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Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

    • ex. The boy’s breathing was heavy after running so fast with his friends.
    • ex. People tend to eat more ice cream in the summer.
    • ex. John takes medicine every day for chronic headaches.
    • ex. The teacher's kind words set the tone for a happy class.
    • ex. Mary works remotely and only attends meetings online.

Article

Read the article below and answer your tutor's questions.

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Studies show that deep breathing can be an effective way to reduce stress at work. However, workers don’t often think about their breathing. Office workers tend to take shallow breaths. Meanwhile, those in busy jobs, like in malls or hospitals, may not have time to focus on breathing at all. Chronic stress can increase the risk of heart problems. So, deep breathing exercises are important to reduce anxiety and stress.

At Myosin Marketing, staff meetings begin with a deep breathing exercise led by its CEO Sean Clayton. This practice sets the tone for the meeting.  It seemed strange at first, but the team later found it helpful and enjoyable. It helps employees focus, feel calmer, and be more creative, especially since many work remotely.

It’s not always easy to find time for breathing exercises, especially in busy jobs. However, workers can try deep breaths while doing small tasks, like making coffee or walking through a door. Just one to five minutes of deep breathing can clear the mind and relax the body. Some workers even use phone alarms and write notes so they can remember to breathe during the day.

This material was based on an article by The Associated Press.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Breathing Exercises

  • Do you think deep breathing exercises can help reduce stress? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Staff meetings at Myosin Marketing begin with a deep breathing exercise. How do you think doing a deep breathing exercise before a meeting can improve the mood of a group? Discuss.
  • Staff at Myosin Marketing found that deep breathing helps employees focus, feel calmer, and be more creative. Do you think being calm and relaxed helps with creativity and productivity? Why or why not? Discuss.

Chronic Stress

  • What do you usually do when you're feeling stressed at work or school? Discuss.
  • Why do you think people experience chronic stress? Discuss.
  • How do you think chronic stress affects a person’s physical and mental health in the long term? Discuss.