Word for stressful situation

#1 Lost the plot
#2 Throw a spanner in the works
#3 Nice one!
#4 Don’t mess me around
#5 It does my head in
Summary

Here’s a question.

Who do you think is going to be better at communicating in English in an international situation:

Jerry, a guy from somewhere in Britain?

Or Karina, from somewhere in Russia?

The answer is: Karina.

Surprised?

Me too!

According to research^1,2, British people are among the worst communicators in English!

That’s because, although they know more words and phrases in English, British people are terrible (statistically speaking) at the strategies that help communication.

These strategies include things like saying something in a different way when the other person doesn’t understand.

Or checking with the other person that they’ve understood in the first place.

And Brits have one more habit that drives English learners crazy:

They don’t simplify their language when talking to people from other countries.

They often use idiomatic words and phrases — the same words and phrases that they use with their friends and family.

So what does this mean for you?

Well, when that strange British person at work is talking to you with those strange words and phrases, don’t panic!

If you don’t know the phrases, try to guess the meaning from context — that’s an important skill to have.

But it also helps to have some phrases in your pocket, right?

So here we are — 5 common British English phrases for stressful situations.

Lost the plot

What does it mean?

This phrase basically means “lost touch with reality.”

How can I use it?

This phrase has quite a large range of meanings.

It can mean “completely crazy.”

Like if your neighbour’s started singing pop songs to the tune of Beethoven’s fifth symphony, wearing a flower pot on her head and painting massive pictures of cats on her wall.

Then, yeah — she’s crazy. She’s lost the plot.

Or we can use it when our boss starts asking us to do ridiculous and pointless things — a familiar situation, right?

Like when the boss sends out a memo telling all employees to sign their emails with “yours sincerely and most humbly and obediently.” Which is pretty random. You could say he’s lost the plot.

Throw a spanner in the works

What does it mean?

OK. So let’s say you’re travelling by bus across Kazakhstan. Because that’s exactly the sort of thing you’d do, right?

You’re going to the Caspian Sea, where you’re meeting a friend for a four-day wedding — yep! Exactly the kind of thing you do, isn’t it?

You need to meet your friend in a couple of days, but that’s OK, because you’ve only got a few hundred miles left of the trip. You’ll be fine!

Then the bus breaks down in the middle of nowhere.

Now the plan’s kind of messed up, right?

You can say that the bus breaking down really threw a spanner in the works.

We use it to describe something that ruins or causes problems to a plan.

How can I use it?

To be fair, the example I used was fairly extreme.

You can actually use this phrase for all sorts of other situations. Like when you were planning on having a picnic with your best friend, Karen.

Then it starts raining, which throws a spanner in the works.

Or when you want to leave work early because the boss is out. You’re just about to leave when he comes back unexpectedly — throwing a spanner in the works.

You also don’t have to use the full phrase:

DERRICK: OK. The film starts at 8, so let’s meet at about 7?
JENNIE: Sorry, I’ve got to work late — I don’t finish till 8:30.
DERRICK: Damn! That’s a spanner in the works.

You can also “have a spanner in the works”:

Bad news. I’m afraid we’ve got a bit of a spanner in the works. The computer system’s down. Again.

Nice one!

What does it mean?

“Good work! I’m impressed!”

How can I use it?

You can use this phrase in two different ways.

There’s the nice way and the not-so-nice way.

Let’s look at the nice way first:

You’re bowling with your friend, and she scores a strike. It’s the first time she’s been bowling, and she wasn’t very confident, so you want to show her your support and encourage her.

So you say it:

But hang on a second, isn’t this a post about phrases for stressful situations?

Well, that brings me round to the not-so-nice way of using this phrase.

You can use the phrase sarcastically. It’s quite common.

But I would advise against using it this way as it can be pretty aggressive and, well, not very nice.

In fact, it’s the kind of thing that Tony might say. (Remember Tony?)

Basically, Tony is not a nice guy.

One day you’re hanging out with Tony (not by choice, of course).

Because Tony’s pretty lazy, you’re the one getting the coffee from the bar.

You bring it over, but you spill your coffee all over the table.

Then he says it:

Huh. Nice one.

This has the opposite effect of encouraging your friend while she was bowling. It makes you feel worse and less confident.

It’s the same phrase, but the situation means that the phrase is sarcastic and negative.

It also means that Tony’s a jerk, and you shouldn’t hang out with him. Go hang out with Freya instead.

Don’t mess me around

What does it mean?

Have you ever had to deal with a particularly difficult piece of bureaucracy?

Like getting a residence permit, or trying to get permission to add that beautiful banana-shaped tower to your house?

The most extreme example I’ve experienced was getting a residence permit (in a country I won’t mention) about 10 years ago.

To get the permit, you have to go to a massive building full of people.

There’s no queuing system (a British nightmare), and no one speaks English (another British nightmare).

You have to push through massive families of 10 or more people to finally get to a small window with a very stressed cop behind it.

Then he tells you that you’re in the wrong place. You need to go to another office. On the other side of town, of course.

So you go there.

It’s empty and no one’s there.

You find a cleaner and find out that they take a 3-hour lunch break on Thursdays.

When they finally open again, they tell you to go back to the first building you went to.

How do you feel now?

You’ve wasted all this time for nothing, just because they don’t really know what they’re doing.

