每日口說挑戰教你四種應對壓力的好方法 (Coping with Stress)

[TRANSCRIPT]

"Oh my God, I’m so stressed out. I’ve got a million things I have to take care of before Tuesday!"
"Sounds like you need to relax."
"Relax?! When am I supposed to find time to relax?!"
"It’s not about finding time. It’s about making time."
"Yeah, right! Lemme just pencil that into my schedule for next year!"

What’s up, VoiceTubers? Leila here. Did that convo sound familiar? Hit a little close to home maybe? I’m pretty sure stress is a topic on which we can all relate. Much as we may hate to admit it, stress is a normal part of life, but it doesn’t have to rule our lives–unless we let it. Easier said than done? Maybe. But what’s the alternative? Y’know the saying, "stress kills"? Yeah, that’s not a metaphor. It’s a wake-up call. So, get yourself a nice cup of tea and check out today’s video if you haven’t already. It’s filled with tips for de-stressing, which brings us to the Sentence of the Day:

When we're stressed, we have a tendency to focus on the things that are stressing us out, and we lose sight of taking care of ourselves. It's important to find some time in your schedule to relax or do what you enjoy.
面對壓力時，我們往往會將注意力集中在造成我們壓力的事情上，而忘了關心自己。所以，在行程表上空出一些時間來放鬆或做自己喜歡的事是很重要的。


Pronunciation tips:

1. Linking words
have + a
that + are
2. stressed
3. tendency


Vocabulary:

1. tendency (n.) KK: /ˋtɛndənsɪ/ IPA: /ˈten.dən.si/
If someone has a tendency to do or like something, they will probably do it or like it.
（思想、行為等的）傾向
If there is a tendency to do something, it starts to happen more often or starts to increase.
（某事發展的）傾向
If there is a tendency for something to happen, it is likely to happen or it often happens.
趨勢
i.e. There's a tendency in history to leave out the less flattering details and instead romanticize the heroics of the past.
我們對待歷史有一種傾向，就是忽略不那麼討人喜歡的細節，而將過去的英雄事蹟浪漫化。


2. schedule (n.) KK: /ˋskɛdʒʊl/ IPA: /ˈskedʒ.uːl/
a list of planned activities or things to be done showing the times or dates when they are intended to happen or be done
計劃表；日程表；進度表
i.e. Our training schedule is pretty intense, and it’s only going to get harder the closer we get to the race.
我們的訓練日程非常緊繃，而且距離比賽越近，訓練就越難。


3. relax (v.) KK: /rɪˋlæks/ IPA: /rɪˈlæks/
to (cause someone to) become less active and more calm and happy, or to (cause a part of the body to) become less stiff
（使）放鬆，（使）輕鬆；（使身體部位）鬆弛，放鬆
i.e. The hotel grounds feature a tea garden where adults can relax, as well as a surprisingly large library collection.
酒店場地設有可供成年人放鬆身心的茶園，以及意外地大型的圖書館藏書。




There’s a Zen proverb that I heard years ago that goes something like this:

"You should sit in meditation for twenty minutes every day – unless you’re too busy; then you should sit for an hour."

I know a guy who convinced himself that he was so busy that he would be on his computer working from the time that he woke up until he went to sleep. He’d sleep maybe 4-6 hours a night, or on some nights not at all. He had dark circles and bags under his eyes. Anytime I tried to have a conversation with the guy, it was obvious that he wasn’t really listening or paying attention. He’d complain about being super busy and super exhausted, but wouldn’t really do anything to change his situation.

"Nothing works," he’d say. "I’ve tried it all."

Then one day, he told me that he had started meditating using an app on his phone. Nothing major, just five minutes a day.

"Sounds good," I told him. "Stick with it!"

He actually stuck with his daily meditation routine for a month! After about 6 or 7 weeks, I noticed a change in him. When we talked, he looked me in the eye more often. He seemed just a little bit calmer. And when I told him about something that was happening in my life, he asked me some follow-up questions. He had actually been listening and paying attention to me! I told him about this change I noticed in him and encouraged him to keep meditating.

And then he stopped. It was about 4 or 5 months later. I noticed that he was right back to his old self. Not really listening to me, not paying attention. He’d ask me a question, I’d answer it, and then six minutes later he’d ask me the exact same question again because he hadn’t been paying enough attention to notice that I’d already answered him.

I asked him if he was still meditating.

"What? Oh, no, I stopped that. Yeah, I did it for about 2 months and then I finished. I got what I needed from it. Besides, I really don’t have time for it. I’m up to my ears with work."

What about you? Do you know someone like that guy? What’s your favorite way to relax and de-stress? Let me know in the comments. And as always, hit that record button when you’re ready with your sentence. Catch ya next time.

#"In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on."--Robert Frost
# 最近在看《After Life 終極後人生》，不論你是否覺得日子還可以或不太好過，都滿值得一看的。喔，它是個黑色喜劇，可以忽略有些看似極度荒謬的台詞，即使它們確有存在的必要。

When we're stressed, we have a tendency to focus on the things that are stressing us out, and we lose sight of taking care of ourselves. It's important to find some time in your schedule to relax or do what you enjoy.

When we're stressed, we have a tendency to focus on the things that are stressing us out, and we lose sight of taking care of ourselves. It's important to find some time in your schedule to relax or do what you enjoy.

When we're stressed, we have a tendency to focus on the things that are stressing us out, and we lose sight of taking care of ourselves. It's important to find some time in your schedule to RELAX or do what you ENJOY.

When we're stressed, we have a tendency to focus on the things that are stressing us out, and we lose sight of taking care of ourselves. It's important to find some time in your schedule to relax or do what you enjoy.