SA4BP 2AB1 Angličtina pro sociální asistenty Topic 5 ...

SA4BP_2AB1 Angličtina pro sociální asistenty B 1

Topic 5 Stress and its consequences. Healthy x unhealthy lifestyle. Part 1 „It is not work that kills men, it is worry.” Henry Ward Beecher (1813 – 1887), American preacher and abolitionist

Discuss with your partner: Which of these situations are the most stressful for you? Can you add any others?

Going to the dentist

Queuing in the supermarket

Being stuck in a traffic jam

Going to the hairdresser

Finding a place to park

Organising a party

Having an interview

Making a speech

Flying Check if you understand the words below. You can use them in your discussion. to be scared of, to keep one’s temper, the pressures of modern life, to shiver with, to sweat, to threaten Why is the discussed situation stressful and what usually happens to you? What kind of reaction is typical for you? The situations mentioned above are only daily hassles that affect our daily routine. In our life from time to time we must face major events, eg. divorce, illness in the family, the death of a family member, being fired from work, etc. Our reactions and behaviour may be varied. Could you define stress? What is stress? Try to find your own definition.

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Now compare it with what is written in the text below. “The term stress has been defined in several different ways. Sometimes the term is applied to stimuli or events in our environment that make physical and emotional demands on us, and sometimes it is applied to our emotional and physical reactions to such stimuli. We must distinguish between stress and stressor. Many sorts of events can be stressors, including disasters such as hurricanes or tornadoes, major life events such as divorce or the loss of a job, and daily hassles such as having to wait in line at the supermarket when you need to be somewhere else in ten minutes. What all these events have in common is that they interfere with or threaten our accustomed way of life. When we encounter such stressors, we must pull together our mental and physical resources in order to deal with the challenge. Whether a particular stimulus will be stressful depends on the person’s subjective appraisal of that stimulus. How threatening is it? How well have I handled this sort of thing in the past? How well will I be able to handle it this time? In humans, moreover, the specific stress reaction is likely to vary widely; some stressful situations give rise predominantly to emotions or fear, some to anger, some to helplessness and depression.” Taken and adapted from: Seal, Bernard. Academic Encounters, Reading. What is stress? pp. 5 – 7 ,Cambridge:CUP, 1997

Reading comprehension 1 Explain the difference between stress and stressor. 2 Why are certain events stressful for us? 3 How can we react to stressors? Give your own examples and discuss them with your partner. There are jobs that are more stressful than others. In the USA numerous surveys and studies confirm that occupational pressures and fears are far and away the leading source of stress for American adults and that these have steadily increased over the past few decades. See http://www.stress.org/job.htm

Could you name more stressful jobs? Do you think teaching is stressful? If so, what are the causes of stress?

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Listen to the interview with Nancy, an American teacher. She is speaking about teaching first-graders. Before you start listening check if you understand the expressions:

trying to teach a new concept

a disruptive child

responsibility

How does the stress manifest itself?

fatigue

I have to keep my temper in the classroom ( x to loose one’s temper)

to relieve stress

susceptible to illness Now you can listen. https://is.muni.cz/auth/el/1441/podzim2011/SA4BP_2AB1/um/17712687/

Listening for specific information A Read the following questions. Answer as many as you can from your first listening. 1 How long has Nancy taught, and what levels? 2 Why is teaching more stressful than other jobs, in her opinion? 3 Nancy says that she is sometimes impatient with her own child. Why? 4 What two reasons does Nancy give to explain why she is often sick? 5 What are two things that Nancy does to relieve stress? B Now listen to the interview again. Try to listen for the specific information that you need in order to complete your answers in part A.

Taken and adapted from: Espeseth,Miriam. Academic Encounters Listening, Note Taking and Discussion.Cambridge:CUP, 1999

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Part 2 Building vocabulary: Synonyms and antonyms Synonym - a word having the same or nearly the same meaning as another word or other words in a language. Antonym - a word having a meaning opposite to that of another word. The following health-related words occur in texts about stress and healthy lifestyle. Find five pairs of near synonyms and two pairs of near antonyms. an ache, be afflicted with, be anxious, be depressed, be sick, a disease, feel well, harmful, helpful, an illness, a pain, pressure, stress, suffer from Synonyms 1 ____________ is similar in meaning to ____________ 2 ____________ is similar in meaning to ____________ 3 ____________ is similar in meaning to ____________ 4 ____________ is similar in meaning to ____________ 5 ____________ is similar in meaning to ____________ Antonyms 6 ____________ is nearly opposite in meaning to ____________ 7 ____________ is nearly opposite in meaning to ____________