These guys have seriously been messing you around, right?

This phrase means “to cause problems, especially in an unfair way.”

How can I use it?

So, as you can see above, you can use this when someone makes you do all sorts of things unnecessarily — when there was probably an easier way.

But it also has another, slightly different meaning.

A common expression you might hear is “don’t mess me around!”

We use this when we think someone is lying to us and trying to convince us to believe their lies.

Like if your kids try to explain why they weren’t at school by telling you that they were kidnapped by a giant polar bear who really wanted to show them his collection of small spoons.

Although if they were my kids, I’d at least congratulate them on their imagination.

It does my head in

What does it mean?

When something annoys you or confuses you, you can say that it does your head in.

How can I use it?

OK. We kind of have the two situations — being annoyed and being confused.

Like when you have to listen to the same stupid song that they’re always playing on the radio. It’s so annoying! Why do they always play it? Everywhere you go it’s there — at the mall, in your favourite cafe, in cars as they drive past you.

So you can say, “That stupid song does my head in.”

Or when your kids are running around, screaming and generally going nuts, because you accidentally gave them too much sugar.

Calm down — you’re doing my head in!

You can also use it when you’re trying to understand a really complex thought — but … just … can’t.

The way the planets move around the sun does my head in.

I mean — think about it.

They’re all moving around the sun — OK. No problem there.

But they’re also moving at different speeds. Can you picture that? OK. That’s fine, too.

But they’re also moving around the sun at different angles, too.

Can you picture that? Getting tricky now, right?

They’re also spinning at different speeds and angles and all the moons they have are also going around them at the same time.

Can you picture that?

I don’t know about you, but that just does my head in. I just can’t picture it.

Summary

So there we have it — 5 common British English phrases for stressful situations.

Let’s recap:

Nice one	Good work! I’m impressed!
Throw a spanner in the works	To ruin or cause problems to a plan
Don’t mess me around	Don’t cause problems for me (especially in an unfair way).
Lost the plot	Lost touch with reality
It does my head in	It annoys or confuses me.

If you missed it, don’t forget to check out last week’s British English words post.

Did you find this useful? Do you know any people (or monkeys) that might also benefit from this? Then BE AWESOME and click the “share” button below! Spread the knowledge!

Meanwhile, what are your favourite British English phrases? Did I miss any good ones? Let me know in the comments.

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1. Mauranen, A. (2006). Signaling and preventing misunderstanding in English as lingua
franca communication. International journal of the sociology of language, 177. 123-
150.

2. Jenkins, J., Cogo, A., and Dewey, M. (2011). Review of developments in research into
English as a lingua franca. Language teaching, 44(3), 281-315.

• situation (parent phrase)
• stressful (parent phrase)

• stressful situations

Connected phrases:

Методическая разработка

по теме «Стресс»

Болтунова

Ирина Владимировна

Санкт-Петербург

2019

Методическая разработка

по теме «Стресс»

      Пояснительная записка

Представленная методическая разработка состоит из комплекса специально подобранных текстов на английском языке по теме «Стресс» и учебно-тренировочных заданий к ним.

Данная методическая разработка является результатом работы преподавателя английского языка Болтуновой И.В. Аутентичные адаптированные тексты носят информационно-обучающий характер в рамках изучаемых студентами колледжа психолого-педагогических дисциплин.

Обращение к психолого-педагогической тематике на уроках иностранного языка повышает, на наш взгляд, познавательный интерес и мотивацию студентов, показывает универсальность и прикладной характер знаний, получаемых на разных предметах, способствует развитию умения их переноса. Данная подборка предназначена для студентов всех отделений и имеет целью развитие и укрепление межпредметных связей в процессе обучения педагогике, психологии и иностранному языку через реализацию конкретных задач:

В области психологии:

-как можно более полное раскрытие самого понятия «Стресс»;

— выявление причин стресса и его последствий.

В области педагогики:

-ознакомление с различными способами борьбы со стрессом, путями предупреждения его появления.

В области иностранного языка:

-развитие языковых умений;

— овладение новой лексикой по теме «Стресс»;

— совершенствование грамматического навыка.

Методическая разработка по теме «Стресс» предназначена для студентов всех отделений.

Целью методической разработки по теме «Стресс» является познакомить студентов с самим понятием стресс, его причинами, положительными и отрицательными последствиями. Кроме того, предложить различные способы борьбы со стрессом, и все это на английском языке. Таким образом, данные дидактические материалы помогут не только углубить знания по предложенной теме, но и одновременно с этим улучшить свои знания по английскому языку.

Методическая разработка по теме «Стресс» состоят из текстов и заданий к ним, которые направлены на проверку и закрепление изучаемого материала. Можно увидеть следующие задания: подобрать синоним, вычеркнуть лишнее слово, определить слово по его определению, найти соответствующий английский эквивалент, вставить подходящие слова, соединить выражения и другие. Также здесь представлены задания, направленные на понимание текста: ответить на вопросы, определить верно высказывание или нет, завершить предложения. В конце представлен ряд заданий, которые помогут обобщить изученный материал. Данные дидактические материалы содержат ответы на все задания.

Данная методическая разработка содержит ответы ко всем заданиям. Предложенный материал может быть использован как преподавателями на занятиях, так и самими студентами самостоятельно.

