Shadowing Practice: How To Handle Work Stress | Costi Hinn + Brett McIntosh - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
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Kosti, stress is part of the human experience.
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Kosti, stress is part of the human experience.
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No way.
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Living in a fallen world.
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No way.
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I don't believe it.
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From external to internal, we all have unique pressure points that we deal with.
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But how are we to think and view those pressure points, stress, biblically?
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Okay.
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First, I will agree with you.
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Work, stress.
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Life, stress.
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Stress is part of life.
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Part of life.
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Get to feel the strain.
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Amen.
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I would encourage somebody, if they were going through this,
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in a few ways.
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I jotted some key principles here.
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Remember who you actually work for.
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So if you're going to deal with work stress,
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you've got to get to the root of why you work,
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what you work for.
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For a Christian, Colossians 3.23, my favorite passage.
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Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart,
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or some translations, do your work heartily as working for the Lord, not for man.
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So first of all, I'm going to acknowledge work stress,
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but then I'm going to remember who do I work for?
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Who's my actual employer?
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Who's the boss of my life?
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God.
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In that, I want to take the temperature of a few things.
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The three H's.
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We've talked about this before.
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I want to take the temperature of my heart.
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I want to take the temperature of my home.
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And I want to take a temperature read on my head.
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And what I mean by that is clarity.
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Are you getting foggy brained?
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Are you losing perspective?
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That's connected to the heart,
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but it's also connected to the head.
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Sometimes you just got to get out of your head
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and go play a round of golf or go on a walk or go hike.
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Or for you, go to like an escape room,
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your favorite thing to do.
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Problem solving, putting puzzles together.
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Come on.
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Okay.
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My wife is a puzzle person.
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Her and the kids, like a few of our kids,
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they just love puzzles.
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And then, you know, me and some of the other kids,
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we want to just go like chop wood or break stuff.
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Like everyone has, I got to go be active.
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And those are different.
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My wife loves hiking.
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I mean, walks.
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You can do that any day.
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You don't need a vacation to do some of these things.
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But it'll take a temperature of your head,
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your heart, and your home.
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In that, also another helpful thing, trade anxiety for prayer.
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I think sometimes we internalize the stress and we just get really anxious,
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heart palpitations, and we just start getting in our head.
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And then we have a heart issue and we got a home issue and all,
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you know, literal people feel like the powers of hell are coming upon them.
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So when I say all hell breaking loose,
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I mean, literally, like, you just feel like I'm under demonic attack here.
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Like, this is crazy.
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Bible says, trade anxiety for prayer.
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You know the passage, Philippians 4, verses 6 and 7.
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Be anxious for nothing, but in everything,
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with thanksgiving in our hearts,
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we make our requests known to God through prayer and supplication.
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That's what we do.
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What do we get in exchange for that?
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We trade our anxiety for peace.
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It's the peace that surpasses all comprehension.
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The Bible says it will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.
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So we're going to pray.
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I think a lot of people,
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they carry the stress internally,
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and they don't turn to prayer.
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You may eat it, you medicate it,
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you drink it, you do all sorts of things,
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but you don't pray to deal with it.
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People need to pray.
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Another one, work hard, but just rest in the sovereignty of God.
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I used to have a pastor friend,
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you know him really well,
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he used to say, work like it depends on you,
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pray like it depends on God.
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And his idea was, you know,
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get after it, but, you know, trust the Lord.
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In that, I would say, work hard.
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Sometimes work stress is related to very real issues.
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I've got to provide.
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I've got to execute.
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I got a boss.
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I got people that depend on me.
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And I do think there's kind of a dueling track here.
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We have a generation, I'll just talk about men for now.
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We have a generation of men that have been bubble wrapped,
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coddled, and we've had delayed adolescence.
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And by the way, I speak as one who was in that.
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You know, I was getting into my mid twenties after college.
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I'm still playing video games with a headset on yelling at some kid in Australia on call of duty.
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And you know, it's like grow up,
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cost to be a man, get a job.
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I go into marriage and Christine's got a man boy on her hands for two years.
