Shadowing Practice: 6 Signs You're Depressed, Not Lazy - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Hey Psych2Goers, welcome back to another video.
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As a quick disclaimer, we wanted to remind our viewers
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that the depression signs discussed in this video should not be used to diagnose anyone with depression.
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If you or someone you know is struggling with depression, please reach out to a mental health professional who can help.
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With that said, let's begin.
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Have you ever had days where all you wanted to do was lie in bed and do absolutely nothing else?
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You just wanted to be lazy and not worry about any of your responsibilities?
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We've all had our off days.
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We've all felt lazy, unmotivated, and uninspired from time to time.
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And it's normal to feel like that.
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But we live in such a hyper-competitive society that's
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so hyper-focused on pursuing success and wealth
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that it's made us feel internally guilty for the time we spend not working towards something productive.
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When you overwork yourself to exhaustion and are dealing with chronic stress, it will inevitably have adverse effects on your mental and emotional health.
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But what if it could be more than that?
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What if your laziness is more than just you feeling burnt out?
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Here are six warning signs of depression that are more than just laziness.
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Number one, you can't snap yourself out of it.
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A sense of laziness usually creeps in when you're overly stressed or if you've been working too hard for too long.
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And there are a lot of nifty tips and tricks you can use to snap yourself out of it, like making a to-do list, listening to motivational talks, or setting achievable goals.
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But when it's depression, depression isn't a choice, and it's definitely not something you can just shake off or get over, no matter what other people tell you.
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Depression is a serious mental illness that needs to be treated with professional help and medication if required.
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Often times, depressive episodes can recur throughout your life, so months of therapy may be needed to help you cope.
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Number two, you can't cheer yourself up.
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Do you often struggle with feelings of unexplained loneliness, sadness, and hopelessness?
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Do you feel exhausted all the time and rarely have any energy?
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You might be feeling downcast and disheartened for reasons you just don't understand.
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And nothing you do seems to cheer you up or make you feel better.
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No amount of sleep, comfort food, self-care activities, or fun times with friends seem to do much to brighten your spirits.
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When you're battling depression, not even doing the things you used to love the most
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or spending time with your loved ones can make you feel better.
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Number 3.
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You've lost interest in everything.
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According to the American Psychological Association, a markedly diminished interest of pleasure in activities is one of the hallmarks of a depressive episode.
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So if you've found that your laziness has made you lose motivation and interest in everything,
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including school and work, then that's a sure sign that something is seriously wrong with your mental health.
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With depression you tend to lose interest in your hobbies and emotionally withdraw from those around you.
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You prefer to stay at home and lay in bed, doing nothing most of the day, because you just can't find it in yourself to care enough about much of anything anymore.
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Number four, you can't function like you used to.
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Do you feel that your laziness is getting out of hand?
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Has it become too much for you to manage?
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Is it getting in the way of your work, your school, or your personal life?
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If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you may be dealing with depression.
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In diagnosing depression, psychologists tend to look at the four D's of abnormality.
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They are deviance, distress, danger, and dysfunction.
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So if your laziness is making you dysfunctional, significantly interferes with your everyday tasks, and feels like a constant hurdle in your life,
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then it may be time to see a mental health care professional about it.
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Number five your laziness isn't triggered by anything
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oftentimes Laziness manifests as procrastination and may be brought on by a number of different reasons
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Some believe a sense of laziness reflects a lack of self-esteem
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While others would argue it's
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because of a lack of positive recognition from others It could also be due to a lack of discipline self-control and interest, but what about depression?
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What brings about depression?
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well, the truth is Psychologists don't really know.
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But one thing we do know for sure is that it isn't usually triggered by just one particular thing.
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There isn't always a clear reason for why depression might develop.
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So if you find yourself feeling down disheartened and unenergetical of a sudden
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Depression may be the reason why and number six your laziness isn't a choice Finally,
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but perhaps most importantly the key difference between depression and laziness is that while laziness can be changed
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Depression isn't so easily altered if you're feeling tired or unmotivated Motivated you can do something to change that for yourself.
