The pace of modern life versus our cavewoman biochemistry: Dr Libby Weaver at TEDxQueenstown 

When she said “I'm not brave enough to be a mother”... hats off to you for being brave enough to say this out loud. & good on you for having the emotional awareness and not just blindly bringing a child into this world, unprepared. 👏👏👏

I’m not doing the non stop work thing! I sold my house and bought a tiny home. Got rid of every material thing I didn’t need and work half the time. I spend the rest of my free time enjoying coffee and breathing the fresh air. I stopped competing with the world. Women do not need men to feel loved and worthy! Find it within yourself.

We took the pay cut, and I became a stay at home mom 9 years ago. Easily one of the best decisions of my life. He is the breadwinner, and I handle all the housework. As a result we BOTH have so much more free time. He thinks he has the better end of the deal, but I know I do. We don't earn as much, but we are both spoiled rotten (lifestyle not material), and happier than we've ever been. I don't miss the consumer life one bit.

SO interesting and true. You only realise why your own Mother was so crazy once you start growing older and gaining the same pressures and worries yourself. Now... I think I may join a yoga class

This is not a women vs. men issue, this is not about feminism vs. traditionalism. This is about how our culture of consumerism, hyper-individualism, and false narrative of perpetual economic growth has propelled our entire population into a constant state of anxiety and hedonism. We don't need to try and throw feminism back in women's faces or yell at men about how they don't understand what it's like to be a woman. That's a distraction. We just need to all slow down and live more mindfully.

Not brave enough to be a mother. You are extremely brave for having voiced this. People think women are selfish for not having kids. It's not that the societal expectations are contradictory and toxic, we're just selfish.

This made me cry my eyes out, because I deeply identify with the issues she presented. Thank you for the thoughtful talk, Libby.

i'm glad to see another woman so genuinely fascinated and awed by the natural occurrences of our own body and our functions. I feel crazy sometimes because of how much the body wows me but i don't feel so crazy anymore seeing others feel the same :)) this entire talk was outstanding.

very interesting. i watched male testosterone documentary. for women, progesterone is blocked by stress (=cortisol) and for men, cortisol blocks testosterone. Effectively meaning for both men and women, it's impossible to feel manly or womanly when overly stressed.

She made a lot of good points about the situation modern women often find themselves in. Her recommendations for deep breathing, healthy eating, and gentle exercise are all good and a nice place to start, but what women really need is a societal shift that reduces women's work hours (in and outside the house) to a sane amount.

Wonderful talk, relevant to SO many women around the world. I was coaching a friend recently who wanted to lose weight; and her main issue was her stress, with a demanding full time job, 2 kids,... I told her that the #1 action she had to take wasn't to adjust her diet but to lower her stress levels. You are such an inspiration. Thank you!!

I took my own advice and retired early. I’m a housewife and I love it ❤️❤️❤️

I am not in the Medical Field anymore and everything else seems so laid back. As long as it is not life or death, things can get done whenever.

This video is so important thank you for putting it out there. 5 years ago I had a full time job, which often lead to me working late, coming home, cooking dinner, cleaning up and spending my weekends doing housework and “serving” a toxic relationship. I knew I didn’t want kids with this man because I didn’t have time to do everything! I worked out frantically and drank heavily to try and feel better about myself. I still believe this lead to me getting a serious case of hyperthyroidism where I was in a constant state of anger and panic. Something had to give so I quit my job, worked from home, left my partner and replaced him with my dog. My health improved and I have time to stop and smell the roses. I don’t earn very much but I am happy. It is so important to put ourselves first because no one else is going to for us!

She looks like a good witch

I was engaged to a woman that refused to help with cooking or cleaning. It took me two years before I finally burned out. Not sure how anybody does it throughout their adulthood...

It's interesting to me that some men are attracted to come and watch this type of thing and then call out demands for their own needs to be met, with indignation and rage. In opposition to women's absurd needs or wants. I read something on another video written by a man outraged that men's status wasn't getting the same reception. Any feminist worth her salt does recognize that men have their own gender issues in relation to equality and these issues are also necessaryfor change. Why is it necessary to be one or the other? It's both, but it would be ridiculous to ignore the magnitude of women's issues.

im a male and i thought this was interesting. another surprise after looking at the comments was how some men are butt hurt over this! its amazing how defensive some of y'all are.

