Stress and How to Cope Well With It

Nowadays many people say that they are tired of their hectic lifestyle. They work too much and stop taking breaks. They forget about everything striving for their goals and they constantly raise the bar. Very often they don"t find personal satisfaction in their work and don"t love what they do. They have no sense of personal accomplishment and self-satisfaction. Some people don"t feel content even when they achieve their goal. One the contrary, they feel disillusioned and dissatisfied. Having climbed the ladder of success they find nothing worthwhile on the top. Constant fatigue, physical and moral exhaustion, monotony and impossible pressure at work and at home can cause stress.

Stress is the emotional and physical strain caused by people"s response to pressure from the outside world. Stress causes tension, irritability, anxiety, alarm, loss of concentration, sensations of fear and panic as well as headaches and a fast heartbeat. It can result in a real breakdown of health. Stress can even cause heart disease and cancer.

There are a lot of stressful events in our lives, such as divorce, losing a job or having difficulties at home or at work. But changes for the better can also cause stress, like a new baby, a wedding, and a new house. Pupils and students often face stress from problems at school, poor relationships with peers, strict and demanding teachers, exams and many other problems.

Feeling stressed many people try to find some distraction and to escape their problems. They begin overeating, smoking, drinking, and even taking drugs. But junk food, cigarettes, sleeping pills and alcohol don"t help. On the contrary, they make things much worse and more difficult to patch up.

Stress can have a negative influence not only on our physical and mental health, but on the lives of those around us. It often makes us lose control and shout at our spouses, relatives, friends or colleagues. Taking stress out on our nearest and dearest is the easiest way to hurt their feelings and to make them feel depressed too.

People react to stress in different ways. Some of us are more vulnerable to stress than others. People who are always angry, impatient and mistrustful may have more stress-related physical problems.

It is very important to try to avoid stress or at least to minimize it. That"s why it is essential to notice early signs of stress and to remove some of its causes. If you catch the trouble early, the problem may be easy to fix.

One of the best ways to cope with stress is to keep a sense of humor in difficult situations. Wise people say that laughter is the best medicine for all diseases. It increases blood flow and it may reduce the risk of heart disease. Besides, laughter makes the body release pleasure chemicals.

Regular leisure activities and relaxing hobbies are also very important in reducing stress. If you feel depressed, yoga, swimming, bicycling, painting or gardening can help you relax, calm down and get a new lease on life. Anti-anxiety medications and anti-depressants can be useful for dealing with short periods of acute stress. But the side effects of such medications can be rather dangerous, that"s why they must never be taken as often as vitamins. Besides, anti-anxiety medications and anti-depressants cause addiction and may lead to suicides.

Forget about your problems. Take a day off work, domestic chores and family. Work regular hours and don"t forget to take breaks and holidays. Don"t expect too much of yourself and don"t try to aim higher than your capacity. Have a balance in life. Walk away from stressful situations and be positive and enthusiastic. In other words "don"t worry, be happy."

1. Complete each sentence (A-H) with one of the endings (1-8):
A. Stress is the emotional and physical strain caused by
B. Stress causes
C. Feeling stressed many people try to Find
D. Stress often makes us
E. People who are always angry, impatient and mistrustful
F. One of the best ways to cope with stress is
G. Regular leisure activities and relaxing hobbies
H. Anti-anxiety medications and anti-depressants can be useful for

1. some distraction and to escape their problems.
2. to keep a sense of humor in difficult situations.
3. tension, irritability, anxiety, alarm, loss of concentration, sensations of fear and panic as well as headaches and a fast heartbeat.
4. are also very important in reducing stress.
5. people"s response to pressure from the outside world.
6. lose control and shout at our spouses, relatives, friends or colleagues.
7. dealing with short periods of acute stress.
8. may have more stress-related physical problems.

2. Agree or disagree. Explain your point of view
- Stress can result in a real breakdown of health.
- Stress is everywhere.
- Stress is a synonym for "weakness" and "helplessness".
- Changes for the better can never cause stress.
- Overeating, smoking, drinking, or taking drugs don"t help to cope with stress.
- Laughter is the best medicine for all diseases.
- It is impossible to avoid stress.
- The best way to minimize stress is to know your limits and to be in harmony with yourself.

