Shadowing Practice: The Real Reason Your Habits Keep Failing and the 7 TINY Fixes That Actually Work! - Learn English Speaking with Video
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If you're watching right now, it means to me that you're ready for a reset.
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You're ready for a clean out.
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You're ready for a refocus.
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Maybe you're like, Jay, I just need to press that reset button
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so that I can restart and focus in the direction I want to go.
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I have used each of these habits to reset when I've been tired, low on energy, feeling no momentum,
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and feeling no motivation, and I have no idea how anyone functions without them.
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In seven days, you'll notice that these habits don't fight your life, they fit inside it.
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Each one meets you in the exact moment your mind starts to spiral.
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They don't demand more time, they reclaim the time your stress is already stealing.
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Small habits don't just change your days, they change the way your days feel.
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The number one health and wellness podcast.
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Jay Shetty.
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Jay Shetty.
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I have no idea how people get through their day without these habits.
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We all experience so much stress every day, whether you're running late for work, or a family member is creating drama, or you just had a falling out with a friend.
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These habits help you emotionally regulate no matter where you are.
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You can do these in bed, at home, in the car, on a bus or train, even in the bathroom.
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Number one, breath work, specifically the three breath reset.
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We've all heard about breathing.
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We've all talked about breathing, but we don't realize the value it actually offers.
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I remember my first day at monk school
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when I saw a young monk teaching younger monks and I was observing from afar.
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I then spoke to him afterwards and I asked him what he was teaching.
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He said it was their first day of school.
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And I said, well, what did you teach them on your first day of school?
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He said, well, what did you learn on your first day of school?
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I said, I think we learned like one, two, three, or ABC.
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I can't even remember.
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He said, well, I was teaching them how to breathe.
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And I said, wow, that's incredible.
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And he said to me, this 10 -year -old, 11 -year -old monk, he said to me, when you're happy, what changes?
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Your breath.
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When you're sad, what changes?
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Your breath.
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When you're stressed, what changes?
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Your breath.
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He said, your breath is connected to every emotion you experience in life.
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Your breath is the only thing that stays with you from the moment you're born to the moment you die.
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Your country you live in change, your family changes, your friend will change, but your breath is always there with you.
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He said to me, if you learn to master your breath, you'll master your life.
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We undervalue how useful our breath is in managing emotion, in regulating stress.
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Here's when to use this trick.
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When your phone buzzes with a message that makes your stomach drop.
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When you're stuck in traffic and you're already late when you're about to say something you will regret.
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Here's what I want you to do.
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Take three deliberate breaths.
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In for four seconds and out for six.
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The long exhales stimulate the vagus nerve, lowering heart rate and cortisol.
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It's the biological equivalent of hitting save before your emotions crash the file.
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And I know what you're thinking.
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Do you have heard it before?
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Three deep breaths.
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It didn't solve the problem.
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I still had an argument with my partner.
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Here's the reality.
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It doesn't fix the problem.
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It fixes the state you're in while facing the problem.
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Running late for work?
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Take a deep breath.
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Stuck in traffic?
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Take a deep breath.
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Disagreement with your partner?
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Take a deep breath.
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An email you can't stop rereading?
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Take a deep breath.
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When you're blamed for something small or ignored for something big, take a deep breath.
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When the phone doesn't buzz, when the message doesn't come, when the plans fall apart, take a deep breath.
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When you're halfway through explaining yourself and realize you don't need to, take a deep breath.
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When you feel like you're falling behind, falling short or just falling apart, take a deep breath.
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Because that breath is a border between reaction and response,
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between who you were a second ago and who you still have time to be.
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You don't need to fix the moment.
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You just need to pause inside it.
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Think about all the times you've said something you didn't mean.
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Think about all the times you've looked back on a moment and thought to yourself, I could have done that better.
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that breath allows you the ability to make something out of a bad situation.
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It is bad.
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The breath doesn't make it better.
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You are late.
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The breath doesn't make it better.
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It just allows you to not make more mistakes.
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It stops you from taking things down the wrong angle.
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Breathwork to me has been my companion, whether I'm about to go on stage and I'm nervous, or when I'm running late,
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I'm in the back of an Uber and I know I'm going to be late for this meeting, that's really important.