Almost brought tears to my eyes that Dr. Libby validated what many women have been feeling for years. Very powerful message!

Words can’t express how amazing your talk was. Thank you 50 trillion times 😊❤️

Diaphragm breathing directly proportional to Good health-A beautiful take on nutrition and better living.Thankyou

The people in the comments who are twisting this video to promote that women stay at home and depend on men for everything, you realize the speaker herself is a scientific PhD holder, successful academic, and driven career woman, don't you? She's promoting health awareness, prioritization, and sharing housework and childcare responsibilities with men, not women dropping their individuality, independence, and influence. Y'all are just regressive and lazy.

Dr Libby... Im a nutrition student and you are one of my biggest inspirations. Just know that your message is spreading and that you truly are making a difference. I love your books and hope to one day see you speak live. Thank you so much for caring and this amazing talk.

All i ever see is women falling appart. I was not going to be one of them. I made the same choice. No children. Why does this talk still give me the feeling it's the woman's duty to fix this problem. The workload is just too high. Good nutrition sure fixes a lot. It doesn't add more hours to your day though. Can we stop fighting symptoms of an insane world? In the past, it was not even possible to take work home with you after work. Now it is expected if you want to keep your job. The workplace has invaded so deeply into the personal life, it's madness. It's all blurring into this thick goopy soup of constant stress and this constant crying for attention from the entire world just flooding in. Both partners now need to do a lot more than they normally would have, plus overwork, plus shifts, plus weekends, Plus double shifts, plus children, plus domestic chores, plus social duties, plus elder care, plus neighbor care, plus a skewed workload balance, can you work holidays? plus, plus, plus! I gave society the middle finger, i don't care to be in this rat race. Opting out of motherhood was the best thing i ever did.

The cause of all this is really simple. Over inflated cost of housing

Woman gives a TEDx Talk about how working women can manage their stress better and find a healthier balance. She does not blame men. She does not even mention men at all, as antagonists of any kind. It was purely a woman to woman talk on wellbeing. Yet men feel attacked in the comments. Or are seeing this as some sign of weakness that women cannot work outside the home and should stay at home under the control of a man, with no financial or social resources of her own in the very likely event of death, disease, disability, divorce, desertion or detrimental treatment by the single providing partner, which is the most vulnerable and dangerous position for a woman to be in, especially if there are children too. Women TALK ABOUT THEIR STRESSES and are open about their vulnerabilities and try to address them. Is that a sign of weakness or of strength? Who commits more violence (including suicide) due to life stresses? Women or men? So rather than denounce her talk, ask why there aren't more men speaking to their fellow brothers about how to manage their life/work stresses and find a healthier balance as men. Light a candle rather than try to dim the light other people are trying to shine. If a man were speaking to his brothers about the stresses they face and how to better manage it, I would applaud it.

Excellent talk on what is driving women today and the importance of choosing health for ourselves and all those we love and care about! Thank you!

It’s ok to be a stay at home mom.

I cant imagine being a mother while still do my mission in this world ( ie. job , carreer ) @ 15:30. So this smart woman has admitted its often a choice between a family and kids or a career. Damn that sucks

I enjoyed this! I really want to hear more talks from her. I shared this on my facebook page in hopes to reaching other women. I just recently compromised my health in order do a project for someone else. I kept it up knowing I was pushing myself, but wouldn't be able to keep up like that. I am glad it's over, and now I'm thinking how foolish that was for a lousy thank you. I'm sorry, but when people are benefiting from your health risks, thank you just doesn't compensate. That makes me think of what are the reasons behind such sacrafice? Is it to be liked? well you might resent yourself. I thank God for his mercy and grace for all of us.

its not about being men, its about being the most empowered woman you can be. love you Dr Libby Weaver, you are an inspiration, truly!

The pace of life can also usually be traced to the amount of bills due to HER demands.

Incredible message articulately and powerfully expressed. So much of what Libby says resonates with me - she could have taken the words right out of my mouth, with respect to the 'story' I've written for myself. It's so validating and heartening to hear that other women have similar thoughts and feelings.