Read quickly/skim the following text and guess the possible original title of it. In many stressful situations, the body’s responses can improve our performance – we become more energetic, more alert, better able to take effective action. But when stress is encountered continually, the body’s reactions are more likely to be harmful than helpful to us. The continual speeding up of bodily reactions and the production of stress-related hormones seem to make people more susceptible to heart disease. And stress reactions can reduce the disease-fighting effectiveness of the body’s immune system, thereby increasing susceptibility to illnesses ranging from colds to cancer. Other diseases that can result at least in part from stress include arthritis, asthma, migraine headaches, and ulcers. Workers who experience the greatest degree of job pressures have been found to be especially likely to suffer from a large number of illnesses. Moreover, many studies have shown that people who have experienced major changes in their lives are at unusually high risk for a variety of illnesses.

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As many examples of stress-induced illnesses, take the case of stomach ulcers, small lesions in the stomach wall that afflict one out of twenty people at some point of their lives. Ulcers are a common disorder among people who work in occupations that make heavy psychological demands, from assembly-line workers to air-traffic controllers. In many cases, stress is the culprit. Stress leads to increased secretion of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. Hydrochloric acid normally helps to break down foods during digestion, but in excess amounts it can eat away at the stomach lining, producing ulcers. Stress may also contribute to disease in less direct ways, by influencing moods and behaviour. People under stress may become anxious or depressed and as a result may eat too much or too little, have sleep difficulties, smoke or drink more, or fail to exercise. These behavioural changes may, in turn, be harmful to their health. In addition, people are more likely to pay attention to certain bodily sensations, such as aches and pains, when they are under stress and to decide that they are “sick”. If the person were not under stress, the same bodily sensations might not be perceived as symptoms and the person might continue to feel “well”. Some researches have suggested that assuming the role of a “sick person” is one way in which certain people try to cope with stress. Instead of dealing with the stressful situation directly, these people fall sick. After all, it is often more acceptable in our society to be sick and to seek medical help than it is to admit that one cannot cope with the stresses of life.

The original title of the text is: 1 Stressful Jobs 2 Stress and Illness 3 Causes of Stress Look back to the text and check if you understand the highlighted expressions. Try to find their Czech equivalents. Taken and adapted from: Seal, Bernard. Academic Encounters, Reading. Stress and illness. pp. 10 - 11, Cambridge:CUP, 1997

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Now scan the text (read through to find a specific word or piece of information) again and find the following: illnesses that may be caused by stress (1st paragraph) jobs that are highly stressful (2nd paragraph) things people do when they are under stress that are not good for their health (3rd paragraph) Then create a short summary of the text by putting the following sentences into the correct order. a Stress may also indirectly affect your health, since people who are under stress often engage in activities that are harmful. b Researches have found that people who experience a great deal of stress in their daily lives or in their jobs are more likely to get sick. c Stress, it seems, can cause the immune system not to function well and can cause harmful

reactions such as an increase in acidic secretions in the stomach.

Match the words in italics with the meanings/definitions

Stress may also contribute to disease in less direct ways, by influencing moods and behavior. People under stress may become anxious or depressed and as a result may eat too much or too little, have sleep difficulties, smoke or drink more, or fail to exercise. These behavioral changes may, in turn, be harmful to their health. In addition, people are more likely to pay attention to certain bodily sensations, such as aches and pains, when they are under stress and to decide that they are “sick”. 1 very worried about sth that may happen so that you think about it all the time _____ 2 to help to cause sth _______ 3 to be unsuccessful in sth that you want to do _____ 4 the way you feel at a particular time _____ 5 the ability to feel, especially through your sense of touch _____ 6 suffering from a disease or illness _____ 7 something that happens or exists because of sth that happened before _____ Stress can impact your body in many ways and cause a wide variety of symptoms. Have a look at the tool that is designed to examine your stress symptoms, or physical symptoms that you have that are likely due to stress. Stress symptoms quiz http://stress.about.com/library/symptoms/bl_stress_symptom_quiz.htm

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Part 3 Stress depends on the community you live in, the job you have, the lifestyle you lead and factors such as your age, how many children you have etc. It is therefore difficult to summarize the stress that different people undergo in their daily lives. Stress is inevitable, it is a normal part of our everyday life and will always exist. Look at the picture and find out what everything it can affect in our bodies. Stress can be toxic to your body!

http://www.nmha.org/go/mhm/2009/stress-signs

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It is obvious that we must learn how to manage the stress we cannot prevent, how to cope with the stress or how to beat stress.