3. Choose a situation which is the most stressful to your mind. Say what you would do in this situation to cope with stress. Describe the situation from your own life experience when you felt stressed
You are being asked to speak in public. But you don"t know much about the subject discussed by the participants. Everybody is looking at you. You are terrified and don"t know what to say. You feel your hands shaking and your cheeks blushing.
You are the first-year student of the University. You are taking your first exam. You are absolutely calm and self-confident as you know the subject very well. You are taking a question card and feel a cramp in the stomach. You don"t remember the answer to the question.
You are a secretary for a large firm. You like your job as it is well-paid and interesting. The only problem is your boss. He gives you much work and charges you with a great number of errands both important and unimportant. This time he has ordered you to type a pile of urgent documents, though your working day is over and you have a date in the evening. But your boss insists that you should do this work right now.
Your best friend has fallen ill and he has asked you to go to the chemist"s to buy some medicine. You"ve gladly agreed to help him. Standing in the queue you suddenly realize that you"ve lost your friend"s purse with a considerable sum of money in it. You are shocked and don"t know what to do.
You"ve seen your brother"s girlfriend kissing some other guy. You don"t know whether you should tell your brother about it. You are afraid that he won"t believe you if you tell the truth. But on the other hand he will never forgive you if he learns that you have concealed this unpleasant fact.
You"ve been asked to baby-sit your 5-year-old nephew. Your sister has promised that he will be sleeping the whole evening so you will have no trouble with him. And now when she has left you are locked in her house with a shrieking child who is having a fit of hysterics and you don"t know what to do to calm him down.

4. Answer the questions
1) Why do many people feel stressed at work?
2) What kind of situation can be called stressful?
3) How do many people cope with stress? What mistakes do they usually make?
4) Why is stress dangerous not only to our health but to the health of those around us?
5) Why do people react to stress in different ways?
6) How can we avoid or minimize stress?
7) Why are anti-anxiety medications and anti-depressants dangerous to our health?
8) Do you know any effective ways to cope with stress? Say a few words about them.

5. Much can be said about the negative consequences of stress. But some people are sure that stress can be very useful. Read their opinions and say if you agree with them or not. Fill in the table below and give your own reasons for and against stress
1. "Stress is inevitable. It goes hand in hand with the work we do. People don"t hire us to do easy things, they hire us to do difficult things and to think that you can remove stress from that is a fool"s errand. Isn"t this pressure why people work in the first place? I work with people who are up for the challenge, focused on being successful and pressure helps them reach their goals." (Stevan Rolls, head of human resources at Deloitte)
2. "I don"t think you should shy away from stress. It forces you to perform to live up to your full potential. I like to think that even when I am on the verge of retirement I"ll still be pushing myself. It"s what gets me out of bed in the morning." (Charlie Bagot Jewitt, a former Royal Naval commander)
3. To live without stress would be to live in a vegetative state. It"s just not viable. Even the act of getting up in the morning requires effort. For many workers it is the fact that they feel "driven" that makes the job worthwhile and that once that feeling is gone, it is time for them to move on. It is this environment that allows them to produce their best work." (Glynis Kelly, senior lecturer in psychology and sociology at Cornwall College)
4. "Spikes of stress help us to develop and survive. So view being stressed as being resilient. Resilient people see pressure as a challenge, trust that they have control and don"t see themselves as powerless. Those kinds of attitudes are at the root of any career success." (Dr Wolfgang Seidl, executive director of the Validium Group, which provides employee assistance programmes)
(from the article "I love stress" by Cath Janes, The Guardian)
Stress
For Against

6. Read the quotations below. Choose any statement and comment on it
"Stress is basically a disconnection from the earth, a forgetting of the breath. Stress is an ignorant state. It believes that everything is an emergency. Nothing is that important. Just lie down." (Natalie Goldberg)
"Stress is nothing more than a socially acceptable form of mental illness." (Richard Carlson)
Stress is a designer ailment that many of the so-called afflicted suffer from with pride." (Janet Street-Porter)
"Every stress leaves an indelible scar, and the organism pays for its survival after a stressful situation by becoming a little older." (Hans Selye)
"Much of the stress that people feel doesn"t come from having too much to do. It comes from not finishing what they"ve started." (David Allen)
I believe that stress is a factor in any bad health." (Christopher Shays)

A. There are hundreds of definitions of stress but even the highest medical authorities don"t know what it really means. Give your own definition of stress.

B. Read the text "Stress and How to Cope Well With It" and think if stress can be called the disease of modern society.

Find an article about stress and prepare a short speech on the problems raised in it. Speak about the author"s attitude to these problems.

