Shadowing Practice: how to get your spark back | self-care, mindset & healthy habits - Learn English Speaking with Video
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176 sentences
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I've been going through it these past few days and I've just been feeling
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emotionally heavy and honestly in a little bit of a funk so
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if you've been feeling stuck lately we're going to get through
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this together i'm going to show you everything i do to pull myself out of a funk
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and we're going to get our spark back i'm going to
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start with these road peptide eye patches i think they have caffeine in them
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so they help with the puffiness the girl's been crying a little bit
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i spent a few days at home
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and honestly i didn't really do much i didn't force myself to work out
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or to do anything crazy i just went on like a long walk
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when i felt like it focused on sleep rest sometimes you just need to give yourself time to rest
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and go through whatever it is you're going through today i just have to go to work
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and i have a few things planned for when i get home
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so i'll see you guys
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when i get back i'm back from work i took a nice hot shower usually
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when i'm going through something i tend to isolate myself
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and spend as much time alone as possible today at work i spent lunch with a co -worker
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and we went to the mall we got some smoothies
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and she made me feel really good we had some great chats
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and i realized that sometimes it's better not to isolate yourself
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and then after work i went to see my parents i had dinner with them
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so if you're someone like me who loves to isolate themselves
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when they're going through something there are people who care about you, there's people who love you.
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Spend time with friends, spend time with family, and you don't have to show up as a perfect version of yourself.
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I'm excited to show you what I got at the mall.
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I'm gonna do a little haul for you, but first things first, Jolie sent me this filtered shower head that I've been wanting forever.
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I'm so excited to unbox it and set it up.
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I'm gonna make another video on how to upgrade your home and your space, so stay tuned for that.
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I took out my winter clothes because it's getting cold here in Canada.
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I'm gonna organize my closet now
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but i'm doing a lot more than just putting everything away
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i'm gonna go through everything properly i'm gonna throw out anything
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that has holes in it anything worn out anything i don't feel good in
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and anything tied to something i'm ready to let go of
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the way i see it is out with the old in with the new
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and i highly recommend you try this too
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and i know this seems like a given but
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if you have a pile of dirty laundry sitting on your floor start with
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that sometimes it's the simple things
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that can make a
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big difference I
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got my
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boxes ready for the storage unit these are all my summer
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clothes this is my favorite part of cleaning I'm going to show you guys what I decide to donate, what I decide to throw in the garbage, and what I decide to give to a friend.
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These leggings are in perfect condition.
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Recently I've gotten so many more, so I'm just gonna give these to a friend.
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These are my first ever work pants.
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They are worn out to the max.
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They're ripping at the back, and they are so big on me, so it's time to throw these in the garbage.
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I already see a sweater, perfect condition, but it reminds me of a phase in my life that I don't want to ever think about again, so I'm gonna donate.
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These pants are huge on me.
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I ordered them too big and I thought I could wear them as oversized
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But I just feel huge every time I wear them
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So i'm gonna donate these these pajama bottoms are like five years old They're ripped they're stained
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and it's time to get rid of them This is how
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much stuff is leaving my closet leaving my space leaving my energy
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Now
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that we've gotten rid of the old stuff we can bring
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in something new Whenever I go through something big like what I just went through I like to mark
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that fresh start with something physical Just a little reminder
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that i'm stepping into a new chapter
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So let me show you the two things
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that are gonna help me do that beautiful fresh pajama sets
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and these scream nina they scream feminine rewire very girly very cute i'm gonna try this one on tonight
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i didn't even notice this pink lace detail i'm obsessed now
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this is one of my favorite tips i associate perfume with certain times
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and people in my life
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so i love the idea of getting a new scent to
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mark a new fresh start something i can make new memories with
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and something that doesn't trigger my brain and remind me of the past.
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I chose something sweet, feminine, bold.
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This has notes of lavender, bergamot, orange blossom and jasmine, vanilla and amber.
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Also what we're not gonna do is save this for special occasions.
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Every day is a chance to do something nice for yourself, pamper yourself, even if you're just staying home.