Ten ways to Beat Stress 1 Beethoven might not be your style but whatever music you like whether it be pop, jazz or heavy metal, listening to your favourite CD while you work or play is a sure way to beat the stresses of daily life. 2 Eating healthily and taking exercise will inevitably make you feel fitter and better about yourself. You’ll feel stronger and more equipped to face whatever life throws at you. 3 Avoid busy areas. If you have to get somewhere and you have options of how to get there then take the quieter route. Even if it slightly longer to walk out of your way by two blocks you’ll get there in a more serene manner than cutting across a busy highway through crowds, beeping horns, and the general din created by busy built up areas. 4 Therapy is no longer a taboo. If you feel you need counselling for whatever reason it might help you to talk to a professional and relieve some of the tension you’re experiencing. 5 Stay away from stressful people. They generate more stress. Spend time with people who have a positive outlook on life as their positive attitude will rub off on you. 6 Time is essential. Give yourself more than enough time to complete your chores. Don’t try to squeeze too much into a day. When you’re planning what you have to do be realistic with your time allocation. 7 Relaxation is a great way of beating stress. Take time out for you. This can be in the form of a hot bath or a game of squash. Whatever is your preferred form of relaxation don’t forget to fit it into your busy schedule. Try this one – just follow the directions https://is.muni.cz/auth/el/1441/podzim2011/SA4BP_2AB1/um/17712687/ The_influence_of_mind_over_body_directions

8 Enjoy yourself. Go out and socialise, laugh with friends. If you have work-related problems then instead of spending every waking hour thinking about them spend your evenings having fun. This will give you a clearer head for the following day when you can effectively deal with the problems and resolve them. If you find it difficult to laugh then join a laughing class which is guaranteed to make you giggle. 9 Silence is paramount to beating stress. You need to allocate a few minutes a day to being quiet and contemplating the world. 10 Sophrology is a form of visualisation which combats stress. It is designed to help you overcome pain and control your mind. Imagine you’re lying on a beach in the warm sun and cut yourself off from the stressful world.

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Summarizing again - match the headings of each paragraph in italics to the paragraph summaries below a) Give yourself more than enough time to do what you have to do in a day. b) Noise is very stressful. Take time out to contemplate the world on your own in a quiet place. c) Listening to music helps you relax. d) Choose your friends well and spend time with positive people. e) Talking to someone who doesn’t know you can relieve the tension you’re feeling. f) Don’t spend all evening thinking about work-related problems. It’s better to go out and think of other things and go to work feeling fresh the following day. g) Feeling fitter physically will help you face the world. h) Visualisation is a great way to cut yourself off from the real world. Imagine yourself lying on a beach. i) You should balance work and play. Don’t forget to fit in ways to relax into your busy schedule. j) When going from A to B don’t always take shortcuts. It’s best to walk in a calm environment without pollution to relieve stress. Traffic jams will make you even more stressed. Taken and adapted from: http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/business-magazine/beating-stress

A bit of practice – click on the website and then just follow the instructions. It is recommended and good for practising vocabulary of the topic 5. http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/i-wanna-talk-about/beating-stress And the last one - fill in the gaps with the appropriate words from the list below. There is one extra word in the list.

fact, how, catapults, bomb, risk, on, few, with, some, well-being, poor, have, make, or, role

No one is immune to stress, but ___________ it affects health depends to a great extent __________ how well a person manages it. For __________ people, mild stress is the motivator that _____________ them to success. For others, stress can ___________ a harmful effect on both physical and psychological ______________.

There´s plenty of evidence of the major ___________ that stress often plays in our lives. In ___________, more than half of the visits Americans ___________ to their doctors are stress related.

Back pain, ___________ digestion, depression, and asthma are just a ___________ of the problems that stress either causes __________ worsens. And for many people, stress is a time ____________ waiting to explode, as it increases the ______ of life-threatening health problems.

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If you felt depressed after the stressful topic you could use the stress reduction kit below