Из учебного пособия "Открывая мир с английским языком. Современные темы для обсуждения. Готовимся к ЕГЭ" Юнёва С.А. 2012г.

Сахарных Анна. Комсомольский-на-Амуре государственный технический университет, Комсомольск-на-Амуре, Хабаровский край, Россия
Сочинение на английском языке с переводом. Номинация Прочее.

Work like the main factor of stress

For every person it is important to have a job. Work gives remuneration, the opportunity to have necessary social status as well as self-actualization. Conversely work takes a lot of time and effort and so it is important to have job that you like, otherwise you go to work like to torture.

Any work in some degree can cause stress. For example, fatigue-induced stress can be caused tiredness from long period of overwork. For most people overtime can cause physical fatigue. On the other hand there exists workaholics who will be happy to work overtime to get more money and career advancement and sometimes just for the self-affirmation in the profession.

Survival stress may be caused by dangerous or challenging situation at work. You need to be mentally and physically prepared for such tests because as in life and at work there are some difficult situations.

Internally generated stress happens because of a tense, hurried approach to life. To avoid it you should try to solve problems in time and if possible avoid difficult situation.

Job stress can also arise due to the tension in working environment. It is very difficult to work when relationships with colleagues or executive are bad. If subordinates have deadline pressure from boss it can lower their desire to work for the company.

In conclusion we can say that for the avoidance of stress it is necessary to choose a suitable job that will not cause unpleasant feelings, and every day will not turn into torture. In addition, you should try to be sociable and try to be friends with your colleagues because in any difficult situation you can ask for help from them.

Для каждого человека необходимо иметь работу. Работа дает зарплату, возможность иметь необходимый социальный статус, а так же самореализоваться. Но помимо этого работа отнимает очень много сил и времени, и необходимо, чтобы работа нравилась, в противном случае поход на работу будет казаться пыткой.

Любая работа в той или иной степени вызывает стресс. Например, вызванный усталостью стресс может появиться от переутомления из-за большого количества сверхурочных часов на работе. У большинства людей сверхурочные часы могут вызвать физическое переутомление. С другой стороны есть и трудоголики, которые с радостью будут работать сверхурочно для того получить дополнительные деньги и повышение по должности, а иногда и просто ради самоутверждения в профессии.

Стресс выживания может быть вызван опасной или испытывающей способности ситуацией на работе. Нужно быть морально и физически подготовленным к подобным испытаниям, потому что как в жизни, так и на работе бывают различные трудные ситуации.

Внутренне созданное напряжение возникает из-за напряженного, торопливого подхода к жизни. Чтобы избежать его нужно стараться решать проблемы во время и избегать трудных ситуаций, если это возможно.

Стресс так же может возникать из-за напряженной рабочей среды. Очень сложно работать, когда взаимоотношение с коллегами и начальством плохое. Если начальство оказывает сильное моральное давление на подчиненных, то это может понизить их желание работать на благо компании.

В заключение можно сказать, что для избегания стресса необходимо выбирать подходящую работу, которая не будет вызывать неприятных чувств, и каждый день не будет превращаться в пытку. Помимо этого нужно стараться быть общительным и сдружиться с коллегами, потому что в любой трудной ситуации можно попросить помощи у других.

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What is stress

Vocabulary:
homeward bound - возвращающийся домой, направляющийся на родину
eustress - положительный стресс, эвстресс
distress - физическая боль, недомогание, горе, несчастье, душевное страдание
stressor - стресс-фактор, стрессор, фактор стресса
nomadic - кочевой, кочующий
wear and tear of life - жизненные передряги
finite - ограниченный, имеющий предел
liken уподоблять (to); сравнивать; приравнивать (to, with)
draw on - черпать, заимствовать, использовать
eventually - в конечном счете, в итоге, в конце концов; со временем
vicious circle - порочный круг

It is different things to different people. To a mountaineer it is the challenge of pushing physical resources to the limit by striving to achieve a demanding goal. To the homeward bound motorist it can be heavy traffic and exhaust fumes. To the student it can be exam pressure.

Take a piece of paper and write the word stress at the top. Now write down all the words and images that come to your mind as you think about this word.

Most people respond to the word stress in negative ways. They see it as a destructive force. However, not all stress is negative. The word eustress has been coined to describe positive stress. Eustress is the type of stress you are likely to experience when you inherit a large amount of money or receive an unexpected promotion or reward. Eustress is the stress of winning and achieving.