.

                           What Is Stress?

We generally use the word «stress» when we feel that everything seems to have become too much — we are overloaded and wonder whether we really can cope with the pressures placed upon us. Anything that poses a challenge or a threat to our well-being is a stress. Some stresses get you going and they are good for you — without any stress at all many say our lives would be boring and would probably feel pointless. However, when the stresses undermine both our mental and physical health they are bad. In this text we will be focusing on stress that is bad for you.

Fight or flight response

The way you respond to a challenge may also be a type of stress. Part of your response to a challenge is physiological and affects your physical state. When faced with a challenge or a threat, your body activates resources to protect you — to either get away as fast as you can, or fight. If you are upstairs at home and an earthquake starts, the faster you can get yourself and your family out the more likely you are all to survive. If you need to save somebody’s life during that earthquake, by lifting a heavy weight that has fallen on them during the earthquake, you will need components in your body to be activated to give you that extra strength -that extra push. 

Our fight-or-flight response is our body’s sympathetic nervous system reacting to a stressful event. Our body produces larger quantities of the chemicals cortisol, adrenaline and noradrenaline, which trigger a higher heart rate, heightened muscle preparedness, sweating, and alertness — all these factors help us protect ourselves in a dangerous or challenging situation.  

Non-essential body functions slow down, such as our digestive and immune systems when we are in fight-or flight response mode. All resources can then be concentrated on rapid breathing, blood flow, alertness and muscle use. 

So, let’s recap, when we are stressed the following happens:

• Blood pressure rises
• Breathing becomes more rapid
• Digestive system slows down
• Heart rate (pulse) rises
• Immune system goes down
• Muscles become tense
• We do not sleep (heightened state of alertness)

Most of us have varying interpretations of what stress is about and what matters. Some of us focus on what happens to us, such as breaking a bone or getting a promotion, while others think more about the event itself. What really matters are our thoughts about the situations in which we find ourselves. 
          We are continually sizing up situations that confront us in life. We assess each situation, deciding whether something is a threat, how we can deal with it and what resources we can use. If we conclude that the required resources needed to effectively deal with a situation are beyond what we have available, we say that that situation is stressful — and we react with a classical stress response. On the other hand, if we decide our available resources and skills are more than enough to deal with a situation, it is not seen as stressful to us. 

Positive and Negative Stress

Signs of positive stress

1. Increased creativity: not only in making or creating things but also in developing new ways to solve problems or finding better ways of doing things.

2. Increased productivity at work and on a personal level.

3. A general feeling of wellbeing, happiness and joy. It is your birthright to lead a happy, fulfilled live during your stay here on earth.

4. An immune system that functions optimally and is able to resist illness, infections, and cancer. Even if you are surrounded by people carrying all sorts of germs, you simply will not become ill.

Warning signs of negative stress

1. Reduced productivity and creativity: nothing works the way it should. Everything is too much for you. You struggle or cannot find solution to problems. Because you are terrified of making the wrong decision, you end up not making any decision at all. You are unable to concentrate or remember things. Depression starts in much the same way.

2. A reduce feeling of wellbeing, joy and happiness: you no longer enjoy anything and don’t look forward to anything. Everything is a burden. These symptoms can be precursors of depression unless you take proper precautions in time.

3. All sort of unfortunate things happen to you. You become so preoccupied with the daily stress of living that, you are unable to focus or concentrate. This easily lead to car accidents, you drop and break things or lose them. You cannot remember anything; you cut yourself on a regular basis etc…

4. You start avoiding social contact. Shunning people for a long period is also a sign of depression. Remember that socialising is one of the basic human needs.

5. Your immune system functions poorly and suffers from colds, influenza, allergies, chronic fatigue, anxiety etc… Unless you take the necessary steps to restore your equilibrium.

6. The ageing process accelerates because of the increased metabolism associated with sustained, unmanaged stress. Free radicals and other waste products accumulate add cell activity deteriorates resulting in premature age.

Task 1.  Answer the questions

1. What happens with processes in our body when we are stressed? (at least 3)

2. Name 3 chemicals that our body produces in larger quantities when we are stressed.

3. Which body functions slows down when we are under stress? (1 word — adjective)

4. What is stress?

5. Which types of response on stressful situation do you know?

Task 2.  Find the synonym in the text.

1. frighten, intimidate

2. weight, load, onus

3. balance, poise

4. decrease, diminish

5. avoid, escape, evade

6. early, untimely, precocious

7. appropriate, due

8. oppose, fight back ,withstand

9. concern, worry

10. gladness, rejoicing, cheer

Task 3. Find the odd word. 

1. Our body produces the chemicals: cortisol, adrenaline, noradrenaline, allergy.
2. Reaction to stressful events : heartbeat, sweating,  heightened muscle preparedness, increased creativity.
3.  Your immune system functions poorly and suffers from: chronic fatigue, anxiety, colds, lack of communication.
4. If you are upstairs at home and suddenly begins: earthquake, tsunami, fire, shaking hands, don’t panic.
5. If you’re in a stressful situation, you start: to sweat, to be nervous, to panic, to dance.
6. The first signs of negative stress: nothing works the way it should, you are unable to concentrate, you can not remember anything, you can easily lift the mood
7. The first signs of positive stress: increased creativity, increased productivity, a general feeling of wellbeing, a reduced feeling of wellbeing.
8. Your immune system, that functions optimally, is able to resist: diseases, infections, cancer, people.
9. All sort of unfortunate things happen to you: you can cut yourself, break things, lose things, be promoted.