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And it's like, okay, this kid needs to figure it out.
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So in that I needed,
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I didn't need to be coddled.
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I need to be called out.
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So there's that issue at the same time.
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There's this element of like, yeah, life is hard.
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And there is a lot of pressure and not every man needs to be told,
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like quit sitting around waiting for somebody to coddle you.
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Cause you're bubble wrapped man boy and you played.
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That's not what every man needs to hear.
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Some men need to be reminded,
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listen, yeah, I know the pressure is high.
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I know you're under the gun.
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I know you're feeling the weight of being the provider,
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the protector, the go-getter, the guide,
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the shepherd of the home.
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Work hard, my brother, but then rest in the sovereignty of God.
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He is the one who's in control.
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Think of Proverbs 16, verse 3,
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commit your works to the Lord.
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What does that look like?
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Give it to Him.
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Lay it at His feet.
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Trust Him with the outcome.
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The work is your part and mine.
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The results, they're His.
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Now, practically, I think you could probably speak to this as well.
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I jotted down a few notes about how to put legs to this.
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What I gave you is the theological framework.
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But what do we do?
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You're a pastor.
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I'm a pastor.
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We're dear friends.
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We've been running together for well over a decade,
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and we've been through some tough times.
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You've seen me under stress and pressure.
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I've seen you under stress and pressure up close.
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And we deal with a staff,
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we have people, organizations, all that.
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I think it's important for us to think through a few practical things here.
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Number one, if you're experiencing a lot of work stress,
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talk to your boss or your team.
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Lean on each other.
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We're a team.
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That's right.
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Lock arms.
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There's times I've needed to come to you, talk with our elders.
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At times you come to me,
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we go to each other,
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we talk as a team.
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And that alleviates two things.
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One, you're going to get support.
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And when you go to people who really love you and you work with people who love you,
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you're going to get support.
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Or two, and I've had this happen to me,
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it was early on, I went to my boss and complained and was looking to be coddled.
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And what I got told is like, oh, I'm sorry.
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You know, I didn't realize,
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you know, this is where we're at,
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but now let me speak to it.
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Life is hard.
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You have deadlines.
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this is normal work pressure go get it done this isn't like you can't keep getting extensions
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you got to get this done that's what we're paying you to do
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and you're like oh ouchie you know yeah
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and my my college coach used to use that illustration
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and it applies in ministry
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and in life he said what you need for the most
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part is teammates not friends friends are gonna now i know
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what he's speaking from a kind of a team perspective college baseball
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but he would say teammates are going to tell you the truth,
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even though they're hard, because it's going to motivate you to get your work done.
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Friends are going to leave you in the same position.
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You may feel better, but they're not pushing you in the right ways,
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in the good ways, the truthful ways sometimes.
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I would say that that's a great illustration.
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On a team, that's the idea.
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That's right.
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I actually, as you were talking,
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I'm like, oh, faithful are the wounds of a friend,
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deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.
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The idea is you know, coddling friends.
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People are like, oh, it's okay, bro.
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It's okay.
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That's usually the definition on a team.
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Usually it's like, he's my friend.
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Being a good teammate though,
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is saying, hey brother, actually.
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That's right.
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I'm going to wound you.
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I need to shoot you straight.
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That's right.
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I had a buddy one time.
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A story just came to mind as you were talking.
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I was playing first base and the pitcher kept picking off over and I dropped the ball like twice.
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Second baseman looks over at me and I'll never forget it.
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He's like, catch the ball.
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like at me, like very aggressive.
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And I was just like,
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you know, back at him, something like that.
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Pitcher picks over a few more times.
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I caught every one of them.
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And afterwards he came up to me and,
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and buddy JT, never forget it.
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And he was, he ends up being,
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he's a coach, like pretty high level coach,
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even now I'm coaching D one, great guy.
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And he comes over and he's like, Hey, relax.
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I was like, well, why you got to come at me like that?
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He's like, you didn't drop any more balls.
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Did you?
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And I was like, he was like, come on, big guy.
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I needed to get kind of called out a bit.
