This is TED Health, a podcast from TED, and I'm your host, Dr. Shoshana Ungerleiter.

I don't know about you, but when I hear the words climate change, my brain tends to tense up a little.

It's certainly not that I don't care.

It's just that between the headlines, the debates, and the feeling that whatever I do won't actually make a dent, it's easy to get

stuck, a little overwhelmed or a lot overwhelmed, sometimes even just a bit helpless.

Maybe you felt that too.

The creeping sense that no matter how many reusable bags you use or electric cars you drive in

or petitions you sign, it's never going to be enough.

Turns out this isn't just an emotional response.

Neuroscientist Chris De Meyer says this feeling is actually neurological.

And understanding what's happening in our brains when we try to take action on these really big,

really difficult issues could be the key to actually creating change

in climate and beyond. Because here's the thing, when it comes to any big health challenge

from eating better to managing stress to protecting the planet we depend on to survive and thrive,

motivation isn't just about knowing the facts or feeling the fear. It's about

rewiring how we move from awareness to action. And as it turns out, the smallest step can

literally change your mind. In this fascinating 2024 TED countdown talk, Chris explores how

our brains justify what we do and don't do, and why

getting unstuck starts with doing something, even if it's small. According to him, the stakes

here go beyond retooling our daily habits. It's about our collective well-being, too. So if you've

ever felt paralyzed by the scale of the problems we face,

the personal ones, planetary or otherwise, this talk might just help you find your way forward,

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