Negative stress is distress. It is the stress of losing, failing, overworking and not coping. Distress affects people in a negative often harmful manner. We all experience distress from time to time. It is a normal, unavoidable part of living.
Stressors Cause Stress
Stress results from failure to adequately cope with stressors. Stressors could be loud noise, uncomfortable air-conditioning, debts, ringing telephones, broken relationships, unrealistic deadlines, discouragement, fear, pain and thousands of other things that impact upon us in the normal course of life.

It is impossible to avoid stressors. The only totally stress-free state is death! Stressors will always be there because we live in an imperfect and unpredictable world which is going to cause us to frequently get stressed. We experience stress as the body adjusts to the external demands placed upon it. Our body constantly seeks to maintain stability and stress is usually sensed as the body readjusts to too much pressure.

We need to assist our bodies to cope with being stressed because our natural biological stress-adjustors are not ideally suited to the demands of modern living. Our bodies are well suited to cope with the distressing events faced by our primitive ancestors. The stressors faced by humans conditioned to a nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyle are obviously different to the distressing lifestyle of today.

Our distant ancestors needed chemical responses that are inappropriate today. If you physically ran away from your workplace whenever things got on top of you then this would not enhance your standing in the Organisation. Conversely if you punch the boss on the nose when he/she gives you a tough time then the resulting dismissal and assault charges will generate considerably greater levels of distress.

Английские карточки Неправильные глаголы с транскрипцией и примерами. Тесты ЕГЭ, TOEFL

Письменное задание 09 по ЕГЭ. Английский язык

Comment on the following statement:

What is your opinion? Do you agree with this statement?
Write 200-250 words .
Use the following plan:
- make an introduction (state the problem)
- express your personal opinion and give 2-3 reasons for your opinion
- express an opposing opinion and give 1-2 reasons for this opposing opinion
— explain why you don’t agree with the opposing opinion
- make a conclusion restating your position

Some people say that playing sports helps to reduce stress whereas others claim that sport might be dangerous for health.

I think that sports reduce the level of stress indeed . First those who play sports forget about their problems while they are playing. It means that stress is being displaced by positive emotions. Second there is a lot of scientific research that proves usefulness of sport. Stress is the result of hard work, overwork or some unpleasant activity mixed with worry. Playing sports is a pleasant activity that naturally neutralizes stress.

At the same time there are cases when people harmed their heath doing sports. For example , they broke their legs or arms playing football. Or they had a big fight after playing rugby.

In my opinion we should not confuse playing sports and overdoing sports. I’ve tried it a lot of times. After having a lot of stressful lessons when I felt absolutely horrible, we went to play football and it totally recovered me. I was ready to study again.

In conclusion , I’d like to say that playing sport is a great thing that reduces stress. I believe that surely playing sports could be dangerous and one could expect some minor injuries like bruises and scratches. If one’s careful enough there should be nothing more than that. Playing sports helps us keep calm and stable mentally, which is an important part of our overall wellbeing. Any harmless activity can become harmful if one’s not careful. One should play sports under the supervision of an experienced person and everything will be fine.

your-teachers.ru

Beating stress

You are here

Do you know you can apply the ‘STRESS’ theory to reduce stress? Find out more from Emily.

Instructions

Do the Preparation task first. Then listen to the audio . Next go to each Task and do the activity. If you need help, you can read the Transcript at any time.

Preparation

We suggest you do the vocabulary activity below before you listen. Then listen to the audio file and do the task to check your comprehension. You can read the transcript at any time if you want to.

Choose the correct way to finish each sentence.

Transcript

I wanna 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 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 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.

learnenglish.britishcouncil.org

Wie kann man Stress reduzieren?

Heut zu Tage gibt es kaum jemanden , der ohne Stress lebt. Es gibt oft solche Situationen, wie Konflikte bei der Arbeit oder in der Familie, Prüfungen in der Schule oder Uni, Staus auf den Straßen und andere alltägliche Probleme.

Ständiger Stress kann zu gesundheitlichen Problemen führen, von Schlafstörungen bis zu ernsten Krankheiten. Was kann man machen, um den Stress und Müdigkeit abzubauen ?

Dafür gibt es folgende Tricks:

Erstens. Legen Sie während der Arbeit kurze Pausen ein . Die Pausen können Sie nutzen um einfache Atem- oder Sportübungen auszuführen . Sie können auch eine Tasse Kaffee trinken oder einen Apfel essen. Ein kurzes Gespräch mit Kollegen kann ihre Stimmung ebenfalls verbessern.