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i'm gonna wind down for the night and take some time to journal pray
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and spend some time with god honestly this situation really brought me back to him
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and i'm just learning how to trust surrender trust in his plans for me earlier i mentioned buying new pajamas
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and new perfume and having a physical thing to mark a fresh start
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and i know those things are nice they give me something to feel excited about
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but at the end of the day you cannot buy your way out of what you're feeling
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and what you're going through the physical things cannot fix what's
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going on inside your heart in your mind these past few
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days i've honestly spent a lot of time just sitting here journaling reading the bible praying
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that really helps me ground myself in something bigger than myself
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and this releases a lot of anxiety overthinking all those heavy thoughts and emotions
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that i'm feeling i'm gonna set my alarm for 6 30
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tomorrow i'm gonna get up early get a workout in
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and start my day on the right note i'm not gonna
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put big expectations on myself all i want to do is wake up get dressed and show up to the gym.
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I'll be proud of anything I accomplish in that workout.
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All I want to do is show up and get back into my routine.
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And on that note, cheers, good night, and I'll see you in the morning.
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I don't know breakfast for work.
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I honestly used to use food as a way to cope with my emotions
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and that's something that has really changed for me.
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Food can definitely comfort you in the moment, but it will not help you get through whatever it is you're going through.
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So even when I'm going through a hard time, I make sure to nourish myself and eat things that are good for my body.
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I'm going to show you one of those meals that honestly tastes like comfort food to me.
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It is so good, delicious, and actually good for you.
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I like to mix it out.
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I really need some fresh air.
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I've been inside all day long.
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So I'm going to take you guys on a nice little walk.
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The moon is so bright, I love the area I live in because you're right by the water and then you got some really nice buildings,
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you got the view of downtown Toronto,
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got a nice walking path amazing cafes and yeah that makes me happy
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i used to have a really bad habit of doom scrolling
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and then i turn my phone on downtime
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so it shuts off at 10 p .m my apps are locked i also mentioned earlier
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that i used to use food as a coping mechanism
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when i was going through something i managed to get over
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that by honestly just focusing on a whole foods diet
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and not restricting myself the more i ate whole foods
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and kind of gave myself the freedom to eat whatever i wanted my diet naturally balanced out just feels
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so much better when i eat that way so
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that one was kind of like a physical thing i don't drink i don't do drugs I also don't have
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that many close friends that I could just call up to hang out with
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or talk on the phone for hours So it's really just me myself and I
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and i've had to find healthy ways to cope with my
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emotions I would suggest taking a look at what habits in your life are just some kind of distraction
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and they're not actually
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that good for you One of my favorite things to do is to read
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and especially now i've been finding
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so much strength in the bible with god through prayer
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and I genuinely look forward to nighttime and the morning when I get to just sit here.
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on my couch and spend some time with God.
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So that's what I'm gonna go do now and then I'm gonna go to sleep.
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I will see you in the morning.
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Good night.
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i'm running late to work but i just made a smoothie for lunch i'm gonna have the salad we made yesterday.
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This is what I carry in my Louis Vuitton bag.
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The weekend is here.
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I'm going to start the weekend off with a full self -care night at home.
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I'm going to show you all my little tips and tricks.
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Also this is another little way to get yourself out of a funk.
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Just go out, take yourself on a solo date.
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A smoothie, a coffee, a sandwich, whatever it is.
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Sometimes you just need to get out of your house, change your environment, and be around other people.
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That being said, I am very hungry so let's go get our sandwich
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i just took a nice long hot shower i took my makeup off and we're gonna get into our self -care
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Now this is going to seem like a given and you're going to be like, Nina, why are you even telling me this?
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Brush your teeth and clean your gums.
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This is a little extra set for today.
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I'm using this whitening toothpaste by Crest.
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I also think electric toothbrushes are so worth it.
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next i'm going to pluck my eyebrows and trim them a little bit
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that was just a mini cleanup i do get my eyebrows done professionally
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some of y 'all have earwax hanging out of your ears clean your ears please
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now we're going to do some lymphatic drainage with a body
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massage we want to to get our blood
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flowing we want to get circulation
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going moving on to our face we're
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going to start with some facial massages to help sculpt and de -puff our face.
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Our last step of the night is a face mask.
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I do have very dry skin so I'm going to use a hydrating one.
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I recently started cutting my face masks and it really helps them mold to my face and they just fit more comfortably.
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I'll just do two cuts here and two cuts there.
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I'm going to go read while this face mask does its thing.
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So I will see you in the morning.
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Happy Saturday.
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Happy Saturday.
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Good morning.
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I feel amazing today.
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I feel refreshed.
