🎥 Featured Mental Wellness Talks

Welcome to the Featured Mental Wellness Talks page of the Fulmo Talk Series!

This page brings together a carefully curated set of talks that focus specifically on happiness, resilience, well-being, and mental wellness, grounded in science and lived experience. These talks are created especially for college and university students, and are freely accessible as part of Fulmo’s commitment to mental wellness education.

We do not aim to compete with commercial podcasts or influencer-driven platforms. Instead, this collection reflects the work of a small non-profit initiative making credible, evidence-based ideas available to students across cultures and geographies.

🌟 Highlighted Mental Wellness Talk

Prof. Sonja Lyubomirsky @ Fulmo

Topic: The Science of Happiness

We are honored to feature Prof. Sonja Lyubomirsky, one of the world’s foremost researchers in the science of happiness and well-being.

In this concise yet insightful talk, Prof. Lyubomirsky explains what decades of research in positive psychology reveal about happiness — and, importantly, what actually helps people become happier over time. She highlights practical, evidence-backed practices such as cultivating social connections, practicing gratitude and kindness, and engaging in activities like meditation.

A key takeaway from the talk is the importance of meaningful human connection. Prof. Lyubomirsky encourages engaging in authentic 15-minute conversations — sharing openly, listening to learn, and approaching others with genuine curiosity.

👉 Watch the Talk on YouTube: [YouTube Link]

💡 Why it matters
This talk translates rigorous scientific research into accessible insights that students can apply in everyday life — supporting emotional well-being, resilience, and a sense of meaning.

🌟 Highlighted Mental Wellness Talk

Prof. Anand Manikutty

Topic: The Science of Happiness

We are honored to also feature Prof. Anand Manikutty‘s talk sponsored by the IEEE Society – Chennai Chapter, the ACM Society – Chennai Chapter, and the Computer Society of India – Chennai Chapter.

In this wide-ranging Talk, Anand Manikutty explores big ideas from the world of Happiness Research through unexpected stories, sharp observations, and surprising detours. With curiosity and panache, he draws connections between everyday life and cutting-edge science, showing how delight and meaning often hide in plain sight. He covers two tools that anyone can use to increase their own happiness levels, with the second tool requiring less than 20 minutes of effort per day. Along the way, he leaves the audience thinking — and reflecting deeply about what tools they can use to live a happier life.

👉 Watch the Talk on YouTube: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTHnc7r0Ls4]

💡 Why it matters
This talk also translates rigorous scientific research into accessible insights that students can apply in everyday life.

Highlighted Mental Wellness Talk

Ven. Matthieu Ricard

Topics: The Science of Happiness, Buddhism

In this thoughtful and often gently humorous talk, Matthieu Ricard, a Buddhist monk and former molecular biologist at the Pasteur Institute, invites us to rethink what happiness really means. Speaking from both lived contemplative experience and scientific collaboration, Ricard challenges the common idea that happiness is the same as pleasure or external success.

Ricard explains that pleasure is fleeting and dependent on circumstances, while well-being is something deeper: a lasting sense of inner balance, clarity, and fulfillment that can exist even amid life’s ups and downs. Using vivid metaphors—from waves on the ocean to chocolate cake—he shows why chasing pleasure alone often leaves us dissatisfied, and why inner conditions matter more than external ones.

A central insight of the talk is that happiness is not a personality trait or a luxury, but a skill that can be cultivated. Ricard describes how emotions like anger, jealousy, and obsessive desire undermine well-being, while qualities such as kindness, generosity, and compassion strengthen it. Drawing on both Buddhist mind training and modern neuroscience, he shows how the brain itself can change through sustained practice.

Rather than promoting quick fixes or constant positivity, this talk offers a calm, grounded vision of joy as inner freedom—a stable foundation beneath changing emotions. Ricard reminds us that caring for the mind is as essential as caring for the body, and that learning to train attention and compassion can quietly transform the quality of everyday life.

👉 Watch the Talk on YouTube: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbLEf4HR74E]

💡 Why it matters
This talk brings together contemplative wisdom and science to show that happiness is learnable, sustainable, and deeply connected to compassion—for ourselves and for others.

🌟 Featured Mental Wellness Talk

Jessica Weiss

Topic: The Science of Happiness

In this TEDx Talk, Jessica Weiss’s core message is simple: happiness is built through small, intentional habits. While genetics matters, about half of our happiness comes from what we choose to do every day.

Here are her four key habits:

  • Friends are magic.
    Strong relationships are the most reliable predictor of well-being. Even brief, genuine connection reduces stress and lifts mood.
  • Keep a Joy Journal.
    Write down three things that brought joy and why. This rewires attention away from negativity and strengthens positive experiences.
  • Live in “day-tight compartments.”
    Stay aware of the future, but handle life one contained day at a time. This prevents overwhelm and keeps you focused on what’s actionable.
  • Make work meaningful.
    Work becomes energizing when you use your strengths, help someone, and track small wins. Meaning drives sustainable motivation.

The essence: happiness isn’t accidental — it’s practiced through a handful of consistent, doable habits.

👉 Watch the Talk on YouTube: [YouTube Link]

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🌟 Featured Mental Wellness Talk

Tia Graham

Topic: The Science of Happiness

In this heartfelt and practical talk on the choice of happiness, Tia Graham challenges the common belief that happy people are simply born that way or stumble into the right circumstances. She starts with her own story: watching her father lose himself through a painful divorce, then consciously reclaim joy by doing things that energized him. That childhood lesson — that happiness is something you do, not something you wait for — ended up shaping her entire life.