Mehrere kleine Pausen helfen Ihnen, den ganzen Tag lang eine gute Arbeitseinstellung zu bewahren .

Zweitens. Machen sie einen Spaziergang, eine bestimmte Sportart oder unternehmen Sie einen Saunabesuch. Körperliche Anstrengung reduziert stark Stress und Anspannungen.

Drittens. Widmen Sie sich einem Hobby wie zum Beispiel Singen, Musik Spielen oder Malen. Hobbys reduzieren Alltagsstress indem sie von Negativen Eindrücken des Tages ablenken und positive Emotionen erzeugen.

Viertens. In der Stressbewältigung bieten Haustiere positive Unterstützung. Ein Haustier kann helfen, Misserfolge in der Partnerschaft, Probleme im Beruf oder Ärger im Straßenverkehr zu beheben. So, ein Spaziergang mit dem Lieblingshund gibt Ihnen gute Laune und Bewegung in der frischen Luft.

Fünftens. Nehmen Sie sich eine Auszeit auf dem Land. Hier kann man im Garten arbeiten und dabei Produkte Ihrer Arbeit genießen: leckeres Obst und frisches Gemüse. Manche gehen gerne in den Wald, Pilze zu suchen , oder zum Fluss oder See zum Angeln.

Wie Sie sehen, gibt es viele Möglichkeiten , sich vom Stress zu befreien . Sie können das aussuchen, was Ihnen am Nächsten liegt .

• Heut zu Tage — в наше время
• Schlafstörungen - (Schlaf + Störungen) - нарушения сна
• um abzubauen - (Inf. abbauen) - чтобы сократить, снизить
  Грамматическую конструкцию um + zu + Inf. посмотрите здесь.
• Legen Sie ein - (Inf. einlegen) - закладывать, планировать
• können nutzen. auszuführen - (Inf. ausführen) - можете использовать. чтобы выполнить
• helfen zu bewahren - помогают сохранять
• Widmen sich - посвящать себя чему-либо
• Möglichkeiten. sich zu befreien - возможности. освободиться
• am Nächsten liegt - ближе всего

В наше время найдется немного людей, которые живут без стресса. Часто случаются такие ситуации, как конфликты на работе или в семье, экзамены в школе или в университете, пробки на дорогах и другие каждодневные проблемы.

Постоянный стресс может привести к проблемам со здоровьем, (начиная) от бессонницы до (и заканчивая) серьезных заболеваний. Что (же) можно сделать, чтобы снизить стресс и усталость.

Для этого есть следующие приемы:

Во-первых. Запланируйте короткие перерывы во время работы. Вы можете использовать паузы для того, чтобы сделать простые дыхательные или спортивные (физические) упражнения. Вы можете так же выпить кофе или съесть яблоко. Короткий разговор с коллегами может так же улучшить ваше настроение.

Несколько коротких пауз помогут вам целый день сохранять хороший рабочий настрой.

Во-вторых. Выйдите на прогулку, займитесь каким-нибудь видом спорта или сходите в сауну. Физические усилия хорошо снижают стресс и напряжение.

В-третьих. Найдите (для себя) какое-нибудь хобби, например, пение, занятие музыкой или рисование. Хобби уменьшают каждодневный стресс тем, что они отвлекают от негативных впечатлений дня и дают позитивные эмоции.

В-четвертых. В борьбе со стрессом поддержку окажут домашние животные. Они помогают снизить проблемы на работе или гнев из-за движения на дороге. Так, например, прогулка с любимой собакой подарит Вам хорошее настроение и движение на свежем воздухе.

В-пятых. Проведите выходные за городом. Здесь можно поработать в саду и насладиться продуктами своего труда: вкусными фруктами и свежими овощами. Некоторые (люди) любят ходить в лес за грибами или рыбачить на реке или озере.

Как вы видите, есть много возможностей освободиться от стресса. Вы можете выбрать сами, что вам больше всего подходит.

Stress and How to Cope Well With It

Nowadays many people say that they are tired of their hectic lifestyle. They work too much and stop taking breaks. They forget about everything striving for their goals and they constantly raise the bar. Very often they don"t find personal satisfaction in their work and don"t love what they do. They have no sense of personal accomplishment and self-satisfaction. Some people don"t feel content even when they achieve their goal. One the contrary, they feel disillusioned and dissatisfied. Having climbed the ladder of success they find nothing worthwhile on the top. Constant fatigue, physical and moral exhaustion, monotony and impossible pressure at work and at home can cause stress.