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You can rest
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Brainstorm look for inspiration and try out different productivity hacks to help you get out of your funk But with depression, it's not that easy
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It's not a funk that you can just get out of when you have depression
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You're not making the choice to be depressed
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or stay depressed in fact patients with depression often report feelings of extreme guilt Shame and helplessness due to their depression
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No one with depression is ever just doing it for attention
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Mental illness goes so much deeper than that Can you relate to any of the signs of depression in this video? If you
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or anyone you know is experiencing serious feelings of depression Don't
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hesitate to reach out to a mental health care professional and get help
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Please like and share this video if it helped you and you think it could help someone else too
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The studies and references used are listed in the description below
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Don't forget to hit the subscribe button for more Psych2Go videos and thank you for watching We'll see you next time.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This video has 72 sentences and 1036 words to shadow. The speech runs for 5:52. The speaker talks at a natural 176 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 85% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| illness noun | /ˈɪl.nəs/ | An instance (episode) of a disease or poor health. |
| trigger noun | /ˈtɹɪɡɚ/ | A finger-operated lever used to fire a gun. |
| lazy adjective | /ˈleɪ̯zi(ː)/ | Unwilling to do work or make an effort; disinclined to exertion. |
| snap verb | /snæp/ | To fracture or break apart suddenly. |
| depressed adjective | /dɪˈpɹɛst/ | Unhappy; despondent. |
| distress noun | /dɪˈstɹɛs/ | Physical or emotional discomfort, suffering, or alarm, particularly of a more acute nature. |
| psychologist noun | /ˌsaɪˈkɑl.ə.d͡ʒɪst/ | An expert in the field of psychology. |
| funk noun | /fʌŋk/ | Foul or unpleasant smell, especially body odor. |
| trick noun | /ˈtɹɪk/ | Something designed to fool, dupe, outsmart, mislead or swindle. |
| everyday adjective | /ˈɛvɹiˌdeɪ/ | Appropriate for ordinary use, rather than for special occasions. |
| recognition noun | /ˌɹɛkəɡˈnɪʃ(ə)n/ | The act of recognizing or the condition of being recognized (matching a current observation with a memory of a prior observation of the same entity). |
| argue verb | /ˈɑɹ.ɡju/ | To show grounds for concluding (that); to indicate, imply. |
| rarely adverb | /ˈɹɛəɹli/ | Not occurring at a regular interval; seldom; not often. |
| comfort noun | /ˈkʌm.fət/ | Contentment, ease. |
| inspiration noun | /ˌɪn.spɪˈɹeɪ.ʃən/ | The drawing of air into the lungs, accomplished in mammals by elevation of the chest walls and flattening of the diaphragm, as part of the act of breathing. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| get out of verb | To leave, exit or escape from; to become free of. |
| get over verb | To overcome. |
| shake off verb | To remove (something attached to, on or clinging to an object) by shaking. |
| try out verb | To test (something) to see how it works or whether it is suitable. |
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | be treated · may be needed · isn't triggered |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | Have you ever had · You've lost · you've found |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 24 contractions and reduced forms, such as isn't, can't, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: recognition /ˌɹɛkəɡˈnɪʃ(ə)n/, inspiration /ˌɪn.spɪˈɹeɪ.ʃən/, shake /ˈʃeɪk/, motivation /ˈmoʊ.tə.veɪ.ʃən/, medication /mɛdɪˈkeɪʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: psychologist /ˌsaɪˈkɑl.ə.d͡ʒɪst/, recognition /ˌɹɛkəɡˈnɪʃ(ə)n/, inspiration /ˌɪn.spɪˈɹeɪ.ʃən/, motivation /ˈmoʊ.tə.veɪ.ʃən/, medication /mɛdɪˈkeɪʃən/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like illness, trigger, lazy.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.