Unit 1: Embrace Stress!

Introduction 

Nowadays, the world we live in is more hurried, with constant changes and where stress has constant changes and where stress has increased considerably, this has led people to feel disoriented and at a given moment they can develop various illnesses, both physical and psychological. psychological illnesses. It has also been observed that dealing with stress inappropriately can lead to devastating consequences because it is the way your brain and body respond to a challenge or demand. When you are stressed, your body releases chemicals called hormones. Hormones make you alert and ready to act. They can raise your blood pressure, heart rate and blood sugar levels. Sometimes this response is called "fight or flight.

Everyone gets stressed from time to time. There are different types of stress. It can be short term or long term. It can be caused by something that happens once or something that happens repeatedly.

Not all stress is bad. In fact, it can help you survive in a dangerous situation. For example, one type of stress is the fright you may feel when a car suddenly stops in front of you. This surge of hormones helps you stop quickly to avoid an accident. Sometimes a little short-term stress can be helpful. For example, the stress of having a deadline for school or your job may push you to finish your work on time. Once you finish it, that stress goes away.

In this unit, we will explore how to cope with and manage stress in high and low stress jobs and address the reality of a stressed generation. We will discover effective strategies to cope with this overwhelming emotional response and improve our quality of life. Ultimately, this unit serves as a comprehensive guide to understanding stress, offering valuable insights into its causes, effects, and the various coping mechanisms available to people in different environments.

Key words

Experience, feeling, cope with, reducing, relieve, handle, generation, recession, responsibilities, anxiety, transform, meditation, healthy eating, unwind, optimism, psychology and relationships.

• Experience: knowledge of something, or ability to do so, that is acquired by having done it, lived through it, felt it or suffered it one or more times.

• Feeling: feeling refers to both a state of mind and a conceptualized emotion that determines the state of mind.

• Cope with: having expedited the faculty or power to do something. 

• Reducing: decrease the strength, intensity, size, or other physical characteristic of a thing.

• Relieve: remove someone or something part of the weight that on him or it loads. 

• Handle: take a person or something into their care. 

• Generation: is all the people who are born and live at about the same time, considered collectively. 

• Recession: is understood as a significant drop-in economic activity that occurs in the economy as a whole and for a sufficient number of months.

• Anxiety: is a feeling of fear, dread, and restlessness.  It can make you sweat, feel restless and tense, and have palpitations.

• Responsibilities: is defined as the quality professed by people who pay care and attention to what they do or decide, and as such it implies freedom.

• Transform: make someone or something change shape. 

• Meditation: mental training practice that seeks calm and clarity.

• Healthy eating: consumption of nutritious and balanced foods to maintain health.

• Unwind: relax and release accumulated tension.

• Optimism: positive attitude that expects and focuses favorable results.

• Psychology: the scientific study of human behavior and mental processes.

• Relationships: connections and bonds established between people.

Grammar patterns

Gerunds and infinitives

In general, both gerunds and infinitives are verb forms that are not limited by tense or agreement with a specific subject. These are used in various ways in English grammar, performing different functions in sentences.

Gerunds are formed by adding "-ing" to the base verb and are used as nouns. They can act as subjects, direct objects, or prepositional complements.

On the other hand, infinitives are formed using "to" followed by the base verb. They are used after certain adjectives to express feelings or attitudes, and after certain nouns to complete their meaning.

The choice between the gerund and the infinitive often depends on the verb that precedes them and the context of the sentence. Some verbs can be followed by both gerunds and infinitives, with changes in meaning.

Grammatical rules

When we have a verb that follows another verb in a sentence, it is important to use the infinitive or the gerund. Generally, we use the infinitive after certain verbs and the gerund after others. However, there are also verbs with which we can use both the gerund and the infinitive.

1. Verb + gerund

Some of the most frequent verbs that are used followed by a gerund are:

Consider, detest, discuss, enjoy, finish, imagine, keep, practice, quit, recommend, regret, suggest, suggest, tolerate, understand...