But the talk isn’t about being cheerful all the time. Graham reframes happiness as a life with more positive than pain, one grounded in meaning, purpose, and a diversity of rich experiences. She points to global research: most people are disengaged at work, stressed, sleep-deprived, and wired with a built-in negativity bias. In other words, the world isn’t designed to make happiness easy — so we have to be intentional.

Her framework centers on four evidence-backed choices:

  • Spend time with people you love: Strong relationships predict both happiness and long-term health.
  • Get real sleep: Seven to nine hours is non-negotiable for emotional stability and cognitive performance.
  • Move often: Regular physical activity boosts mood, reduces stress, and sharpens thinking — even 15 minutes counts.
  • Do meaningful work: If you can’t change jobs, make your current work matter by helping others.

Around these, she adds nature, meditation, volunteering, and journaling as additional ways to lift your set point.

The message is deceptively simple: happiness takes both a will and a way. By choosing to spend more time on the things that genuinely light us up, we not only become happier — we become more productive, more successful, and better equipped to care for the people who depend on us.

It’s not about meeting society’s expectations. It’s about intentionally building a life that feels good to live.

👉 Watch the Talk on YouTube: [YouTube Link]

🌟 Featured Mental Wellness Talk

Prof. Anand Manikutty

Topics: The Science of Happiness, History, Philosophy

In this important talk, Anand Manikutty brings together ancient Tamil literature, happiness research, and computational thinking. Drawing from a new developed Philosophy La Gxoja Filozofio, he challenges colonial readings of Indian philosophy as well as history, and offers a bold, modern reinterpretation. This is a talk for anyone curious about the science of well-being, and the wisdom of the past. This Prelego (trans. : “Talk”) was prepared as an adjunct to an upcoming Talk by Mr. Anand Manikutty sponsored by the IEEE Society and the ACM Society.

The slide deck for this Talk is available here: http://bit.ly/4fh1p0k

👉 Watch the Talk on YouTube: [ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmmMhqwI40Y]

🌟 YAHOO Talk: Mental Wellness Talk

Neil Pasricha

Topic: The Science of Happiness

In his talk on The Happiness Equation, Neil Pasricha dismantles the standard formula most of us live by: work hard → achieve success → then you’ll be happy. He calls this the “old equation,” and he points out its fundamental flaw: the goalpost for success is always moving. Each time we achieve something, the definition of success shifts just beyond our reach, keeping happiness deferred.

Pasricha flips the formula: be happy first → then you’ll be more successful → and achieve more naturally. Drawing on research in positive psychology, he argues that cultivating happiness isn’t the reward at the end of the journey but the fuel that powers it.

To make this shift practical, he offers three “secrets” for rewiring your mind toward happiness:

  • Do less: Pare back the unnecessary and focus on what truly matters.
  • Do it now: Stop postponing joy for a future that may never arrive.
  • Be you: Drop the mask of comparison and lean into authenticity.

The elegance of his message lies in its simplicity: happiness isn’t something we earn after proving ourselves. It’s a choice, a practice, and a starting point. By prioritizing it now, we not only live more fulfilling lives but also unlock the energy and clarity to create, connect, and contribute at our best.

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👉 Watch the Talk on YouTube: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBn-R7Agq74]

🌟 YAHOO Talk: Mental Wellness Talk

Stephanie Harrison

Topic: The Science of Happiness

The following talk is also worth watching. It’s certainly one you may want to make time for.

In her Google Talk, Stephanie Harrison, the founder of The New Happy, challenges the conventional wisdom around happiness—what she labels “Old Happy.” That model, she explains, grew out of cultural forces like capitalism and individualism, which link happiness to personal success, possessions, and status. The trouble? Many people dutifully pursue these goals, only to discover they feel emptier, not fuller.

Her alternative—The New Happy—flips the script. Instead of chasing external achievements, she argues that fulfillment comes from recognizing and sharing your own unique strengths, then using them to improve the lives of others. True happiness, in this view, is less about self-congratulation and more about co-creation: building joy that ripples outward through kindness, community, and shared purpose.

Harrison underscores that happiness isn’t a private trophy to hoard, but a collective state we create together. Even small, everyday acts of generosity can spark a chain reaction—lifting you up while simultaneously brightening someone else’s day.

It’s an inspiring reminder that we’re not meant to “go it alone.” By choosing connection over competition, we move closer to a kind of happiness that sustains both the self and the wider world.

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👉 Watch the Talk on YouTube: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmIIBU6yqVc]

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🧠 Mental Wellness Beyond Individual Happiness

At Fulmo, we recognize that mental wellness is not only about individual habits, but also about community, communication, and belonging. While not every talk in the Fulmo Talk Series is explicitly about mental health, many explore themes that indirectly shape well-being — such as language, inclusion, learning, and cross-cultural understanding.

To explore related perspectives, you may also be interested in:

  • Featured Talks – Highlights from across the Fulmo Talk Series
  • Other Interesting Talks – Diverse ideas that expand how we think about society, technology, and culture

🎯 Why This Page Exists

Student mental health is a growing global concern, and particularly acute in India. The Fulmo organization was formed in response to this crisis, with the goal of making low-cost or zero-cost, science-based mental wellness resources widely accessible.

This page exists to make it easier for students, educators, and institutions to find trusted starting points — talks that are thoughtful, evidence-based, and respectful of diverse cultural contexts.

Please note that this website is best viewed on a laptop or desktop.

Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)