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All the way through to
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when I feel like I'm having an argument with someone I care about or even someone that's new to my life.
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It's really powerful.
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Even if you think about working out, what allows you to lift more?
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Your breath, right?
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What allows you to function when you're running?
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Your breath.
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If you think about athletes, they can run for the amount of time they can and exert the energy they can because they monitor their breath.
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If you think about singers who hit incredible notes, musicians who play wind instruments, they can hit those because of the control of their breath.
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So much beauty in life exists because of the control of our breath.
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Even if you look at boxes, They can hit with more energy, more precision when they master their breath.
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Breath is the single most underestimated tool and asset that each and everyone was gifted with since the moment we were born.
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It can manage stress, give you energy, refocus you, make you present.
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If you invest in one habit this month, this year, focus on breathing it will change the way you sleep, change the way you work out,
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change the way you eat.
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It's such an undervalued part of human life and you don't have to pay for it.
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And it's easy to learn.
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Breathe in for four and out for six to start.
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Number two, morning light, no scroll.
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When you're already scrolling before you've even left bed, here's how it works.
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Go outside, outside of your doorway, outside onto the lawn, outside onto your back tiny balcony,
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whatever it is, even just a window.
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For two to five minutes, expose yourself to natural light.
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Morning sunlight aligns your circadian rhythm.
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This is chronobiology in practice.
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Your body clock resets through your eyes.
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Why does this matter?
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You stop starting the day in comparison and chaos.
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Light before screens tells your brain it's morning, not a crisis.
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Think about this.
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Most of us don't wake up to light.
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We wake up to sound.
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And that sound is usually an alert or an alarm.
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Now let's talk about those two words.
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You need an alert when you need to be jolted.
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You need an alarm when there's an emergency.
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Every day we wake up in a state of emergency because we wake up to an alarm.
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The alarm triggers you to wake up with stress, with pressure, maybe even feeling tight chested.
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And all of a sudden you grab your phone in that moment.
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And now you have everyone telling you what you didn't do yesterday, what you've got to do today and what you forgot to do last week.
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We start our days at zero if you slept well.
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And now when you pick up your phone, you've added news, negativity and notifications.
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You're at a minus three and then you add noise to it, minus four.
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For the rest of your day, you're simply trying to climb up back to zero.
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And you may be saying, Jay, I don't live in a sunny climate.
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Outdoors, being in the light, right?
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Just being exposed to it.
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Remember the sun and the moon and the darkness
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and the light were the way we knew whether it was night and day.
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And that's how we function.
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Today, we work in the night and sleep in the day.
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But before we followed that natural rhythm, the alignment you create when you don't look at your phone first thing in the morning,
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just for five minutes, just for five minutes, your brain actually has the time to warm up.
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What's incredible is the ancient traditions of India talk about the practice of Surya Namaskar,
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which translates to sun salutations, to salute the sun.
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This is how people started their day.
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It was a ritual, a practice.
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Today, science has proved that starting your day off with sunlight is great for your circadian rhythm.
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Don't underestimate this free opportunity to start your day better than stress.
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We all want to feel better, to have more energy and more focus throughout the day.
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That's why I co -founded Juni, a sparkling adaptogenic drink made with powerful ingredients like ashwagandha and lion's mane.
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It's designed to boost your mood, support your focus, and give you natural energy.
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all without the crash.
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A new classic reimagined.
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We're so excited to officially launch our new lemonade iced tea flavor.
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When we created Junie, my goal was simple.
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I wanted to make drinks that help you feel balanced and energized without compromise.
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Our upgraded take on the classic Arnold Palmer is crisp, refreshing, and crafted with adaptogens to support energy,
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focus, and mood, all with zero sugar.
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Be among the first to try it.
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Available exclusively at drinkjunie .com, where you can use the code ONPURPOSE20 for 20 % off your first order.
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Cheers to your daily mood boost.
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Number three, I call this the two -minute tidy.
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Maybe after a long Zoom call when your desk looks like a crime scene.
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Maybe when you feel emotionally cluttered but don't know why.
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Here's how it works.
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Pick one small zone, your counter, your bag, your inbox, and give it two clean minutes.