Task 4.  You can see the definition of the word, guess the word (find it in the text).

1.  А system of biological structures and processes within an organism that protects against disease.
2. A hormone that is released during stressful situations.
3. A state of low mood and aversion to activity.
4. An organ system containing a network of specialized cells called neurons that coordinate the actions.
5. The production of a fluid consisting primarily of water as well as various dissolved solids (chiefly chlorides), that is excreted by the sweat glands in the skin of mammals.
6. It is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth’s crust that creates seismic waves.
7. The reactions that occur when a person’s immune system reacts to normally harmless substances in the environment .
8. It is a steroid hormone, more specifically a glucocorticoid, produced by the zona fasciculata of the adrenal gland.
9. This disease is known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a broad group of various diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth.
10.  It is the invasion of body tissues by disease-causing microorganisms, their multiplication and the reaction of body tissues to these microorganisms and the toxins that they produce.

Task 5. Insert the corresponding expressions

precursors of depression — a sign of depression — restore your equilibrium — sustained  unmanaged stress – concentrate – infections  and cancer — solve problems

1. A reduce feeling of wellbeing, joy and happiness — these symptoms can be ………. .
2. You start avoiding social contact. Shunning people for a long period is also ………. .
3. Your immune system functions poorly and suffers from colds, influenza, allergies, chronic fatigue, anxiety etc… Unless you take the necessary steps to ………. .
4. The ageing process accelerates because of the increased metabolism associated with ………. .
5. You become so preoccupied with the daily stress of living that, you are unable to focus or ………. .
6. An immune system that functions optimally and is able to resist illness, ……….
7. Increased creativity: not only in making or creating things but also in developing new ways to ………. or finding better ways of doing things.

Task 6. True or false. (Text «Positive and Negative Stress»)

1. Positive stress enhances creativity.
2. You begin to avoid social contacts because of the stress.
3. Stress helps us to not get sick for a long time.
4. The aging process is accelerated due to stress.
5. Stress may soon lead to major depression.
6. Positive stress contributes to increased productivity.
7. In the stressful condition, you can get in an accident.
8. Due to stress, you begin to communicate more with people.
9. Thanks to the positive stress the immune system is working optimally.
10.  A person subjected to stress does not suffer from insomnia.

               The Effects of Stress

       There is a famous expression in English: «Stop the world, I want to get off!» This expression refers to a feeling of panic, or stress, that makes a person want to stop whatever they are doing, try to relax, and become calm again. ‘Stress’ means pressure or tension. It is one of the most common causes of health problems in modern life. Too much stress results in physical, emotional, and mental health problems.
                There are numerous physical effects of stress. Stress can affect the heart. It can increase the pulse rate, make the heart miss beats, and can cause high blood pressure. Stress can affect the respiratory system. It can lead to asthma. It can cause a person to breathe too fast, resulting in a loss of important carbon dioxide. Stress can affect the stomach. It can cause stomach aches and problems digesting food. These are only a few examples of the wide range of illnesses and symptoms resulting from stress.

         Emotions are also easily affected by stress. People suffering from stress often feel anxious. They may have panic attacks. They may feel tired all the time. When people are under stress, they often overreact to little problems. For example, a normally gentle parent under a lot of stress at work may yell at a child for dropping a glass of juice. Stress can make people angry, moody, or nervous.
                Long-term stress can lead to a variety of serious mental illnesses. Depression, an extreme feeling of sadness and hopelessness, can be the result of continued and increasing stress. Alcoholism and other addictions often develop as a result of overuse of alcohol or drugs to try to relieve stress. Eating disorders, such as anorexia, are sometimes caused by stress and are often made worse by stress. If stress is allowed to continue, then one’s mental health is put at risk.
                It is obvious that stress is a serious problem. It attacks the body. It affects the emotions. Untreated, it may eventually result in mental illness. Stress has a great influence on the health and well-being of our bodies, our feelings, and our minds. So, reduce stress: stop the world and rest for a while.

Task 7. Replace the Russian word with the corresponding English equivalents.

1. (психическое) health            
2. (дыхательная) system        
3. Blood (давление)                  
4. Feel (тревогу)                      
5. (остро реагировать) to a little problems    
6. (обостренноe) feel                
7. (облегчить) stress              
8. (злоупотребление) of alcohol      
9. (длительный) stress              
10.  (влиять на) heart            

                                   Stress

They say that «Life is a big headache on a long noisy road.» This statement truly explains life nowadays. Life in the twenty first century is full of stress. From dawn to dusk, everyone has to go through a rigorous schedule. Even children are not exempt from this rush. Everyday there are deadlines to meet, reports to write, bills to pay, meetings to attend, papers to submit, etc.,.

Life is a never-ending race to most people. The everyday grind builds up stress and fatigue. Stress Reduction has become a priority with individuals as well as organizations. People have different ways of escaping the stress and difficulties of modern life. In my opinion the best ways of reducing stress are meditation, exercise and reading books.

