Stress & Wellbeing: Speaking

Keeping Calm: Let's Talk

Eight linking phrases that help you compare, give information and sound clear when you talk about stress and mental health.

Warm-up

Let's talk

1.What do people in your country usually do to relax after a hard day?

2.What is more important for a healthy life: sleep, exercise or food? Why?

3.What is a good way to take a short break at work or study?

See it in action

How do you switch off?

A:How do you deal with stress after a long day?
B:I go for a walk. According to my doctor, exercise is one of the best ways to relax.
A:Interesting. Regarding sleep, I think it matters even more.
B:Maybe, but in terms of mood, I feel better after exercise. Compared to scrolling on my phone, a walk is much more relaxing.
A:True. Unlike exercise, meditation doesn't need any equipment.
B:Right. As for yoga, it's similar to meditation — slow and calm.
A:Apart from walking, do you do anything else to switch off?
B:I call a friend. Talking really helps.

Key phrases

8 phrases to use

You just saw all 8 phrases in that conversation. Tap a card to see what each one does.

Tap each card once to reveal the meaning.

Quick practice

Choose the phrase

Choose the best phrase for each gap.

Part 1

Part 2

Speaking practice

1. Compare and decide

Choose any two ways to relax — walking, reading, music, yoga, talking to friends, anything you like. Compare them, then decide which one is better for you.

Use at least 4 different phrases from the cards.
Finish with a clear decision: "For me, ... is better because ..."

2. What the experts say

Tell your partner what experts say about looking after your mind and body. Say where each piece of information comes from, then say if it is true for you.

Exercise: adults need at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week (WHO)

Sleep: most adults need seven or more hours a night (sleep experts)

Breathing: slow, deep breaths can help the body calm down (health experts)

Friends: talking to someone you trust can reduce stress (health experts)

Phones: using your phone just before bed can make it harder to sleep (sleep experts)

Mental health: it means being able to cope with the normal stress of life (WHO)

Use "according to ..." at least 3 times.
Use "regarding" at least twice — for example, "Regarding sleep, ..."
Your partner asks one follow-up question about each fact.

3. Stress and wellbeing around you

Talk about how people in your city or country deal with stress, and how they talk about mental health. What is good, what could be better, and what would you change?

Use "as for" and "apart from" at least once each.
Use "in terms of" to talk about time, money or habits.
Your partner asks two questions, then you swap roles.

You can talk about people in general. You don't have to share anything private.