Stress is the emotional and physical strain caused by people"s response to pressure from the outside world. Stress causes tension, irritability, anxiety, alarm, loss of concentration, sensations of fear and panic as well as headaches and a fast heartbeat. It can result in a real breakdown of health. Stress can even cause heart disease and cancer.

There are a lot of stressful events in our lives, such as divorce, losing a job or having difficulties at home or at work. But changes for the better can also cause stress, like a new baby, a wedding, and a new house. Pupils and students often face stress from problems at school, poor relationships with peers, strict and demanding teachers, exams and many other problems.

Feeling stressed many people try to find some distraction and to escape their problems. They begin overeating, smoking, drinking, and even taking drugs. But junk food, cigarettes, sleeping pills and alcohol don"t help. On the contrary, they make things much worse and more difficult to patch up.

Stress can have a negative influence not only on our physical and mental health, but on the lives of those around us. It often makes us lose control and shout at our spouses, relatives, friends or colleagues. Taking stress out on our nearest and dearest is the easiest way to hurt their feelings and to make them feel depressed too.

People react to stress in different ways. Some of us are more vulnerable to stress than others. People who are always angry, impatient and mistrustful may have more stress-related physical problems.

It is very important to try to avoid stress or at least to minimize it. That"s why it is essential to notice early signs of stress and to remove some of its causes. If you catch the trouble early, the problem may be easy to fix.

One of the best ways to cope with stress is to keep a sense of humor in difficult situations. Wise people say that laughter is the best medicine for all diseases. It increases blood flow and it may reduce the risk of heart disease. Besides, laughter makes the body release pleasure chemicals.

Regular leisure activities and relaxing hobbies are also very important in reducing stress. If you feel depressed, yoga, swimming, bicycling, painting or gardening can help you relax, calm down and get a new lease on life. Anti-anxiety medications and anti-depressants can be useful for dealing with short periods of acute stress. But the side effects of such medications can be rather dangerous, that"s why they must never be taken as often as vitamins. Besides, anti-anxiety medications and anti-depressants cause addiction and may lead to suicides.

Forget about your problems. Take a day off work, domestic chores and family. Work regular hours and don"t forget to take breaks and holidays. Don"t expect too much of yourself and don"t try to aim higher than your capacity. Have a balance in life. Walk away from stressful situations and be positive and enthusiastic. In other words "don"t worry, be happy."

1. Complete each sentence (A-H) with one of the endings (1-8):
A. Stress is the emotional and physical strain caused by
B. Stress causes
C. Feeling stressed many people try to Find
D. Stress often makes us
E. People who are always angry, impatient and mistrustful
F. One of the best ways to cope with stress is
G. Regular leisure activities and relaxing hobbies
H. Anti-anxiety medications and anti-depressants can be useful for

1. some distraction and to escape their problems.
2. to keep a sense of humor in difficult situations.
3. tension, irritability, anxiety, alarm, loss of concentration, sensations of fear and panic as well as headaches and a fast heartbeat.
4. are also very important in reducing stress.
5. people"s response to pressure from the outside world.
6. lose control and shout at our spouses, relatives, friends or colleagues.
7. dealing with short periods of acute stress.
8. may have more stress-related physical problems.

2. Agree or disagree. Explain your point of view
- Stress can result in a real breakdown of health.
- Stress is everywhere.
- Stress is a synonym for "weakness" and "helplessness".
- Changes for the better can never cause stress.
- Overeating, smoking, drinking, or taking drugs don"t help to cope with stress.
- Laughter is the best medicine for all diseases.
- It is impossible to avoid stress.
- The best way to minimize stress is to know your limits and to be in harmony with yourself.