Meditation is an effective way to overcome stress. Meditation not only soothes the mind from tension but also regulates heartbeat and blood pressures. It helps an individual in attaining inner peace and equilibrium. Meditation helps in tapping a person’s inner potential and opens his mind to the universal spirit.

Exercise is another way to reduce stress. Exercising not only promotes health but also improves thinking. When a person exercises the muscles in the body get a workout that in turn burn fat. The burning of fat releases stored energy and the person has an exhilarating feeling. This feeling helps the person to overcome stress. Thus Exercise is very useful tool in stress reduction.

Reading also has a beneficial effect on individuals in stress. Reading a great book is very therapeutic to a person with stress. Reading helps the mind to look at other things and reduces the focus on the person’s difficulties. Elegant poetry and beautiful prose can soothe a person’s mind and help him reduce stress in his life.

In conclusion, meditation, exercise and reading are the best ways to reduce stress.

Task 8 .  Insert the corresponding words.

1. (…) is an effective way to reduce stress.

2. (…) is very therapeutic to a person with stress.

3. (…) not only promotes health but also helps to reduce stress. 

4. Meditation helps in attaining inner peace and (…).

5. Elegant (…) and beautiful (…) can soothe a person’s mind and help him reduce stress.

Task 9.  Find the synonym in the text.

1. timetable

2. peremptory day

3. internal

4. truth, verity

5. useful, helpful, valuable

6. to intimidate  грозить, запугивать

7. invalidity, invalidism

8. damage, lesion

9. follow, escort, attend

10. adviser

Tasks to the texts: Text «The effects of stress» and «Stress»

Task 10. Are these sentences True or False? 

1)  Stress can’t affect the heart. ( T / F )

1. People, suffering from stress often feel anxious. ( T / F )

3) “Stress” means pressure and relax. ( T / F )

4) Stress can cause a person to breathe too slow. ( T / F )

5) “Life is a big headache on a long noisy road” ( T / F )

6) Life is a never-ending race to most people. ( T / F )

7) Meditation isn’t an effective way to overcome stress. ( T / F )

Meditation can affect the stomach. ( T / F )

9) Exercises are also easily affected by stress. ( T / F )

10) Reading also has a beneficial effect on individuals in stress. ( T / F )

Task 11.  Vowels or consonants

1. Insert the vowels, and get the word

1. str_ss,
2. r_sp_r_t_r_,
3.  _sthm_,
4. bl__d,
5. pr_ss_r_,
6. st_m_ch,
7. m__d_,
8. m_nt_l

1. Insert consonants, and get the word

1. _e__e__io_,
2. a__o_o_i__,
3. _ay,
4. _oo__e,
5. _e_i_a_i_o_,
6. _ _ oo_,
7. _ _ _ e _ _,
8. _ u_ _

Task 12.  What is wrong? Correct the mistakes.

1) Stress can yell the heart.

2) They may has panic attacks.

3) Stress can affect moody stomach.

4) I attacks the body.

5) Life is a big headache on a long funny road.

6) Life in the nineteenth century is full of stress.

7) Even children aren’t exempt from this toys.

Meditation isn’t effective way to overcome stress.

                                 Stress causes

Too much stress isn’t good for anyone. For example, feeling a little stress about a test that’s coming up can motivate you to study hard. But stressing out too much over the test can make it hard to concentrate on the material you need to learn.

Pressures that are too intense or last too long, or troubles that are shouldered alone, can cause people to feel stress overload. Here are some of the things that can overwhelm the body’s ability to cope if they continue for a long time:

1) being bullied or exposed to violence or injury

2) relationship stress, family conflicts, or the heavy emotions that can accompany a broken heart or the death of a loved one

3) ongoing problems with schoolwork related to a learning disability or other problems, such as ADHD (usually once the problem is recognized and the person is given the right learning support the stress disappears)

4) crammed schedules, not having enough time to rest and relax, and always being on the go

Some stressful situations can be extreme and may require special attention and care. Posttraumatic stress disorder is a very strong stress reaction that can develop in people who have lived through an extremely traumatic event, such as a serious car accident, a natural disaster like an earthquake, or an assault like rape.

Some people have anxiety problems that can cause them to overreact to stress, making even small difficulties seem like crises. If a person frequently feels tense, upset, worried, or stressed, it may be a sign of anxiety. Anxiety problems usually need attention, and many people turn to professional counselors for help in overcoming them.

Task 13. Answer the questions.

1) What traumatic events can you name?

2) How may people overcome anxiety problems?

3) What can cause people to feel stress overload?

4) What are signs of anxiety problems?

5) How can you explain the term “posttraumatic stress disorder”?

6) What are the things that make people feel stress overload?

Task 14 Complete the sentences.

1) If a person frequently feels tense, upset and worried, it may be …………. .

2) …………. can cause people to overreact to stress.

3) ………….  can develop in people who have lived through an extremely traumatic event.

4) Pressures that are too intense or last too long, can cause people to …………. .

5) Relationship stress, family conflicts and heavy emotions can ………….  .

Task 15.  Insert  the right letters into the words to complete them.

1. Post_ra_matic,
2. e_rthq_ake,
3. anx_ety,
4. co_nsel_r,
5. s_hed_le,
6. pre_s_re,
7. di_abi_ity,
8. fr_q_ently.

Task 16. Match the word to make expressions.

