Long Listening · Section 5

Stress

This might not be the funnest topic, but it's definitely an important one.

Level: A2 · 69 sentences

Transcript

1. This might not be the funnest topic,
2. but it's definitely an important one.
3. We all feel stressed sometimes, whether it's every day
4. or just once in a while, but nobody is stress-free.
5. First, let's talk about some of the main causes of stress in our lives
6. And then we'll talk a little bit about how to relieve stress.
7. So, the first thing that comes to mind
8. when talking about stress is work.
9. For most adults, work is a mandatory responsibility.
10. Even if you're a stay-at-home mom,
11. your daily life is full of work.
12. One of the elements of the workday
13. that causes stress is the commute.
14. The word commute refers to the journey to and from work.
15. For people that live in big cities,
16. their commute can be long and stressful.
17. I've talked to people before who have told me
18. that it takes them two hours to get to work
19. and two hours to get home.
20. I can't imagine having that kind of commute.
21. I would hate being stuck in traffic every morning and evening.
22. How about you? How long is your commute to work?
23. Another reason why our work can stress us out is because we have deadlines.
24. Deadlines are time limits for finishing work.
25. For example, many workers have deadlines for all their projects,
26. and if they don't meet their deadlines, they get in trouble.
27. Deadlines are especially hard for people who procrastinate.
28. People who procrastinate don't start their work until the deadline is very near.
29. This can cause a lot of pressure for workers
30. because they need to work really hard and really fast.
31. Okay, another source of stress in people's lives is their relationships.
32. Of course, relationships usually bring positive things to our lives,
33. but when it comes to relationships, there are always difficulties.
34. One great example of this is marriage.
35. Being married is definitely a challenge.
36. You have to work together as a team,
37. you have to communicate well, and you have to solve problems.
38. This isn't easy. There are always going to be arguments,
39. miscommunications, and plenty of other difficulties.
40. And when you experience these things in your marriage, it's definitely stressful.
41. One other relationship that can be stressful is your relationship with your children.
42. Children go through many phases when they grow up
43. and it's not easy to deal with these changes.
44. It's hard for children and for parents.
45. As children deal with changes in their lives, they often make mistakes.
46. Parents have to help their children learn from their mistakes
47. and they have to teach them and guide them.
48. Needless to say, this can be really stressful.
49. Alright, now let's talk about how to de-stress.
50. When we feel stressed because of our work,
51. There are several ways we can relieve that stress.
52. One of the best ways to do this is to exercise.
53. When we exercise, we can take our mind off of work.
54. Also, exercising releases endorphins in the brain.
55. Endorphins are chemicals that give you a positive feeling.
56. It feels good to exercise. and you usually feel relaxed afterwards.
57. Another way to de-stress is to spend time with your family.
58. For example, I like to play board games with my family
59. which allows me to have fun and relax a little bit.
60. One other thing I like to do to de-stress is read.
61. When you read, you can forget about all the stressful things in your life
62. and you can escape for a little bit.
63. Reading is a great tool to relieve stress.
64. If you're feeling stressed out from certain relationships in your life,
65. one of the best ways
66. to relieve this stress is to communicate how you're feeling.
67. If you're able to talk to your spouse
68. or children or whoever it is, about your issues,
69. this can help you improve your relationships and feel less stressed.