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Topic 20 of 60

Discussion picture Discussion questions Key words

Picture warm-up

1. What do you see in this picture?
2. Who are these people, and what are they doing?
3. Does this look like your life here, or in your home country? How is it the same or different?

Discussion questions

1. What causes stress in your life right now?
2. How do you know when you are feeling stressed?
3. What do you do to relax after a hard day?
4. Was moving to a new country stressful for you? What helped?
5. Is life more stressful in the U.S. or in your home country?
6. Who do you talk to when you feel worried?
7. Do you think talking to a counselor is helpful? How is it viewed in your culture?
8. How does stress affect your sleep or your appetite?
9. What is a healthy way to deal with anger?
10. Do you think technology makes people more stressed?
11. How can employers help workers with stress?
12. Is some stress good for you? When?
13. What activity makes you feel happy and calm?
14. How do you balance your responsibilities and your own needs?
15. What advice would you give a friend who feels overwhelmed?

Key words

Say the word, then read the example sentence out loud.

• stress
  Money problems cause a lot of stress.
• stressed out
  I’m stressed out about my exam.
• anxious
  I feel anxious before speaking in public.
• overwhelmed
  She felt overwhelmed with work and kids.
• relax
  Listening to music helps me relax.
• cope
  Exercise helps me cope with stress.
• counselor
  The school counselor listens to students’ problems.
• burnout
  Working seven days a week can lead to burnout.
• deep breath
  Take a deep breath and try again.
• pressure
  There is a lot of pressure at my job.
• lonely
  I felt lonely during my first winter here.
• support
  My friends give me emotional support.
• meditate
  I meditate for ten minutes every morning.
• calm down
  Try to calm down before you answer.
• self-care
  Taking a walk is a simple form of self-care.

Next topic: 21. Customer Service & Complaints

Topic chosen by comparing popular ESL conversation resources (see How these topics were chosen). Questions and example sentences are original to this collection. Translations are a guide and should be reviewed by a fluent speaker.