Thank you, Dr Libby, for your book 'Rushing Woman's Syndrome' and for the TED talk. I feel as if this has answered many questions in my own life as to why I was putting on weight when I eat moderately, am active etc. Have resolved to increase my Pilates from one to two classes a week and breathe from my diaphragm!

Amen! In the 15 minutes I listened to this (didn't get to finish) I mostly swept the front porch while my children fought - nails, throwing, hitting, etc - with each other & locked me out of the house to keep me from helping younger brother who was getting the brunt of the fight all after I've already worked 2 jobs today and am trying to tidy the house & make dinner. Carry on, Mamas! One deep breath at a time...

Its time to question the rapidity of change in our lives and whether that change is worth the negitive consequences of it in us and around us. When life has become to fast to contemplate children and is altering our biochemistry, maybe it is time we reflect on that and start seeking a better path forward.

When I was a kid I would hear mothers say: "A man may work from sun to sun, but a woman's work is never done." And now with every modern convenience we get to do even more!

My "rushing woman syndrome" eventually led to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. I learned the hard way :( Great talk!!!

Wow! This really resonates. What an simple yet amazing message! I had goosebumps coming and going all the way through this TED Talk. Recently I decided to go on a health kick and did 6 intense cardio and boot camp sessions over 2 weeks. Results? Heartburn and gained .5kg. I ignored my body's wisdom to go for yoga because I felt I needed to work 'hard' to shift some weight. I intuitively new that I was going against my own grain - never again! I'm now loooving yoga, getting into deep breathing sessions and enjoying. The excess padding around my middle? Well my body is gently letting go of that : )

Tremendously important information. Yes, place the oxygen mask on yourself, first.

I cried the whole conference Dr. Libby, my best mentor! You are the most awesome conscious woman I have heard! I will share to the most people! Love you!

This is very informative. I’m obese because of sadness and stress. I’ve miscarried 5 babies, hence my sadness and stress. (My husband and I have been blessed with a daughter.) This made me gain weight quickly in my 30’s. But now I can’t lose the weight. Diet nor exercise helps. And because I’m obese and over 40, my knees and ankles can’t handle hard exercise. My Progesterone has always been low and my cortisol high. I think this might be my issue. I’m so glad I watched this video.

I've got your two cookbooks and Rushing Women's Syndrome and I've been digesting your message for several months now and I've made huge changes in my perception / management and creation of stress. Something new "I got" from your talk today is that when we feel we aren't enough, invariably we feel we don't have enough - another lightbulb moment for me. I'd been pursuing dreams / goals relentlessly for the last seven or so years. I'm almost 44 and I'm just letting it go now as I believe I am enough, and I have more than enough. Thanks Libby for caring enough about yourself and others to work out and share this message :)

I'm reviewing her latest book "Accidentally Overweight" which lead me to this Ted Talk. Her message for many, is a concerned eye opener. Optimal wellness is so important.

It's the same for men as well. Men and women both work too much and are unable to sleep, eat and love well enough to live happily or healthily.... Its the price of "progress" I guess.

Thank you for sharing such powerful information. You really opened my mind to think about what I have experienced and had not put words to before. Thank you for sharing so thoughtfully and passionately!

Incredible. You just blew MY head off my shoulders. Thank you for contribution to the world Libby...pow pow.

Yet another amazing and insightful, impassioned and pertinent talk Dr Libby. I love what you do and all that you teach. It brought me to my heart centre to hear you doubting your own bravery... even the superwomen of this world have fears. Thank you for sharing. I send you love.

Came here after watching School of Affluence and now im more empowered

This rang so true, I teared up

Thank you so much for this! So helpful and can't wait to share! Again THANK YOU! You are such a blessing!

This may be my favorite TedX presentation!

Dr. Libby - THANK YOU! You touch our hearts every single time you speak! Look forward to seeing you in August!

My wife insisted we follow her opportunities. Like, shouting argument insisted. Now, six years later, she is having panic attacks and trying every medication under the sun. She is super stressed and worn out and I feel for her deeply. I recently, tactfully suggested that we should have followed my opportunities, and she agreed.

