DIALOGUE : Coping With Stress

 


Anne: Dad! What on earth are you doing?


Dad: I’m meditating.

Anne: All right. Who are you and what have you done with my dad?

Dad: No, I’m serious. I’m doing yoga. It helps me relax.

Anne: When did you start doing that?

Dad: Last week. I’ve been feeling stressed out and my blood pressure is really high. So I went to the doctor.

Anne: I see. And what did the doctor say?

Dad: The doctor told me that if I didn’t manage my stress levels, I could suffer some serious health consequences.

Anne: Like what?

Dad: Depression, anxiety, heart disease…you name it.

Anne: So what are you going to do?

Dad: I’ve made some lifestyle changes: I’m exercising, eating healthier, trying to be more sociable, and finding time to relax.






LANGUAGE NOTES


  • On earth is an expression used for emphasis in questions that begin with words such as 'how', 'why', 'what', or 'where'. It is often used to suggest that there is no obvious or easy answer to the question being asked.

Examples:

* How on earth did that happen?

* What on earth had she done?

* Why on earth would he want to go to such a place?

  • Meditation is the act of remaining in a silent and calm state for a period of time, as part of a religious training, or so that you are more able to deal with the problems of everyday life.
  • Who are you and what have you done with my dad? is just an expression that means Anne is just kidding, as if her dad has been possessed with some kind of spirit because he's acting strange.
  • Doing yoga - notice that the 'do' is used with 'yoga'. We use the verbs play, do and go with sports and activities. 
Remember:
* Play is used with ball sports or competitive games where we play against another person.
Example: Are you going to watch me play basketball this weekend?

* Do is used for a recreational activity or a non-team sport that does not use a ball.
Example: I heard that you do karate.' - karate is a non-team activity.

* Go is used with activities that end -ing.
Example: Do you want to go fishing this Sunday?
  • Manage stress  means making changes to your life if you are in a constant stressful situation, preventing stress by practicing self-care and relaxation and managing your response to stressful situations when they do occur.
  • Consequences here means a result or effect of an action or condition.
  • You name it means anything you could say or think of.
  • Lifestyle changes mean modifying things we each have control over, like changes in diet or daily routine. 


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