Prática de Shadowing: Why You Can't Focus: Is It ADHD or Just Stress? - Aprenda a falar inglês com vídeo

Escolha um modo de prática

Cada modo abre uma sala de prática em tela cheia.

154 frases

Se as frases estiverem muito curtas ou longas, clique em Edit para ajustá-las.

Why can one socially stressful interaction make you forget what you were doing, lose your train of thought, and feel as though your ADHD suddenly got worse?

Or, if you've never been diagnosed, make you wonder whether you have ADHD?

Maybe these sound familiar.

You leave a tense meeting, and you can't settle into the next task.

You read the same sentence several times without taking it in.

You walk into a room and forget why you were there.

You had something to say, and a few seconds later, it's gone.

Those are examples of executive function being disrupted.

Social stress can temporarily interfere with some of the same functions that are difficult in ADHD.

That overlap can be confusing because the problems may come and go depending on the amount of social pressure you're under.

I'm Dr. Tracy Marks, a psychiatrist, and I teach practical neuroscience to help you think clearly and stay steady under pressure.

Today, I want to explain how social threat can affect executive function, how to look for the larger pattern without trying to diagnose yourself from one bad day,

and what can help when you need to return to a task.

This video can't diagnose you with ADHD or rule it out, and stress doesn't cause ADHD.

A stressful period can make existing ADHD symptoms more noticeable,

and it can temporarily disrupt attention and working memory in someone who doesn't have ADHD.

The broader pattern helps you sort out which explanation or combination fits you.

Executive function is the brain's capacity to direct attention and behavior toward a goal.

It includes several skills, but I'm going to organize this discussion around three of them.

Shifting, updating, and inhibition.

Shifting is moving from one task, thought, or perspective to another.

Updating is monitoring what you're holding in working memory and replacing information that's no longer relevant to what matters right now.

Working memory is more than just storage.

It's an active mental workspace that has to keep changing as the situation changes.

So that's shifting and updating.

The third function is inhibition.

Inhibition is suppressing information or responses that interfere with the goal.

That could mean ignoring a notification, holding back an immediate reaction, or keeping an unrelated thought from taking over the task.

Executive function difficulties are common in ADHD, but ADHD is broader than executive function alone.

These same functions can also be affected by stress, sleep, interest, structure, and the demands of a new situation.

Now, imagine you're in a meeting with someone who's criticizing your work.

Maybe the feedback is fair.

Maybe the tone was snippier than it needed to be.

Maybe you can't tell what the person meant.

The meeting ends and you're expected to open a document and continue working, but you're sitting at your desk staring at the screen or fiddling on your phone.

The first problem you're having may be shifting.

The meeting is over on the calendar, but your attention is still assigned to it.

Your mind reviews the wording, the facial expressions, what you've said, and what you wish you had said.

And you may also be trying to predict what happens next.

Is this a small correction?

Is someone disappointed in me?

Is there a larger problem that hasn't been stated directly?

Those questions can keep circling in your mind well after the meeting's over.

Then you open and read the first paragraph and just nothing registers.

You check your email, return to the document, and replay the meeting again, perhaps with a more satisfying version of what you could have said.

From the outside, this can look like procrastination or distractibility, but internally, the brain hasn't completed the transition.

You're physically in the next task while your attention is still working on the previous interaction.

The second problem may be updating.

Working memory can only keep a limited amount of information active at one time.

Think of it as a mental whiteboard.

Part of the board is occupied by what was said, what it might mean, and what you need to do about it.

The information needed for the task that you have to complete now has to compete for that leftover space.

This can be what's happening when you lose the thread of a conversation.

Forget what you were about to say miss a part of a multi-step instruction, or walk into a room and forget why you went there.

The new information may enter working memory, but not stay there long enough to guide you into what you're supposed to be doing next.

Then the third thing that could be happening is problems with inhibition.

After a socially stressful interaction, it may be harder to filter out competing thoughts and distractions.

You may keep getting pulled toward a notification, someone's facial expression, or a pause in the conversation,

or even, you know, get stuck on the urge to explain yourself.

That can make some people interrupt more,

over-explain, ask for reassurance, or respond before they've had time to fully process what happened.

Now, stress doesn't affect this filtering system the same way for everyone.

Some people react more quickly or say more than they intended.

Others become super hesitant or overly cautious or stuck trying to respond in just the right way.