Example:

• She is considering buying a new car.
• I enjoy watching movies.
• I recommend visiting that museum.
• The teacher suggested studying for the test.

2. Verb + infinitive 

There are several common verbs that are usually followed by an infinitive:

Afford, agree, attempt, choose, decide, expect, fail, hope, intend, learn, manage, need, offer, plan, promise, refuse, seem, tend, threaten, want...

Example:

• They agreed to help us with the project.
• She decided to go on vacation next week.
• We expect to arrive at the destination by noon.
• I hope to see you again soon.

3. Verb + gerund or infinitive 

There are several common verbs that can often be followed by both an infinitive and a gerund:

Begin, continue, hate, like, love, prefer, start, try, wish...

Example:

• She began to study for the exam.
• He hates waking up early.
• She loves to dance.
• We prefer staying at home tonight.

4. Gerund as subject

The gerund can function as the subject of a sentence. In this case, the gerund is placed at the beginning of the sentence and is followed by the verb "to be" in its corresponding form (is, are, am).

Example:

• Swimming is a great way to stay fit.
• Singing brings joy to many people.
• Dancing requires coordination and rhythm.
• Learning languages opens doors to new opportunities.

5. Infinitive after adjectives.

The infinitive is used after some adjectives to express the purpose or intention.

Example:

• The movie was too long to watch in one sitting.
• He was happy to see his family again.
• She was eager to learn new skills.
• He was relieved to hear the good news.

6. Gerund after prepositions

The gerund is used after prepositions to indicate an action in relation to the noun that follows the preposition.

Example:

• She is good at singing.
• They are interested in learning new languages.
• He apologized for arriving late.
• We talked about traveling to different countries.

7. Infinitive after nouns / pronoun 

The infinitive is used after certain nouns to express the purpose or function.

Example:

• I have a book to read.
• She brought a pen to write down the important points.
• She asked me to help her with the project.
• We invited them to join us for dinner.

Personal opinion about the unit

Stress is a common experience in modern life. We are faced with various situations and challenges that can generate an overwhelming emotional response. In this essay, I will share my views on how to cope with and manage stress, address the reality of a stressed generation. I will also share the results of learning and the usefulness of the strategies I have discovered to cope with stress in my life.

Stress can manifest itself in different settings and one of the most influential is the work environment. Some jobs, such as emergency services, doctors, or firefighters, involve high levels of stress due to the need to make quick decisions and deal with critical situations. There are also jobs with lower stress levels. However, regardless of the field of work, we all experience stress at some point in our lives.

Learning how to manage and cope with stress is critical to preserving our mental and physical health. Throughout my experience, I have discovered several useful strategies for coping with stress. One of them is the regular practice of meditation which has allowed me to develop awareness of my thoughts and emotions, which helps me cope with stress in a calmer and more balanced way. In addition, regular physical exercise has proven to be an excellent way to release tension and reduce the negative effects of stress on my body. Another effective strategy is to set healthy boundaries and practice self-care. Often, we become overwhelmed by external demands and forget to take time for ourselves. I learned the importance of saying "no" when necessary and setting aside time for activities that relax and rejuvenate me, such as reading, listening to music, or enjoying nature. 

Today's generation faces challenges that contribute to a pervasive sense of stress. Technological advances keep us constantly bombarded with information and social expectations. The pressure to achieve academic, professional, and personal success can be stressful, creating a stressed generation that is constantly looking for ways to cope with this emotional burden.

Stress is a reality we all face at some point in our lives. However, we can learn to manage it and deal with it effectively. By exploring different strategies, such as meditation, physical exercise and self-care, we can reduce the negative effects of stress and improve our quality of life. In a stressed generation, it is critical to recognize the importance of taking care of our mental and emotional health. By doing so, we can develop a greater capacity to face daily challenges with resilience and enjoy a more balanced and fulfilling life.