talk has taught me that how I view stress matters, because if we can change our perception of stress we can change our response to it and view it as a positive influence that can be controlled. In this video Kelly talks about  a stress hormone in the brain known as OXYTOCIN. It is a hormone that strengthens relationships, which makes us crave physical contact and enhances empathy all of which improves sociability. So, by talking to others about our stresses we can protect our cardiovascular system and vasodilation of our blood vessels which will improve blood flow. Now that I have heard a different approach to stress I can try to relax more and worry less about coursework because I trust myself to handle life's challenges because I don't have to face them alone!

Cameron Russell: Looks aren't everything. Believe me, I'm a model.

Cameron Russell is known globally as a model. This Ted Talk inspired me because in todays society there is a fixed stereotype that girls must be a size 6, be very tall and slender and must wear make up to be seen as "beautiful."

I totally disagree with this statement because I strongly feel that who a person is defines them not what they look like! Cameron Russell argues against this fixed stereotype and says everyone is beautiful in their own way, we should see past the physical stuff and look inside to see true beauty.
She talks about her modelling career from a young age and states that one day she'd be modelling for vogue and the next she'd be playing soccer. She states "Image is powerful, but image is superficial..." By this she means that being beautiful can help you get a job,  however it is insignificant to our lives. There is also a stereo type that you have to be a white girl to be attractive. However, take for example Tara Banks; she is an obvious exception to this rule.

We shouldn't be judged on our appearance based on skin colour. I think the very important message to take from this is that models tend to be the most insecure people of all as they always have to worry about "what they look like" and "what to wear" as they are constantly in the public eye. We all have our insecurities and we should all embrace them because that is what makes every individual, being different and not afraid to show it!

TED: Geoffrey Canada: Our failing schools. Enough is enough!

Geoffrey Canada is an inspiration to me because he wants to see changes within education as he believes the educational system is failing us drastically! "America is willing to spend trillions on the protection and safety of its country however, its against spending money on education for future generations as they deem it 'unimportant' This talks main focus is INNOVATION. Innovation is the act of introducing something new. This needs to be done with regards to education. Geoffrey refers to 0-3 years of age as the most important time of a child as this is the starting point to learning, desires and future. Geoffrey frequently studies data regarding the provision of education and it has come to his attention that education is the same year after year however, we don't do anything to improve it! why is that?
We spend a ridiculous amount of money testing children's knowledge however, we never try to improve it! By the time we get the result back its too late to help the children because we're already in the next academic year. Educational system needs to be changed to improve better standards of delivery. As I want to become a teacher my main priority is to provide education in the best way to give each child a good start in life, as this is my career path I have one duty... that is to offer the best I can but enabling that it benefits the child in the future otherwise its pointless.