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So sometimes you apply that to work stress,
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teammates, friendships, all of those relationships and you realize,
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you know what you need in your life?
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People to tell you what you need to hear,
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not always what you want to hear.
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It doesn't mean we won't minister to people,
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but it does mean that sometimes you need to hear like,
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hey, a job's a job.
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Get it done.
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Catch the ball.
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Show up.
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Another one, take a vacation.
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This is not an anti-rest rant right now.
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Yes, yes.
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You and I, we do this.
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We go hard in seasons, and it's normal.
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It's like, yeah.
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And the home is aligned, our wives, our kids.
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We're getting after it.
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And then we rest hard.
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And you got to know your patterns.
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As a person, I would say that.
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I know mine.
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I know when I'm due for,
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I need some mountain air.
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I know when I need to go for a hike.
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I know when I need,
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you know, 18 holes on a golf course.
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You know when you need to breathe in the ocean air of California.
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That's right.
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I know when I need a home-cooked meal.
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I know when I need a date night, an extra date night.
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We date anyway.
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And sometimes, you know, your daddy just needs a walk.
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I know when I just need to go to a Diamondbacks game or go,
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we need to know our rhythms and those things can cost money.
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Those things can be free.
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It's not about having money.
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It's about knowing yourself and your patterns.
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So if you're experiencing a lot of work stress,
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take a vacation, relax and come back ready to rock.
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Another one, get counseling, get counseling.
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If you have anxiety linked to work,
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you might have deeper issues.
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Past just, you know, get it done,
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and work's not causing it,
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but work's a symptom of something deeper in your heart.
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And then finally, after all that, shift fields.
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If you are experiencing constant stress,
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a lack of joy, and we know that you've been dealt with,
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you're not the issue, and we know that you're resting,
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and we know that you've got a good work ethic,
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but you're just downright unhappy,
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and you see work as worship,
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and you're like, I'm just going to do it, Lord.
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Maybe it's time then for you to think,
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you know what, this pressure,
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I'm a square peg in a round hole,
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and I should shift career fields.
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But you know what you're always called to be?
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A godly worker who's worshiping Christ,
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no matter what field you're in,
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trusting Him to align all those things.
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Does that make sense?
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Amen.
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About This Lesson
In this lesson, you will explore how to handle work stress while improving your English speaking practice. Drawing from a conversation about stress management, you will learn to express your thoughts and feelings on stress in a work environment. This engaging approach will help you enhance your vocabulary, improve English pronunciation, and gain practical language skills. By practicing these concepts, you can develop the confidence to communicate effectively about challenges and coping methods in English.
Key Vocabulary & Phrases
- Stress - A state of mental or emotional strain arising from challenging circumstances.
- Pressure points - Specific areas or factors that cause stress.
- Work heartily - To put in a lot of effort and dedication in your work.
- Take the temperature - A phrase used to assess one’s emotional or mental state.
- Foggy-brained - A state of mental confusion or lack of clarity.
- Perspective - A particular attitude toward or way of regarding something; a point of view.
- Reconnect - To establish a connection again with something important for one's well-being.
- Problem-solving - The process of finding solutions to difficult or complex issues.
Practice Tips
To make the most of this English learning opportunity, follow these practice tips:
- Use a Shadowing App: Find a shadowing app that allows you to listen closely to the conversation. Many apps let you repeat phrases after the speaker, helping you improve your pronunciation and rhythm in English.
- Focus on Speed and Tone: The conversation has a natural pace that reflects everyday speech. Try to match the speed and tone while shadowing. Pay attention to the speaker's emphasis on certain words, which can greatly enhance your comprehension and speaking skills.
- Practice Active Listening: While listening to the video, take notes on key phrases and vocabulary related to stress management. This will make it easier for you to incorporate them into your conversations.
- Engage with the Content: After you practice shadowing, summarize what you learned about handling work stress. This will reinforce your memory and help you articulate your understanding in English.
- Work with a Partner: If possible, practice speaking with a partner about stress in the workplace. Use the new vocabulary and encourage each other to discuss various coping strategies, enhancing both your speaking practice and understanding.
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.
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