3. Choose a situation which is the most stressful to your mind. Say what you would do in this situation to cope with stress. Describe the situation from your own life experience when you felt stressed
You are being asked to speak in public. But you don"t know much about the subject discussed by the participants. Everybody is looking at you. You are terrified and don"t know what to say. You feel your hands shaking and your cheeks blushing.
You are the first-year student of the University. You are taking your first exam. You are absolutely calm and self-confident as you know the subject very well. You are taking a question card and feel a cramp in the stomach. You don"t remember the answer to the question.
You are a secretary for a large firm. You like your job as it is well-paid and interesting. The only problem is your boss. He gives you much work and charges you with a great number of errands both important and unimportant. This time he has ordered you to type a pile of urgent documents, though your working day is over and you have a date in the evening. But your boss insists that you should do this work right now.
Your best friend has fallen ill and he has asked you to go to the chemist"s to buy some medicine. You"ve gladly agreed to help him. Standing in the queue you suddenly realize that you"ve lost your friend"s purse with a considerable sum of money in it. You are shocked and don"t know what to do.
You"ve seen your brother"s girlfriend kissing some other guy. You don"t know whether you should tell your brother about it. You are afraid that he won"t believe you if you tell the truth. But on the other hand he will never forgive you if he learns that you have concealed this unpleasant fact.
You"ve been asked to baby-sit your 5-year-old nephew. Your sister has promised that he will be sleeping the whole evening so you will have no trouble with him. And now when she has left you are locked in her house with a shrieking child who is having a fit of hysterics and you don"t know what to do to calm him down.

4. Answer the questions
1) Why do many people feel stressed at work?
2) What kind of situation can be called stressful?
3) How do many people cope with stress? What mistakes do they usually make?
4) Why is stress dangerous not only to our health but to the health of those around us?
5) Why do people react to stress in different ways?
6) How can we avoid or minimize stress?
7) Why are anti-anxiety medications and anti-depressants dangerous to our health?
8) Do you know any effective ways to cope with stress? Say a few words about them.

5. Much can be said about the negative consequences of stress. But some people are sure that stress can be very useful. Read their opinions and say if you agree with them or not. Fill in the table below and give your own reasons for and against stress
1. "Stress is inevitable. It goes hand in hand with the work we do. People don"t hire us to do easy things, they hire us to do difficult things and to think that you can remove stress from that is a fool"s errand. Isn"t this pressure why people work in the first place? I work with people who are up for the challenge, focused on being successful and pressure helps them reach their goals." (Stevan Rolls, head of human resources at Deloitte)
2. "I don"t think you should shy away from stress. It forces you to perform to live up to your full potential. I like to think that even when I am on the verge of retirement I"ll still be pushing myself. It"s what gets me out of bed in the morning." (Charlie Bagot Jewitt, a former Royal Naval commander)
3. To live without stress would be to live in a vegetative state. It"s just not viable. Even the act of getting up in the morning requires effort. For many workers it is the fact that they feel "driven" that makes the job worthwhile and that once that feeling is gone, it is time for them to move on. It is this environment that allows them to produce their best work." (Glynis Kelly, senior lecturer in psychology and sociology at Cornwall College)
4. "Spikes of stress help us to develop and survive. So view being stressed as being resilient. Resilient people see pressure as a challenge, trust that they have control and don"t see themselves as powerless. Those kinds of attitudes are at the root of any career success." (Dr Wolfgang Seidl, executive director of the Validium Group, which provides employee assistance programmes)
(from the article "I love stress" by Cath Janes, The Guardian)
Stress
For Against

6. Read the quotations below. Choose any statement and comment on it
"Stress is basically a disconnection from the earth, a forgetting of the breath. Stress is an ignorant state. It believes that everything is an emergency. Nothing is that important. Just lie down." (Natalie Goldberg)
"Stress is nothing more than a socially acceptable form of mental illness." (Richard Carlson)
Stress is a designer ailment that many of the so-called afflicted suffer from with pride." (Janet Street-Porter)
"Every stress leaves an indelible scar, and the organism pays for its survival after a stressful situation by becoming a little older." (Hans Selye)
"Much of the stress that people feel doesn"t come from having too much to do. It comes from not finishing what they"ve started." (David Allen)
I believe that stress is a factor in any bad health." (Christopher Shays)

A. There are hundreds of definitions of stress but even the highest medical authorities don"t know what it really means. Give your own definition of stress.

B. Read the text "Stress and How to Cope Well With It" and think if stress can be called the disease of modern society.

Find an article about stress and prepare a short speech on the problems raised in it. Speak about the author"s attitude to these problems.

Из учебного пособия "Открывая мир с английским языком. Современные темы для обсуждения. Готовимся к ЕГЭ" Юнёва С.А. 2012г.

At present, you can hardly find a person who has never been under stress. There are many stressful situations these days, such as: problems at work, preparation for exams, traffic jams, relationships with other people and so on. And it is not often easy to reduce stress level.

