Beating stress

Beating stress

Listen to Emily talking about the importance of managing her stress levels and the techniques she uses.

Do the preparation task first. Then listen to the audio and do the exercises.

Transcript

I want to talk about beating stress today. You know, life here in Hong Kong is very stressful so I think today's topic is very useful for everyone because we can do something about it, just to cope with the stress. So maybe you have some change(s) in your life, maybe big change and small change, but instead of being afraid, I think you should have a positive attitude and think of change as a normal part of life. 

And I think maybe here in Hong Kong, the family (families) are crowded into a very small housing space, so maybe you would sometimes argue with your family and I think try (trying) to resolve the disagreement with people is very important because then you can build strong relationships and keep commitments you have made. For example, sometimes maybe you are feeling alone and you want to make some comfort and I think you can ask the people you trust for help is very important because if you have a bunch of friends, they can listen to you, then you can release some stress through talking to them. 

And do you know that actually I find a very funny thing that if you want to reduce some stress, you can reduce this by the word S-T-R-E-S-S, that's 'stress'. How about, let's begin with the 'S'. Well, I think 'S' is that you can have the 'scheduling', for example you don't have to (shouldn't) schedule too many things in your day and if you feel you are too busy, you can cut out an activity or two. 

And how about the 'T' word? The 'T' word is 'treat your body well', because experts say that exercise can reduce stress and also if you eat healthy food, then your brain and your body get the nourishment they need. 

And the word is 'R' … the next word is 'R' – 'R' is very important, it says 'relax'. You can do an activity you enjoy or that relaxes you, maybe you can read a good book or learn a new hobby and spend time with your pet or even you can visiting (visit) a spa and that could make a very good difference. And for me, I like to play piano when I feel stressed and sometimes I may just watch some movie (movies) that make me laughs (laugh) a lot. 

And the next word is 'E' – 'E' is about expectations, and I think be (being) realistic about yourself is to (be) true to yourself and others. So you can just do your best and don't try to be perfect and don't expect others to be too … because that will release and reduce a lot of stress for you and the people around you. 

And the next word is 'S' – 'S' is, stands for 'sleep' and I really, really love to sleep, to be honest. That's my hobby, I think, because sleep … if you get a good night's sleep, then it will keep your mind and your body in shape. And experts say if you sleep more than seven hours, you will actually get tired, so don't sleep too much in the day, just sleep it when you feel enough. 

And the last word is 'S' again. I always do this action, the 'S' word is 'smile' – if you smile and have confidence, your attitude and your thoughts influence the way you see things. And if you are a negative person, you can actually learn to think in a more positive way because that makes you feel more comfortable when you are coping with the stress. Finally I think we should take action and applies (apply) these tips to your life (our lives), so everyone can beat stress.

Discussion

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Average: 4.3 (26 votes)
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Submitted by Rafaela1 on Sat, 29/05/2021 - 14:50

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I go out just for a distraction.

Submitted by Moody on Mon, 14/09/2020 - 14:02

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To beat stress you should know from deep inside that when you have a stressful time ,this time will be gone whether after short period of time or long period of time. And also you can do some activities you like for instance hanging out with your friends,watch TV, playing any kind of sport especially tough ones to allow the stress get out from your body
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Submitted by Rafaela1 on Fri, 28/08/2020 - 13:48

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Regardless of stress, I sleep too much... ;)

Submitted by reneeredmond1 on Wed, 15/07/2020 - 12:44

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The audio link to this stress exercise is no longer working. Can someone help? Thank you!

Hello reneeredmond1,

I'm afraid our audio content is not working due to a technical problem. We are working to resolve it as quickly as we can, and apologize for the inconvenience.

Please check again in a few hours or tomorrow.

All the best,

Kirk

The LearnEnglish Team

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Submitted by OlaIELTS on Sat, 23/05/2020 - 11:16

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To beat or manage my stress I engages myself in the following: - Having a plan. - Exercising and eating balance diet. - Having leisure time. - Goal-oriented. - Having resting time. - Being optimistic.
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Submitted by Smiley1 on Sun, 19/04/2020 - 08:31

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I take a good sleep, then I'm back!

Submitted by cittàutopica on Tue, 18/02/2020 - 20:19

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What do I do to beat stress? I try doing things which I like: I read books, or I watch movies or I go to shopping. It's true that physical exercise helps people to be in good shape and improves the state of mind; therefore I hang out at the gym.

Submitted by lifelearner on Wed, 05/02/2020 - 16:31

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Unfortunately , stress is a part of our daily life , sometimes stress can give us motivaion to be better if you chose to face it and grow out of it , on the other hand however , long term stress can be very harmful and detrimental to your health so you should try to distract yourself from it by things like , exercise, yoga,meditation, and seeking support form family and friends. For me , believe that most things that made stressful are relationships , family and money issues, work stress, and traffic jams and noise in my city, sometimes I can face them and other times I have to cope with or distract myself from them..