That was a beautiful explanation of the modern woman's life! I love the science behind it and the incredible emotion and passion in the talk. It really is a new challenge for us, personally I believe mindfulness really is the antidote to stress. Thank you Dr Libby for bringing it so poetically into the limelight!

Wow Dr Libby - what an awesome message that resonates with me. I am sure it resonates with others as well. Thank you so much for putting so much into just 18 minutes.

11:46 This amazed my!! Stress and anxiety is horrible

What a wise, soulful, intelligent, and likeable woman! Such a pleasure to learn from her.

this was a great speech speaking volumes to me

I bought Dr Libby's book after reading John Gabriel 2 years ago. To me it seemed they were on the same page and I loved that. I have struggled all my life and feel although I know the truth it is very hard to apply it, had I not been vigilant all my life I would have suffered many worse consequences. I still continue to struggle daily. This is a fabulous lecture however one still has to take up the reigns of control alone. I hope the following generation has more help than mine has.

Thank You so much! you are a beautiful radiant light and I hope this love and light will continue to spread far and wide. Many blessings to you x

So grateful for the message you are sending Dr Libby, I just hope the 'rushing women' out there find 18 minutes to sit down and listen. You're amazing.. Love your work!

The men commenting on this video are kind of sadly hilarious. You all missed the point.

This, coupled with the fact that dating apps have made it a thousand times easier for men to cheat, is why I will not be having children. Ive seen almost all of my friends end up as single mothers in our 20s. So not only do they have to do all of what she spoke about in this video, but there's an epidemic of single mothers today on top of it. Men are lost.

I never tire of listening to your inspirational messages Dr Libby, you looked gorgeous and totally rocked those killer heels. much love xx

I am such a fan of Dr. Libby Weaver's work and I am so lucky I will be hearing her again this summer at the USANA Health Sciences International Convention in Salt Lake City.

You share your wisdom with love, thank you. You take the biochemistry workings of the body and put it into simple language that everyone can understand and that's what makes the difference - understanding how the body works leads one to make the right choices ... ripple on, ripple effect.

Absolutely brilliant to listen to! Thank you Dr Libby! You are an inspiration!

This is the most relevant personally meaningful TedTalk that I have lisitened to.

amazing conference , full of great informations , with a very happy person leading it , and the final minute is so touching !! ;)

Watched and shared.. cried heaps.. thank you xo

Thank you Dr Libby for bringing up the importance of how precious we are and connecting with our breath. I was fortunate enough to experience that abundantly in my first Art of Living Happiness Program when i was studying in University in India (IIT Mumbai). It enriched my life to see the beauty and wonder around and to be useful to others. I see you are doing that so effectively. Thank you again.

Spot on Dr Weaver, thank you

Thank you!

Omg, I've just been thinking this exact thing. Women let go of their self-love a little to be there for others and because of trauma but it's been a hard road and hopefully now we can rebalance and re-establish those right boundaries to make sure our health and happiness come first so we can give from a place of abundance again. What a beautiful talk!

Thank you! I heard some great examples of wellness.

Easily the best TedTalk I’ve ever listened to. Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom.

The men on here who are complaining about this video need to get over it and realize this is not about you. There is a lot of men on here that obviously hate women and the progress we have made and morn your lose of control over women . Women have fought for equal rights and the ability to work outside the home because MEN were so abusive, controlling ! It was not long ago a man could sell, beat and rape his wife. Men want to say they had to work heard and didn't complain, but men made the laws and there was a time it was against the law for women to work outside the home and vote. Women work so heard because we are terrified of what men will do to us if we have to depend on them too much. So those men talking negatively about the feminist remember it was men who created the need for the feminist movement! It was your sex who abused their power and abused us! You have no right to be angry.

Probably the best Ted Talk yet

Couldn't stop nodding in agreement throughout your entire talk, so close to home for so many of us out there, brought tears to my eyes at the end thinking about that little girl haveing a twirly dance without a care in the world - time to go put on a dress and be that girl again. Thank you

You ROCK Dr Libby. Thank you as always for sharing your knowledge so graciously.

