Shadowing Practice: Signs You're Mentally Tired, Not Lazy - Learn English Speaking with Video
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the issue.
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Where people who are mentally exhausted feel guilty because they think they're just being lazy.
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So if you've been having a hard time concentrating and completing tasks, here are six signs you're mentally exhausted and not lazy.
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Number one, you don't feel motivated.
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Do you get a feeling of hopelessness when thinking about the future?
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The main difference between someone mentally exhausted and someone who is lazy is
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that mental exhaustion feels numb and can make you start to not care about the consequences anymore.
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You may feel like the goals that you used to have
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and worked so hard for are no longer enough or struggle to get simple tasks or assignments done.
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Unfortunately, this type of thinking and lack of motivation may end up affecting your studies or professional career in the long run.
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Number two, you can't focus or concentrate.
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Have you been having trouble focusing when working on something?
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Perhaps you used to be very good at multitasking, but now struggle to even read a book without having your mind wander around.
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Or maybe you find it difficult now to complete a task that seemed effortless before.
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Having difficulty with concentration is one of the signs of mental exhaustion.
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By nature, the human mind has a limited capacity
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and overloading it can lead to negative effects on the efficiency with which it performs its basic functions.
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Number three, small tasks seem overwhelming.
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Is it easy for you to get started on simple household chores?
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Another sign of mental exhaustion is when you start to find even small tasks to be overwhelming.
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You might struggle to vacuum the carpet, wash the dishes, or do the laundry.
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The main reason for this, according to psychiatrist Margaret Seed, MD, is simple tasks can sometimes feel like it involves a ton of steps.
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Your brain is simply too drained to do anything that takes even the slightest effort.
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Number four, you constantly dream and fantasize about a drastic change.
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Do you often find yourself daydreaming about winning the lottery and taking a long vacation?
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It's safe to say that everyone has done this at least once.
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But if you constantly find yourself fantasizing about a drastic change in your life, then you may be mentally exhausted.
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Constantly wanting to escape from your current situation may be a sign that you're unhappy and unsatisfied with your reality.
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Although this might seem harmless, the constant comparison that you're making between that ideal scenario and your reality
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has the potential to worsen your overall mood in the long run.
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It may lead to thoughts that you'll never be happy because of how far that ideal life seems,
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which may cause you to become unmotivated and unappreciative of the things that you do have.
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Number five, you get easily irritated.
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Have you been feeling irritated by even the tiniest things lately?
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This might be a telling sign that you're mentally exhausted.
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You might find negativity all around you and constantly feel annoyed by the smallest things.
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The main reason for this, according to Seed, is that being mentally exhausted automatically puts you in a low -grade fight -or -flight mode.
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As such, your mind
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and body are in a constant state of high alert as it tries to fend off any potential dangers.
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This may be why you find even the smallest things or actions to be triggering and irritating.
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And number six, resting isn't helping your energy levels.
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Do you feel tired even after a good night's rest?
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This may be due to mental exhaustion.
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Good sleep is very important to ensure that you are physically and mentally well rested.
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However, having a good sleep can only do so much for you when you're mentally exhausted.
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According to psychotherapist Joseph Zagame, LCWR and clinical director at My Therapy NYC,
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the best way to deal with this is to set aside some time to process your feelings.
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This can be done by using a journal, a supportive friend, or a therapist,
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since they may be able to make you feel better in ways that sleep can't.
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Did you relate to any of the signs we've mentioned?
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Let us know in the comments below.
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If you found this video helpful, be sure to like, subscribe, and share this video with those who might benefit from it.
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And don't forget to hit the notification bell icon to get notified whenever Psych2Go posts a new video.
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The references and studies used in this video are added in the description below.
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Thanks for watching, and we'll 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 “Signs You're Mentally Tired, Not Lazy”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: mentally, exhausted, task, sign, exhaustion. This video has 17 sentences and 767 words to shadow. The speech runs for 4:08. The speaker talks fast, about 185 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. 83% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start. 7 of its 17 sentences are questions, so it is good practice for question intonation and short answers.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| mentally adverb | /ˈmɛntəli/ | In a mental manner; an idea thought out in one's mind, as opposed to an idea spoken orally. |
| exhaust verb | /ɪɡˈzɔst/ | To draw or let out wholly; to drain completely. |
| lazy adjective | /ˈleɪ̯zi(ː)/ | Unwilling to do work or make an effort; disinclined to exertion. |
| ideal adjective | /aɪˈdi(ə)l/ | Pertaining to ideas, or to a given idea. |
| concentrate verb | /ˈkɑn.sən.tɹeɪt/ | To bring to, or direct toward, a common center; to unite more closely; to gather into one body, mass, or force. |
| drastic adjective | /ˈdɹæs.tɪk/ | Having a strong or far-reaching effect; extreme, severe. |
| household adjective | /ˈhaʊshoʊld/ | Belonging to the same house and family. |
| mood noun | /muːd/ | A mental or emotional state, composure. |
| helpful adjective | /ˈhɛlp.fl̩/ | Furnishing help; giving aid; useful. |
| lately adverb | /ˈleɪt.li/ | Recently; not long ago; of late; not long since. |
| vacation noun | /veɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/ | An extended trip or journey away from home for rest or pleasure. |
| efficiency noun | /ɪˈfɪʃ.ən.si/ | The extent to which a resource is used for the intended purpose. |
| alert adjective | /əˈlɝt/ | Attentive; awake; on guard. |
| difficulty noun | /ˈdɪfɪkəlti/ | The state of being difficult, or hard to do. |
| physically adverb | /ˈfɪz.ɪ.kli/ | In a physical manner. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| end up verb | To bring to a conclusion. | |
| set aside verb | /sɛt.əˈsaɪd/ | To separate and reserve something for a specific purpose. |
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 | you've been having · Have you been having |
| “Used to” used to + verb — a past habit or state that is no longer true | used to have · used to be |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | people who are · someone who is · those who might |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | has done · we've mentioned |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 13 contractions and reduced forms, such as you're, can't, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: vacation /veɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/, efficiency /ɪˈfɪʃ.ən.si/, concentration /ˌkɑn.sənˈtɹeɪ.ʃən/, motivation /ˈmoʊ.tə.veɪ.ʃən/, dish /dɪʃ/
- Long words — get the stress right: efficiency /ɪˈfɪʃ.ən.si/, difficulty /ˈdɪfɪkəlti/, concentration /ˌkɑn.sənˈtɹeɪ.ʃən/, motivation /ˈmoʊ.tə.veɪ.ʃən/, notification /ˌnoʊtɪfɪˈkeɪʃn̩/
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 mentally, exhaust, 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.