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I feel rested.
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I'm going to spend the day recording some content.
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I'm also doing a giveaway on Instagram.
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So make sure to follow me there.
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I wanted to close out this video by saying if you are in a funk right now or you're going through it, give yourself time give yourself grace it might take you three
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days it might take you a week it also might take you a month
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but getting out of a funk is really just coming back to yourself
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and it's in the little things how you take care of
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yourself your habits your thoughts surround yourself with people who love you take care of yourself mentally physically spiritually
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and don't forget to let go of anything
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that isn't serving you anymore thank you for watching my video thank you for spending some time with me
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and i will see you in the next one
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “how to get your spark back”. This video has 176 sentences and 2130 words to shadow. The speech runs for 14:46. The speaker talks at a steady 144 words per minute, a comfortable pace for shadowing. 82% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| funk noun | /fʌŋk/ | Foul or unpleasant smell, especially body odor. |
| mask noun | /mæsk/ | A cover, or partial cover, for the face, used for disguise or protection. |
| habit noun | /ˈhæb.ɪt/ | An action performed on a regular basis. |
| emotion noun | /ɪˈməʊ.ʃən/ | A person's internal state of being and involuntary physiological response to an object or a situation, based on or tied to physical state and sensory data. |
| donate verb | /ˈdoʊˌneɪt/ | To make a donation; to give away something of value to support or contribute towards a cause or for the benefit of another. |
| isolate verb | /ˈaɪ.sə.leɪt/ | To set apart or cut off from others. |
| pants noun | /pænts/ | An outer garment that covers the body from the waist downwards, covering each leg separately, usually as far as the ankles; trousers. |
| ear noun | /ˈɪə̯/ | The organ of hearing, consisting of the pinna or auricle, auditory canal, eardrum, malleus, incus, stapes and cochlea. |
| comfort noun | /ˈkʌm.fət/ | Contentment, ease. |
| pray verb | /pɹeɪ/ | To direct words, thoughts, or one's attention to a deity or any higher being, for the sake of adoration, thanks, petition for help, etc. |
| remind verb | /ɹəˈmaɪnd/ | To cause one to experience a memory (of someone or something); to bring to the notice or consideration (of a person). |
| mall noun | /mɔːl/ | A pedestrianised street, especially a shopping precinct. |
| rip verb | /ɹɪp/ | To divide or separate the parts of (especially something flimsy, such as paper or fabric), by cutting or tearing; to tear off or out by violence. |
| garbage noun | /ˈɡɑɹ.bɪd͡ʒ/ | Food waste material of any kind. |
| scream verb | /skɹiːm/ | To cry out with a shrill voice; to utter a sudden, sharp outcry, or shrill, loud cry, as in fright or extreme pain; to screech, to shriek. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| go through verb | To travel from one end of something to the other. | |
| get out of verb | To leave, exit or escape from; to become free of. | |
| get through verb | /ɡɛt ˈθɹu/ | To overcome; to endure. |
| show up verb | To appear, arrive, or attend, especially suddenly or erratically. | |
| close out verb | To terminate; to call the end of. | |
| get back verb | Return to where one came from. | |
| get over verb | To overcome. | |
| get up verb | To move in an upward direction; to ascend or climb. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- I don't know breakfast for work.
- I've been inside all day long.
- I'm going to spend the day recording some content.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | I've been going · girl's been crying · I've been wanting |
| “Used to” used to + verb — a past habit or state that is no longer true | used to use · used to have |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've gotten · we've gotten · i've honestly spent |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | are worn · are locked · being said |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 107 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, gonna, you're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: smoothie /ˈsmuːði/, toothbrush /ˈtuːθ.bɹʌʃ/, toothpaste /ˈtuθpeɪst/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: emotion /ɪˈməʊ.ʃən/, massage /məˈsɑ(d)ʒ/, associate /əˈsoʊʃi.ət/, occasion /əˈkeɪ̯ʒən/, delicious /dɪˈlɪ.ʃəs/
- Long words — get the stress right: naturally /ˈnæt͡ʃ.(ə.)ɹə.li/, anxiety /æŋˈzaɪ.əti/, associate /əˈsoʊʃi.ət/, mechanism /ˈmɛk.ə.nɪ.zəm/, genuinely /ˈd͡ʒɛn.ju.ɪn.li/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like funk, mask, habit.
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.