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Visible order creates internal order.
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Small actions restore a sense of control and dopamine flow.
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And here's why it matters.
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When life feels messy, your environment becomes your mirror.
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Straighten the mirror, the reflection follows.
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Right?
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If you looked into a mirror and it was slightly tilted, or you have one of those ones that kind of move back and forth, you're not getting an accurate reflection.
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That's what your space can feel like.
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Have you ever noticed how clearing your space empties your mind?
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How when you can't focus on your work, if you clear your space, your thoughts kind of get clearer in order.
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If you can't focus on your work, clear your space.
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If you can't hear your own thoughts, clear your space.
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When everything feels heavy for no clear reason, clear your space.
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When your mood dips but nothing's wrong, clear your space.
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When the day feels stale, when your mind feels stuck, when your energy won't move, clear your space.
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When you don't know what you need, start by creating room to find out.
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Wipe the counter, fold the blanket, open the window, let light in.
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Let let air in, let you back in, because your space is an echo of your mind.
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Cluttered rooms equal cluttered thoughts.
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You can't always control what's happening inside you, but you can shape what's around you.
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Every time you clear your space, you tell your brain, we're safe now.
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Every surface you clear gives your mind permission to breathe.
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When I was in the monastery, I learned this statement that I want to share with you that changed my life.
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Location has energy, time has memory.
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When you do something in the space every day, it carries the energy.
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And when you do something at the same time every day, it carries the memory.
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But sometimes our spaces where we spend a lot of time get cluttered.
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We eat where we're meant to sleep, we sleep where we're meant to work, and we work where we're meant to eat.
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The energy is disorganized and so is the space.
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No wonder you can't focus on that table.
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No wonder you can't sleep in bed.
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Because the things that are around it, the space that's created, the energy that it holds doesn't allow for that rest or that focus.
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Two -minute tidy.
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We always say to ourselves, oh, I'll do it on the weekend.
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Oh, I need to find that one day to fix that space.
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Oh, I'll clean the whole house on the weekend.
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Two -minute tidy.
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Just sort your desk out.
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You'll feel focused.
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You'll be ready.
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Two -minute tidy.
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Just put the duvet right.
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You'll be ready two -minute tidy will solve so many challenges in your life.
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Give it a go.
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Number four, the gratitude text.
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Here's when to use it.
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When you're lonely scrolling on social media, send a text instead.
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When you feel unseen, undervalued, or quietly angry at everyone, send a gratitude text instead.
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Here's how it works.
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Send one genuine message, no long essay, just a few honest words.
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Hey, I just wanted to say I appreciate you.
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Studies show that gratitude boosts serotonin and strengthens emotional bonds.
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Here's how gratitude works.
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It shifts attention from what's missing to what's present.
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In a world of constant comparison, gratitude is rebellion.
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Did someone hold the door open for you?
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Say thank you.
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Did your coffee taste exactly right this morning?
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Say thank you.
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Did a friend text you just to check in?
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Say thank you.
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Did you wake up next to someone you love or simply wake up at all?
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Say thank you.
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When the sky looks ordinary, but the air feels kind.
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say thank you.
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When plans fall through, but peace shows up instead, say thank you.
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When the lesson hurt, but it taught you something true, say thank you.
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When nothing special happened, but nothing terrible did either, say thank you.
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Say thank you when it's easy.
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Say thank you when it's hard.
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Say thank you when you have enough, and especially when you think you don't because gratitude doesn't change what you have.
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It changes how you see what you have.
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Every time you say thank you, you remind your mind that not everything is missing.
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And every time you forget, life waits patiently to show you something else to be grateful for.
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I know gratitude sounds soft.
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I know it sounds weak.
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But studies show that when you're present in gratitude, you can't be anywhere else.
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If you're having an anxious thought, replace it with a grateful one.
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If you're having a worry -filled thought, have it replaced with a thankful one.
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You can't live in both places at once.
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It's an incredible, incredible trick of the mind.
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Write a two -minute message to one person personally, one person professionally.
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And if you can, be expressive, be specific, and be personal.
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If you get a message that just says, thank you, that's nice.