So impulsivity alone isn't the best sign to focus on.

You're more likely to notice that you get mentally stuck, lose your train of thought, forget details, or have trouble shifting to the next task.

And this can be confusing because it can look like inattention.

But your attention may be tied up with replaying the interaction.

and that leaves less room to focus on the report, the next conversation.

It can look like ADHD in the moment, but it doesn't tell you whether or not you have ADHD.

For that, you have to look at the pattern over time.

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition.

For an ADHD diagnosis, the pattern has to be persistent.

Several symptoms need to have been present before age 12, even if no one recognized the condition until you were an adult.

The symptoms also need to show up in more than one setting and interfere with daily life.

A clinician has to consider whether something else explains the symptoms better.

You can think about the pattern in four parts, timeline, context, persistence, and baseline.

And this isn't a self-test.

It just helps you sort out whether the problem looks temporary, longstanding, or worth evaluating.

So first, when did these problems start?

Were you having similar problems before the stressful period?

Did you regularly lose things, miss instructions, struggle to finish routine tasks, or need a lot of reminders to stay on track?

If you don't remember much about your childhood, you can look at old school reports or talk to family members about what they observed.

Then, where does it happen?

Is it showing up at work and at home, during routine tasks and relationships, and even when you're relatively calm?

Or does it mainly happen after criticism, or when you feel watched, when you're not sure where you stand with someone?

Next, how long does it last?

Does it keep happening after you've slept, had time to recover, or stepped away from the stressful situation?

Or does your thinking improve once the pressure passes?

And what is your attention at baseline when you feel safe, rested, interested, and unobserved?

Looking at how long it lasts helps, but it doesn't completely settle the diagnosis.

People with ADHD can focus much better under some conditions, especially when something is interesting, urgent, new, or highly structured.

So after you look at the overall pattern, three possibilities are still on the table.

One, the executive function problem may be temporary and mainly related to social stress.

Two, you may have ADHD and the stress may be making a long-standing pattern more noticeable.

Or three, you may have both, a long-standing ADHD pattern and a separate temporary drop in executive function from the social stress.

One difficult afternoon can't tell you which explanation fits.

What matters is how the problem behaves over time and across settings.

If these problems keep showing up across settings, interfere with your life, or go back to childhood, that's a reason to consider a formal evaluation.

100

But what can you do in the moment when the interaction is over and you still can't get back to work?

101

Before you push yourself into the next task, give your brain a chance to come down from the interaction.

102

If it's still replaying what happened and watching for what comes next, you'll have a harder time shifting, remembering, planning, and filtering distractions.

103

So here's what you can do.

104

First, make a physical break.

105

Stand up.

106

Change rooms.

107

Put down the phone.

108

Turn your chair away from the screen.

109

The moment helps separate what just happened from what you're doing next.

110

Then use a brief reset.

111

This is where I use a practice called look up.

112

Lift your head and look away from the screen and let your eyes take in more of the room.

113

Notice the edges of the room, like the view through a window or the horizon if you can see it.

114

You're not really looking for anything.

115

You're just letting your focus widen.

116

You can pair this with a slower breath or another brief reset that works for you.

117

The goal is to interrupt that narrowed, stuck state before you go back to the task.

118

Sometimes 90 seconds is enough.

119

Sometimes it isn't.

120

You may still need to think about the interaction or decide whether to follow up.

121

You're not ignoring it.

122

You're just keeping it from taking over everything that comes next.

123

Then get the next task out of your head and put it somewhere where you can see it.

124

Write one sentence.

125

My next task is to finish the paragraph.

126

Or I need to verify three numbers.

127

Or I need to send one reply before confirming the appointment.

128

Your working memory already has a lot in it, so don't make it carry the whole plan for you.

129

That sentence gives you something clear to return to if your attention drifts.

130

Then take the first step in that task.

131

Open the document.

132

Read the first instruction.

133

Put the first item on the desk.

134

You're not trying to complete the whole task just yet.

135

You're making it easier to get started.

136

After you've had a little time to settle, check again.

137

Can you follow the task now?

138

Can you hold the next step in mind?

139

Is the interaction taking up most of your attention?

140

If you can focus better after these steps, that suggests that stress was part of what was getting in the way.

141

It doesn't rule out ADHD, and if you can't focus, that doesn't confirm ADHD either.