1) ongoing                     stress                      

2) natural                       emotion

3) anxiety                      problems

4) relationship               disability

5) learning                    schedule

6) crammed                   situation

7) stressful                     disaster

heavy                        problem

                                  Stress

Every day you read in newspapers, books and magazines that it is important to avoid stress. Stress can kill, they say. Stay calm. Be relaxed. Slow down. Don’t worry so much and don’t work so hard. Unfortunately, this is difficult. There are always money problems and family problems. Our cities are full of traffic and noise. Stressful situations seem to be everywhere.

When people are under stress they react in different ways. Some people find it difficult to stay calm and often become tense. Little things, like a baby crying, can make them irritated. They get very annoyed if they have to wait just a few minutes too long in a shop or a restaurant. These people are usually very moody. One minute they are fine and the next they can be really angry – absolutely furious. Other people seem to stay calm almost all the time, and rarely get angry. For example, if they are caught in bad traffic, they don’t get frustrated. They sit calmly in their cars, telling themselves that there is nothing they can do about the situation. These people are not moody at all. They don’t change from moment to moment, but always seem to be in control of their emotions.

Some doctors give names to these two personality types: Type A and Type B people. Type A work very hard, worry a lot, and are often bad-tempered. Type  are the opposite. They don’t worry. Work’s not so important to them and they don’t get angry easily. They like to relax a lot and have fun. The doctors say it is better for your health and heart if you are a Type B person.

Task 17. Answer the questions.

1) What should you do to avoid stress?

2) Where can we get the stress?

3) What people are more prone to stress?

4) Is it necessary to control your own  emotions?

5) What advice do the doctors give for the prevention of stress?

6) Does the hard work influence the emotional state of person?

                     Dealing With Stress

We are profoundly affected by stress. Many believe that stress is one of the most destructive elements in our lives today. In reality, it is the way we react to stress that causes us pleasure or pain. The effects of stress can be positive or negative. Positive stress is a motivator for improving lifestyle and negative stress can be destructive to our health.

What is stress?

• It is the nonspecific response of the body to any demands made upon it.
• Stress can be detected by muscle tension, anxiety, increased heart rate, high blood pressure, shallow breathing, silliness and joy.

Positive outcomes of stress include:

Mental Improvement	Emotional Improvement	Physical Improvement
Creativity	Control of life	Energy
Intellect	Mood	Stamina
Goal orientation	Relationships	Able to do anything
Motivation	Experience emotions	Body function

When stress is negative, it causes distress. How we perceive an event is what determines whether it causes negative or positive stress. For some people, public speaking is exhilarating; for others it is terrifying.

Negative outcomes of stress:

Mental effects	Physical effects	Emotional effects
Poor memory	Flushed face	irritability
Unable to concentrate	Rapid breathing	Mood swings
Low self esteem	Dry mouth	Problems sleeping
depression	High blood pressure	Overweight/underweight
Unable to make decisions	Coronary heart disease	Substance abuse
	ulcers	Ineffective use of time
	migraines

Stress and weight gain

The stress response – in a stressful situation, the brain responds by signaling the adrenal glands to secrete cortisol. Cortisol signals the release of glucose and fatty acids to the blood stream to provide energy for muscles. Chronically high cortisol levels lead to increased appetite and fat deposits in the trunk and abdomen. (fight or flight response to a trigger to be used as a “burst” of energy, ends up stored as fat when not “burned” as fuel).

Stress and eating – appetite can increase with stress; we often crave foods high in calories and low in nutrients when under stress.

Suggestion to help solve stress induced weight gain

1. Reduce stress- find a diversion or release
2. Be active- regular physical activity reduces the production of cortisol during stress
3. Be in charge – taking charge of the stressful situation reduces pressure you perceive
4. Rest- when you are sleep deprived cortisol levels increase

Our mind and body are alkaline based. The hormones secreted by stress are acid based and when we are suffering from chronic stress our PH balance is shifted and we become more acid based than alkaline based. This can lead to a multitude of health problems including struggles with weight loss. A few ways to maintain your PH balance are listed below:

Food – choose foods that are blue, green and purple (Blueberries, beet tops, broccoli, eggplant, plums, asparagus) Take Green supplements to bridge the gap.

Music— listen to relaxing music (Bach, Beethoven, Schubert)

Meditative States— Yoga, tai chi, meditation, sleep, massage, laugh, play, walk in nature

Colour Therapy – Wear and look at colours in the blue, green and violet shades

Exercise – releases endorphins that make you feel good! It’s also something you are doing with and for yourself. Time away from the stressful situation can help you to refocus.

Most importantly, do something! Stress and lack of sleep are two of the biggest contributors to weight gain and many health concerns.

How to deal with stress?