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But if you get a message that says, thank you so much for taking care of my friend when they were visiting,
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and I just want you to know that they felt really loved and cared for, you're allowing that opportunity for that person to repeat that behavior.
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When you reward something, that person will repeat it.
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We reward drama by paying it too much attention.
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We reward stress by paying it too much attention.
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let's reward good behavior, even if it's small.
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When you notice it, you'll notice it more.
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Number five, the 20 -second cold rinse.
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I know what you're thinking.
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Jay, I don't want to get in the cold.
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It's going to hurt.
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It's terrible.
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Here's when to try it.
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When you finish your shower, just right at the end of your shower, the last 30 seconds is a great place to do it, whatever time you shower.
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When you're hitting an energy slump, it's a great time to give it a go when you're anxious before a big meeting or a call.
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And by the way, it can't just be cold water on your face.
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You don't need to get in the shower if you're at work.
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When you need a reset, but you can't take a break, it's a great reset.
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Here's how it works.
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In the morning or the evening, end your shower with 20 seconds of cold water.
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That shock floods the body with norepinephrine, sharpening focus and mood for hours.
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Cold exposure activates resilient circuits, a microdose of discomfort that trains your brain for bigger stress.
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Here's why it matters.
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You start teaching yourself, discomfort isn't danger.
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I can do uncomfortable things.
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This one belief, this affirmation, I can do uncomfortable things.
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When you prove that to yourself in the morning with 20 seconds of cold, you come out of there with so much confidence, so much clarity, ready to hit the day.
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It doesn't make the day better.
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It gives you the inner confidence of dealing with the stresses that your day will throw at you better.
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And it's just 20 seconds.
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Number six, the one sentence journal.
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You might have heard about journaling before, but I feel a lot of us struggle with it.
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You struggle with, well, what do I write about every day?
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You struggle with like, how much do I write?
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Oh my God, there's three pages here.
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I've only got three paragraphs, maybe even less, three lines.
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I want you to try the one sentence journal.
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Here's when to use it.
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When you're lying in bed, replaying conversations or worrying about tomorrow.
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When your thoughts feel heavier than your day really was.
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Here's how it works.
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Write one line.
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Today I noticed.
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That's it.
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This simple cognitive reappraisal helps your brain file away experience instead of looping it.
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Here's why it matters.
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Your brain doesn't need a perfect ending to rest.
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It just needs closure.
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Today I noticed that gratitude isn't a grand gesture.
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It's a glance you decide to linger on.
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Tomorrow I'll notice something else.
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The way someone laughs The shape of the moon The way life keeps offering tiny miracles
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Disguised as ordinary moments
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Today I noticed how quiet the morning is Before I look
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at my phone Today I noticed how good the first sip of tea was
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When I'm not multitasking through it Today I noticed the barista knew my name And
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that it made me smile more than I expected Today I
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noticed my friends laugh On a voice note they sent to me Today I noticed a song I've played a hundred times.
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and still makes me feel something.
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Today I noticed I complain about the weather no matter what it's doing.
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Today I noticed how nice it felt when someone asked how I was and really waited for the answer.
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Today I noticed how much of life happens while I'm staring at a screen.
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It's not profound, just practice.
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The practice of looking up instead of scrolling down.
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Of paying attention before life becomes background noise, of realizing that small moments don't stay small unless you ignore them.
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The truth is noticing won't fix your life, but it will remind you that it's already happening right now in the middle of your ordinary day.
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Number seven, the 32nd future you check -in.
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Here's when to use it.
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When you're about to say yes to something, you don't want to do.
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When you're debating one more drink, one more scroll, or one more online order, here's how it works.
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Pause and ask, will future me thank me for this?
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That question activates the prefrontal cortex, the rational part of the brain interrupting impulse circuits.
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Here's why it matters.
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It reminds you that discipline isn't self -denial, It's self -respect delayed by 24 hours.
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Will future me thank me for hitting snooze again or getting up and taking care of the day before I get behind?
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Will future me thank me for saying yes to everything or for finally saying no and sticking to it?
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Will future me thank me for spending money to feel better or for saving it so I can actually be better later?
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Will future me thank me for sending that message in anger or for breathing before replying?
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Will future me thank me for scrolling through other people's lives or for living my own for a few quiet minutes?
