Warm-up
Work-Life Balance & Managing Stress
Work-Life Balance & Managing Stress
After this lesson you'll be able to...
- Use key vocabulary for stress, workload and balance
- Give advice with should, ought to and had better
- Talk about past habits with used to
- Describe a situation that has continued until now with the present perfect continuous
Get to know each other (3 minutes)
- How do you relax after a hard day at work?
- Do you often work in the evening or at the weekend?
- What gives you energy at work?
- What is the first sign that you are tired or stressed?
Say it out loud
Give advice. → You should take a break. You have been working for four hours.
Fact worth knowing
Vocabulary
Key vocabulary
Useful phrases
| You should take a break. | Тобі варто зробити перерву. |
| You ought to talk to your manager. | Тобі слід поговорити з керівником. |
| You had better not work at night. | Краще не працюй уночі. |
| I used to work 12 hours a day. | Раніше я працював по 12 годин на день. |
| I have been working too much lately. | Останнім часом я надто багато працюю. |
| How long have you been feeling like this? | Як давно ти так почуваєшся? |
| I find it hard to switch off. | Мені важко відключитися від роботи. |
| I need to take some time off. | Мені потрібно взяти відпустку. |
Try out the new words
Say one sentence with a new word. → …
Say one phrase from the list about your work. → …
Which word is it?
Fill in the missing word
Choose the correct word
Translate the phrase
Write each phrase in English.
Grammar
Advice, habits and the present perfect continuous
| should / ought to | advice: You should take a break. You ought to talk to your manager. Negative: You shouldn’t work at night. |
| had better + base verb | strong advice with a warning: You had better rest, or you will get ill. Negative: You had better not work at night. |
| used to + base verb | past habits that stopped: I used to work 12 hours a day. Now I work 8. Questions: Did you use to …? Not used to working. |
| Present perfect continuous: have/has been + -ing | an action that started in the past and continues now: I have been working too much lately. She has been feeling tired for a week. |
| for / since / how long | How long have you been working here? — I have been working here for five years / since 2020. |
Which sentence is correct?
Complete with the correct word
Rewrite it
Give advice or say what is true. Several answers are possible.
Correcting mistakes
Each sentence has one mistake. Write the correct sentence.
Put the words in order
Put the words in the right order and write the full sentence.
Say it about your own work
Give advice to a tired colleague. → You should …
Reading
Read: an interview about work-life balance
Interview with Katya, project manager
Q: How is your work-life balance?
A: Honestly, it has not been easy. I have been working a lot of overtime for the last three months, and I have been feeling exhausted.
Q: Did it used to be better?
A: Yes. I used to finish at 5 p.m. and go to the gym. Now I often work until 9 p.m., and I have not seen my friends for weeks.
Q: What are you doing about it?
A: My doctor said that I had better take some time off, so I will go on holiday next week. I have also started to switch off my phone after 8 p.m. I think everyone should have a hobby, and everyone ought to take regular breaks.
True or false?
Katya has been working overtime for three months.
She is not tired.
She used to go to the gym after work.
She will go on holiday next month.
She switches off her phone after 8 p.m.
Answer the questions
How long has Katya been working overtime?
What did she use to do at 5 p.m.?
What did her doctor say?
What does she do after 8 p.m. now?
Find the key language
Write the word (or phrase) from the text.
Fill in from the text
Why is this a good text?
Your own opinion
- Is Katya doing the right thing? What else could she do?
- What would you do in her situation?
- How can companies help their employees to avoid burnout?
Practice
Picture the situation
Notice → Rest → Talk → Balance. Taking care of yourself makes you more productive, not less.
Match the phrase to its function
Put the words in order
Put the words in the right order and write the full sentence.
Fill in the missing phrase
Say it in your own words
Write one sentence. Several answers are possible.
Translate into English
Write each sentence in English. Several answers are possible.
A useful tip
Speaking
How to use this section
Your tutor plays a friend or a colleague who is tired. Ask about their situation, give advice and talk about your own habits. Use should / ought to / had better / used to / have been …ing.
Asking how someone is
Task: ask a colleague how he is, as he looks tired.
Starter: "You look tired. Are you OK? How long have you been feeling like this?"
Describing your situation
Task: tell a friend what has been happening to you.
Starter: "I have been working a lot of overtime lately, and I have been feeling exhausted."
Talking about the past
Task: say how your life used to be.
Starter: "I used to finish work at 5 p.m. and go to the gym. Now I work until 9."
Giving advice
Task: give advice to the tired friend.
Starter: "You should take a break, and you ought to talk to your manager. You had better not work at night."
Refusing extra work
Task: say no politely to extra work.
Starter: "I would like to help, but I am overwhelmed at the moment. Could we move the deadline?"
Suggesting healthy habits
Task: tell a colleague what helps you.
Starter: "I switch off my phone after eight, I take a break every two hours, and I have a hobby. It really helps."
Closing
Task: end the conversation with support.
Starter: "Thank you for listening. I think I will take some time off next week. How about you?"
Full conversation — no stops
With your tutor, role-play a talk with a tired colleague: ask questions, listen, give advice and share your own habits — entirely in English.
Let's talk — reflection
- Do you think your life is balanced?
- What helps you to relax?
- What would you change in your work habits?
Cool down
Now I can...
- Use key vocabulary for stress, workload and balance
- Give advice with should, ought to and had better
- Talk about past habits with used to
- Describe a situation that has continued until now with the present perfect continuous
Quick self-check
What do we use after used to?
How do we form the present perfect continuous?
What is stronger: should or had better?
One more thing before you go
Tell your tutor one habit that helps you relax. → I … every day because it helps me to relax.
Homework
Words to remember
| stress | стрес |
| burnout | вигорання |
| a workload | навантаження |
| a deadline | крайній термін |
| work-life balance | баланс між роботою й особистим життям |
| overtime | понаднормова робота |
| a break | перерва |
| a hobby | хобі |
Fill in the missing word
Choose the correct form
Open the brackets
Correct the mistake
Each sentence has one mistake. Write the correct sentence.
Translate the phrase
Write each phrase in English. Several answers are possible.
Write it yourself
Write a short text (6–8 sentences) about your work-life balance. Use should / ought to, used to and the present perfect continuous at least once each.
Practise out loud
Say your text aloud as if you were talking to a friend.
Read aloud
Read the text “an interview about work-life balance” aloud twice before the next lesson.
- 8.7 I did the writing task
- 8.8 I practised out loud
- 8.9 I read the text aloud twice