Look around  See if there really is something you can change or control in the situation	Set realistic goals for yourself  Reduce the number of events going on in your life and you may reduce the circuit overload
Remove yourself from the stressful situation  Give yourself a break if only for a few moments daily	Don’t overwhelm yourself by fretting about your entire workload. Handle each task as it comes, or selectively deal with matters in some priority
Don’t sweat the small stuff Try to prioritize a few truly important things and let the rest slide	Learn how to best relax yourself  Meditation and breathing exercises have been proven to be very effective in controlling stress. Practice clearing your mind of disturbing thoughts.
Selectively change the way you react,  but not too much at one time. Focus on one troublesome thing and manage your reactions to it/him/her	Change the way you see your situation;  Seek alternative viewpoints. Stress is a reaction to events and problems, and you can lock yourself in to one way of viewing your situation. Seek an outside perspective of the situation, compare it with yours. and perhaps lessen your reaction to these conditions.
Avoid extreme reactions; Why hate when a little dislike will do? Why generate anxiety when you can be nervous? Why rage when anger will do the job? Why be depressed when you can just be sad?	Do something for others to help get your mind off yourself
Get enough sleep Lack of rest just aggravates stress	Work off stress with physical activity, whether it’s jogging, tennis, gardening
Avoid self-medication or escape  Alcohol and drugs can mask stress. They don’t help deal with the problems	Begin to manage the effects of stress  This is a long range strategy of adapting to your situation, and the effects of stress in your life. Try to isolate and work with one «effect» at a time. Don’t overwhelm yourself. for example, if you are not sleeping well, seek help on this one problem.
Try to «use» stress  If you can’t remedy, nor escape from, what is bothering you, flow with it and try to use it in a productive way	Try to be positive  Give yourself messages as to how well you can cope rather than how horrible everything is going to be. «Stress can actually help memory, provided it is short-term and not too severe. Stress causes more glucose to be delivered to the brain, which makes more energy available to neurons. This, in turn, enhances memory formation and retrieval. On the other hand, if stress is prolonged, it can impede the glucose delivery and disrupt memory.»

Task 18.  Choose Positive Outcome Of Stress

1. Poor memory       Ulcers

    Depression           Motivation

2. Mood Swings       Dry mouth

    Stamina                Irritability

3. Migraines              Creativity

    Rapid breathing      Low self esteem

4. High blood pressure             Anxiety                                  

    Improved body function       Shallow breathing

5.  Mental improvement            Problems sleeping

     Flushed face                         Ineffective use of time

Task 19.  Fill In The Gaps

1. Stress is one of the most (…) elements in our lives today.

2. When stress is negative, it causes (…). 

3. Positive stress is a (…) for improving lifestyle. 

4. Stress can be (…) by muscle tension, anxiety, shallow breathing and etc.

5. Stress is the (…) response of the body to any demands made upon it. 

Task 20.  Match two columns

1) Poor               a) abuse

2) Low               b) swings

3) Rapid             c) blood pressure

4) Dry                d) self esteem

5) Mood            e) sleeping

6) Substance      f) face

7) Problems       g) to concentrate

Flushed          h) breathing

9)  Inability        i) mouth

10) High             j) memory

Task 21.  Devide the words into two groups: positive outcome, negative outcome.
Creativity
depression
flushed face
energy
poor memory
stamina
mood
ulcers
mood swings
rapid breathing
control of life
low self esteem

                          Revision

Task 1. Answer the following questions.

1. When we are stressed what happens with our body?
2. Which signs of positive stress do you know?
3. Which signs of negative stress do you know?
4. Can you name the stress causes?
5. How can we deal with stress? (give some examples)

Task 2. True or false.
A. 

1) Stress starts from nothing.
2) When stress is negative, it causes pleasure.
3) Negative stress can be destructive to our health.
4) The effects of stress can be only negative.
5) Stress influences weight
6) Regular physical activity reduces the production of cortisol during stress
7) Yoga, sleep, relaxing music help you to fight with stress
Positive stress makes you be in sorrow

B.

1. We generally use the word “stress” when we feel that everything seems to have become too calm.
2. The expression “Stop the world, I want to get off!” refers to a feeling of euphoria.
3. Long-term stress can lead to a variety of serious mental diseases.
4. Positive stress can be destructive to our health and negative stress is a motivator for improving lifestyle.
5. Meditation is an effective way to cope with stress.

Task 3. Match two columns to make expressions.  

When we are stressed the following happens:

a) blood pressure	1) slows down
b) breathing	2) goes down
c) digestive system	3) sleep
d) immune system	4) becomes more rapid
e) heart rate	5) rises
f) muscles	6) become tense
g) we do not	7) goes down

Task 4. Circle 9 outcomes of stress in the word square.

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ANSWERS

Task1  

Suggested answers.

1. Pulse rises, muscles become tense, immune system goes down, digestive system slows down, breathing becomes more rapid

2) Сortisol, adrenaline, noradrenaline

3) Non-essential

4) Stress is anything that poses a challenge or a threat to our well-being)

5) Fight response, flight response

Task 2   

1. terrify

2. burden

3. equilibrium

4. reduce

5. shun

6. premature

7 .proper

8 .resist

9.anxiety

10.joy

Task 3   

1. allergy
2. increased creativity
3. lack of communication
4. shaking hands
5. to dance
6. can easily lift the mood
7. a reduced feeling of wellbeing
8. people
9. be promoted

Task 4   

1. immune system
2. adrenaline
3. depression
4. nervous system
5. sweating
6. earthquake
7. allergy
8. cortisol
9. cancer
10.  infection

Task 5   

1. precursors of depression.
2. a sign of depression.
3. restore your equilibrium.
4. sustained  unmanaged stress
5. concentrate
6. infections, and cancer
7. solve problems

Task 6   

1. true
2. true
3. false
4. true
5. true
6. true
7. true
8. false
9. true
10. false

Task 7   

1)  mental health            

1. respiratory system        

3)  blood pressure

4)  feel anxious

5) overreact to a little problems    

6) extreme feeling                

7) relieve stress              

overuse of alcohol      

9) long-term stress              

10) affect heart              

Task 8 

1) meditation

2)  reading

3) exercising

4) equilibrium

5) poetry, prose

Task 9   

1. schedule

2. deadline

3. inner

4. soothe

5. benefical

6. bully

7. disability

8. injury

9. accompany

10. counselor

Task 10  

1) false

2) true

3) false

4) false

5) true

6) true

7) false

false

9) false

10) true

Task 11 

A.