Then what should we do to deal with stress? First of all, we should ease the tension with the help of deep breathing. It is also important not to stick in your problems and worries and to talk about them less with other people, as this will lead to a higher level of stress.

If you work hard for hours, the best way to avoid stress is to take a break.You can assure yourself that you will be absolutely free as soon as you finish and can put your break off. However, it won’t do you any good. Your exhausted body will probably become sick afterwards.

So now, when you are on a break, you may do something to relax and to take your mind off things. You may have a healthy snack, dance or do some other physical exercises, turn your favourite music on or even call a friend.

Even a 10-minute break will help you. You will see how much better you feel afterwards. A small break may give you some more energy to continue your work. Moreover, when you abstract from your work for several minutes and then get back to it again, you manage to re-examine it and make some improvements. As a result, you will have a better quality of work.

Перевод:

В настоящее время, вы едва ли сможете найти человека, который никогда бы не подвергался стрессу. На сегодняшний день существует множество стрессовых ситуаций, таких как: проблемы на работе, подготовка к экзаменам, пробки на дорогах, взаимоотношения с другими людьми и т.д. И часто нелегко снизить уровень стресса.

В таком случае, что же нам следует делать, чтобы справиться со стрессом? Прежде всего, следует снять напряжение с помощью глубокого дыхания. Также важно не «застревать» в своих проблемах и переживаниях, а также меньше говорить о них с другими людьми, так как это приводит к более высокому уровню стресса.

Если вы усердно работаете в течение нескольких часов, лучший способ избежать стресса – сделать перерыв. Вы можете убеждать себя, что будете абсолютно свободны, как только закончите и можете пока отложить отдых. Однако это не пойдет вам на пользу. Ваш изможденный организм, вероятно, заболеет после.

Поэтому теперь, когда вы на перерыве, вы можете заняться чем-то, что расслабит вас и отвлечет от дел. Вы можете перекусить чем-то полезным, потанцевать или сделать другие физические упражнения, включить любимую музыку или даже позвонить другу/подруге.

Даже десятиминутный перерыв вам поможет. Вы увидите, насколько хорошо почувствуете себя после него. Маленький перерыв может подарить вам немного дополнительной энергии для продолжения работы. Более того, когда вы отвлечетесь от работы на несколько минут, а затем вернетесь к ней снова, то вам удастся взглянуть на нее по-новому и улучшить ее. В результате, вы добьетесь лучшего качества работы.

Фразы и слова:

To be under stress – быть в состоянии стресса

Reduce stress level – снизить уровень стресса

To put off – отложить (на потом)

Take a break – сделать перерыв

To do good – идти на пользу

To take one’s mind off things – отвлечься от дел

To abstract from – отвлечься от чего-то

To re-examine – взглянуть по-новому

To make improvements – улучшить

Стресс и Гнев

Каждый день Вы читаете в газетах, книгах и журналах, что важно избежать стресса. Говорят, стресс может убить. Успокойтесь. Расслабьтесь. Притормозите. Не волнуйтесь так много, и не работайте столь усердно. К сожалению, это трудно. Есть всегда денежные проблемы и проблемы в семье. Наши города полны дорожного движения и шума. Стрессовые ситуации, кажется, всюду.
Когда люди находятся в состоянии стресса, они реагируют различными способами. Некоторые находят трудным оставаться спокойными и часто бывают напряженным. Мелочи, подобно крику ребенка, могут сделать их раздраженными. Они очень раздражаются, если должны подождать всего на несколько минут дольше в магазине или ресторане. Эти люди обычно очень капризны. В одну минуту они веселы, а в следующую могут быть действительно рассерженными - абсолютно разъяренными. Другие люди, кажется, остаются спокойный почти все время, и редко злятся. Например, если они попадают в пробку, они не расстраиваются. Они сидят спокойно в своих автомобилях, говоря себе, что они ничего не могут сделать в данной ситуации. Эти люди не капризны вообще. Они не меняются через секунду, и всегда кажется, что они контролируют свои эмоции.
Некоторые доктора дали названия этим двум типам личности: тип А и тип B. Люди типа А усердно работают, много волнуются и часто злятся. Люди типа В - противоположны. Они не волнуются. Работа не столь важна для них и их нелегко рассердить. Они любят расслабляться и веселиться забаву. Доктора говорят, что для вашего здоровья и сердца лучше, если Вы - человек Типа B.