I’m a guy and I have kids, our neighbor also does and they are great, but this is happening in their household, would of never thought it if it wasn’t brought up. He expects dinner to be ready and laundry ect. And they both work, actually she makes more. Don’t see how he can feel like he can expect this from her, she’s a sweet woman. He’s nice but I feel that expectation is so weird... Sounds like a zen cohan, the speaker says she wants to stop chasing to make everyone else happy, at the same time, she wants to change the world. She’s chasing the ability it to chase

Thank you❤

the thing is most men were raised by housewives and when they saw their mom they got used to the woman doing the housework and when they saw their dad they got used to the man not doing the house work (cause they did a job) and the girls grew up observing exactly the same thing so of course its hard to unlearn that for both, with the guys being reluctant to do more in the house as it doesn't come naturally to them and girls taking on more than they need to cope with because they feel like theres no other choice honestly i think the modern corporate world is complete madness, i grew up in circumstances where both of my parents were always taken away from me because of work pressure or they would just fight with each other over bills and chores - as the woman said there was no child in the mix but when there is a child they often end up feeling abandoned or have to be raised by caretakers or boarding schools or soak up all the physical/verbal violence of the parents towards each or the kid and that aint cute this is why at least from my personal experience what i believe is that one partner should be the breadwinner and the other the home carer (regardless of gender - in fact house husband and working wife should be just as normalised as the other way around) in this scenario both should have equal respect for the importance of the other's role and not see it as less than what they are doing it means that there is always a clear understanding of what is whos responsibility and no one is going crazy doing more than their fair share and so im expecting there should be far fewer fights and really if we cut down our expenses and stop buying unaffordable materialistic things that dont even make us happy from inside, if we can live in smaller spaces - a life of quality instead of quantity then we don't need 2 wages and overall it is better for the environment too just like in games all carries need a good support, one should be the carry of the household and other the support im going to experiment with this lifestyle with my partner and lets see if my expectations become true

Dr. Libby Weaver, thank you for such an inspired and fascinating talk. Such wonderful information you are sharing!

Dr Libby is truly one of the most beautiful women and I mean from her soul I’ve come to know

She is good! Thinking about mental health and the human need to put our own breath first works for me. I am disabled for mental illness that is not my fault. I put my mental health first and sometimes, rarely, am guilted for it. Everyone should have this liberty!

Thanks so much for a brilliant talk! I can totally relate to this and I've really learned a lot!

great video!!!

You care so much, you smile and act polite to strangers and unleash your angst and anger on those you love. Standard.

YOU ROCK DR LIBBY! You give me so much inspiration to continue with my work helping people heal, nurture and understand themselves. Everything you talk about so passionately, so clearly, is exactly what I see in the world around meand in my clients . Thank you for being a bright light to help lead the way forward :-)

I loved this. You are inspirational and I share your belief. This message is the same message I spread to my nutrition and lifestyle transformation clients. I would love to meet you and work with you. Do you ever come to Canada?

Brilliant, thank you!

I am pro modern independent woman but I honestly think someone should stay home in the house, just not necessarily the woman. Staying home allows you to make a cozy nest, make sure your family’s getting healthy meals, and spend quality time with kids. I think that you can have a side hustle at home or remote work. But men and women should take turns. Like my mans a software engineer and I work with NGOs. I like the toddler age and he likes the elementary age. We are both working hard now. When we have kids I’ll probably stay at home first and then he will stay at home or work part time after. Once they are in middle school or high school we can both work:).

I'm enjoying these TED talks, so much! So much life experience is spoon fed to the You Tube viewer. Thank you!

Thank you Dr Libby, you are an absolute inspiration and a ray of light and hope for us all!

Unfortunately, i have lived this experience and have burnt out more than once. It takes a long time to come back from. I feel better now mentally, but i need to address the physical aspects. Her talk made me understand some of the problems I'm having a bit better. Everyone, please slow down as much as you are able to!

Thought provoking message by a very beautiful woman.

Love the message, Dr Libby is spot on. And it's possible to make even small changes that she advocates that can make a huge change in your life. I know!

whats with the constant reference of "geeky biochemistry textbooks"?? why should we feel like a "geek" for being studious, inquisitive, or curious about attaining knowledge?