1. stress,
2. respiratory,
3. asthma,
4. blood,
5. pressure,
6. stomach,
7. moody,

 mental

B.

1. depression,
2. alcoholism,
3. say,
4. soothe,
5. meditation,
6. blood,
7. stress,
8. burn

Task 12 

1) yell – affect

2) has – have

3) moody

4) I – it

5) funny – noisy

6) nineteenth – twenty first

7) toys – rush

isn’t – is

Task 13. 

1) Some of traumatic events are a car accident, a natural disaster like an earthquake, an assault like rape.

2) People may turn to professional counselors for help in overcoming anxiety problems.

3) Pressures that are too intense or last too long, troubles that are shouldered alone can cause people to feel stress overload.

4) The signs of anxiety problems are frequently feeling tense, upset, worried or stressed.

5) Posttraumatic stress disorder is a very strong stress reaction that can develop in people who lived through an extremely traumatic event.

6) The things that make people feel stress overload are being bullied or exposed to violence, relationship stress, family conflicts, the heavy emotions, ongoing problems with schoolwork, crammed schedules, not having enough time to rest and relax, always being on the go.

Task 14. 

1) a sign of anxiety problems

2) anxiety problems

3) posttraumatic stress disorder

4) feel stress overload

5) overwhelm the person’s ability to cope

Task 15. 

1. Posttraumatic,
2. earthquake,
3. anxiety, counselor,
4. schedule,
5. pressure,
6. disability,
7. frequently.

Task 16. 

1. Ongoing problems,
2. natural disaster,
3. anxiety problem,
4. relationship stress,
5. learning disability,
6. crammed schedule,
7. stressful situation,
8. heavy emotion.

Task 17  

1) You must stay calm and be relaxed.

2) We can get the stress on the work , in the family , or if we have to wait just a few minutes too long in a shop or a restaurant.

3) People who work very hard, worry a lot, and are often bad- tempered.

4) Yes, it is. We must control our emotions.

5) The doctors advice is to relax a lot and have fun.

6) The hard work influence on the emotional state of person and therefore shouldn’t work so hard.

Task 18  

1. Motivation
2.  Stamina        
3.  Creativity      
4.  Improved body function  
5.  Mental improvement  

Task 19  

1) destructive

2) distress

3) motivator

4) detected

5) nonspecific

Task 20  

1. – j)
2. – d)
3. – h)
4. – i)
5. – b)
6. – a)
7. – e)
8. – f)
9. – g)

10)– c)

Task 21   Смирнова

positive outcomes	negative outcomes.
Creativity energy stamina mood control of life	depression flushed face poor memory ulcers mood swings rapid breathing low self esteem

Revision

Task 1.

Suggested answers.

1. When we are stressed the following things happen: blood pressure rises, breathing becomes more rapid, heart rate rises, immune system goes down, muscles become tense and problems sleeping.
2. I know the following signs of positive stress: increased creativity, increased productivity at work and on a personal level, a general feeling of wellbeing, happiness and joy, an immune system that functions optimally and is able to resist illness, infections, and cancer.
3. I know some negative signs, it is reduced productivity and creativity, a reduce feeling of wellbeing, joy and happiness, all sort of unfortunate things happen to you, you start avoiding social contact, your immune system functions poorly and suffers from colds, influenza, allergies, chronic fatigue, anxiety etc…, the ageing process accelerates because of the increased metabolism associated with sustained, unmanaged stress.
4. The stress causes maybe different, for example if you are being bullied or exposed to violence or injury, relationship stress, family conflicts, or the heavy emotions that can accompany a broken heart or the death of a loved one, problems with schoolwork related to a learning disability or other problems, crammed schedules.
5. If you want to get rid of stress you should remove yourself from the stressful situation, don’t overwhelm yourself, change the way you see your situation, avoid extreme reactions, work off stress, get enough sleep and enjoy your life!

Task 2.  

A.

1. false
2. false
3. true
4. false
5. true
6. true
7. true
8. false

B.

1. False
2. False
3. True
4. False
5. True

Task 3 .  

1. 5
2. 4
3. 1
4. 7
5. 2
6. 6
7. 3

Task 4 .  

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1. The Restaurant Got Your Order Wrong

2. You Just Moved in With Your Partner

3. Your Kids Won’t Stop Fighting

4. You Lost Your Job

5. You’re Struggling With Your Mental Health

6. Your Car Just Broke Down

7. You’re Going Through a Breakup

8. You Are Struggling to Pay the Bills

9. You’re Feeling Overwhelmed at School or Work

10. You’ve Lost a Loved One

Remember, You Can Choose How You React