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So before you decide, before you speak, before you spend, before you scroll, ask once softly.
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Will future me thank me for this?
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In seven days, you'll notice these habits don't fight your life.
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They fit inside it.
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Each one meets you in the exact moment your mind starts to spiral.
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They don't demand more time.
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They reclaim the time your stress is already stealing.
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Small habits don't just change your days.
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They change the way your days feel
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if you love this episode you will also love my interview
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with charles duhigg on how to hack your brain change any habit effortlessly
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and the secret to making better decisions look am i hesitating on this
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because i'm scared of making the choice because i'm scared of doing the work
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or am i sitting with this because it just doesn't feel right yet
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “The Real Reason Your Habits Keep Failing and the 7 TINY Fixes That Actually Work!”. This video has 339 sentences and 3617 words to shadow. The speech runs for 23:04. The speaker talks at a natural 157 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 86% 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
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| gratitude noun | /ˈɡɹæ.tɪ.tud/ | The state of being grateful. |
| scroll noun | /skɹoʊl/ | A roll of paper or parchment; a writing formed into a roll. |
| reset verb | /ɹiːˈsɛt/ | To set back to the initial state. |
| tidy adjective | /ˈtaɪ.di/ | Arranged neatly and in order. |
| clutter noun | /ˈklʌtɚ/ | A confused disordered jumble of things. |
| monk noun | /mʌŋk/ | A male member of a monastic order who has devoted his life for religious service. |
| rhythm noun | /ˈɹɪð.əm/ | The variation of strong and weak elements (such as duration, accent) of sounds, notably in speech or music, over time; a beat or meter. |
| 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. |
| circadian adjective | /sɚˈkeɪ.di.ən/ | Of, relating to, or showing rhythmic behaviour with a period of approximately 24 hours; especially of a biological process. |
| reclaim verb | /ɹɪˈkleɪm/ | To return land to a suitable condition for use. |
| refocus verb | to focus on something else | |
| undervalue verb | /ˌʌndə(ɹ)ˈvælju/ | To underestimate, or assign too low a value to (something or someone); to have too little regard for. |
| discomfort noun | /dɪsˈkʌmfɚt/ | Mental or bodily distress. |
| activate verb | /ˈæktɪˌveɪt/ | To encourage development or induce increased activity; to stimulate. |
| spiral noun | /ˈspaɪɹəl/ | A curve that is the locus of a point that rotates about a fixed point while continuously increasing its distance from that point. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| fall apart verb | To disintegrate, to break into pieces. | |
| work out verb | /ˌwɝk ˈaʊt/ | To calculate. |
| clean out verb | To clean, especially to tidy by removing the contents. | |
| fall behind verb | To be late (for a regular event) | |
| fall through verb | To be unsuccessful, come to nothing; to be cancelled; not to proceed. | |
| find out verb | To discover, as by asking or investigating. | |
| get behind verb | To come to believe or support something. | |
| get through verb | /ɡɛt ˈθɹu/ | To overcome; to endure. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- When you're sad, what changes?
- When you're stressed, what changes?
- Do you have heard it before?
- An email you can't stop rereading?
- What allows you to function when you're running?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Conditional sentences if + clause, will/would + verb — a condition and its result | if you love this episode you will also |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've been · have heard · you've said |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | is connected · was gifted · be jolted |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 121 contractions and reduced forms, such as you're, don't, can't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “th” sounds: rhythm /ˈɹɪð.əm/, thankful /ˈθæŋkfəl/, athlete /ˈæθ.liːt/
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: emotion /ɪˈməʊ.ʃən/, emotionally /ɪˈməʊʃənəli/, anxious /ˈæŋkʃəs/, reflection /ɹɪˈflɛkʃən/, affirmation /æfɝˈmeɪʃn/
- Long words — get the stress right: circadian /sɚˈkeɪ.di.ən/, undervalue /ˌʌndə(ɹ)ˈvælju/, emotionally /ɪˈməʊʃənəli/, uncomfortable /ʌnˈkʌm.fɚ.tə.bl̩/, ashwagandha /ˌʌʃwəˈɡʌndə/
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 gratitude, scroll, reset.
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.