142

You can still be tired, upset, short on sleep, or need more time to settle after the interaction.

143

This is why recovery matters so much for thinking.

144

If your brain spent the last hour monitoring tone, conflict, or judgment, you may have less attention available, even after the conversation is over.

145

You can leave the room both peopled out and mentally disorganized.

146

So social pressure can disrupt executive function, and work can amplify that.

147

Hierarchy, evaluation, and uncertainty can keep the threat response active longer and make it harder to regain your focus.

148

In the next video, I'll talk about why your brain can start treating your boss like a threat.

149

So here's the takeaway for today.

150

If social stress seems to scramble your focus, don't assume one bad afternoon tells you what the problem is.

151

It could be a temporary state effect, ADHD, or both.

152

Looking at the larger pattern helps you decide what to do next.

153

Thanks for watching today.

154

See you next time.

Baixar aplicativo

Tudo o que você precisa para falar fluentemente

Pronúncia com IANota em cada frase

Prática de IPADomine cada som

VocabulárioMonte seu banco de palavras

Jogo de vocabulárioAprenda brincando

Escaneie o QR

Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play

Mesmo canal

FOR YOU

Vídeo recomendado

23 frases

How You Feel and What You Do Don't Need to Correlate

Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults

209 frases

English Word Stress - 5 Reasons you MUST learn to stress words correctly.

Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults

74 frases

How Bad Is Your Attention Span? (self test) [CC]

Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults

182 frases

ADHD Isn’t Just Low Dopamine: Why More Stimulation Can Backfire

Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults

318 frases

10 Tiny Micro Habits to Start Regulating Your Nervous System

Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults

87 frases

Thinking Too Much About The Past? This One Strategy Can Help

Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students

382 frases

If YOU Can’t Focus, You NEED to See This (Science Backed)

Business EnglishDaily ConversationUniversity Students

40 frases

English shadowing | Time Management | Level B2 | How to improve English

Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults

150 frases

How to Study When You Have No Motivation ( 7 Psychology-Based Strategies)

Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults

116 frases

[B2] Stay Focused & Avoid Distractions 🎯 | Deep Work & Productivity English

Business EnglishUniversity StudentsWorking Adults

Vocabulário e dicas de fala para esta lição

Esta aula de conversação de nível B2 usa o vídeo “Why You Can't Focus: Is It ADHD or Just Stress?”. As palavras que mais se repetem: Adhd, task, function, interaction, pattern. Este vídeo tem 154 frases e 1977 palavras para praticar shadowing. A fala dura 11:52. O falante fala em ritmo natural, cerca de 167 palavras por minuto, próximo de uma conversa do dia a dia. 86% das palavras estão entre as 3.000 mais comuns do inglês; vale a pena estudar o restante antes de começar.

Vocabulário principal deste vídeo

As 15 palavras mais avançadas do vídeo, com pronúncia e significado:

Palavra	Pronúncia	Significado
distress substantivo	/dɪˈstɹɛs/	desconforto
stressful adjetivo	/ˈstɹɛsfəl/	estressante, stressante
inhibition substantivo	/ɪnhɪˈbɪʃən/	inibição
symptom substantivo	/ˈsɪm(p)təm/	sintoma
diagnose verbo	/ˈdaɪ.əɡˌnoʊs/	diagnosticar
disrupt verbo	/dɪsˈɹʌpt/	interromper, impedir
instruction substantivo	/ɪnˈstɹʌkʃən/	instrução
interrupt verbo	/ˌɪntəˈɹʌpt/	interromper
confuse verbo	/kənˈfjuːz/	confundir
baseline substantivo	/ˈbeɪslaɪn/	referência
distraction substantivo	/dɪsˈtɹæk.ʃən/	distracção, distração
reset verbo	/ɹiːˈsɛt/	repor, restaurar
notification substantivo	/ˌnoʊtɪfɪˈkeɪʃn̩/	notificação
socially advérbio	/ˈsoʊʃəli/	socialmente
paragraph substantivo	/ˈpæɹəɡɹæf/	parágrafo

Phrasal verbs que você vai ouvir

Palavra	Significado
sort out verbo	resolver, esclarecer
take over verbo	tomar posse de, apoderar-se de
rule out verbo	riscar
stand up verbo	levantar

Frases que vale a pena repetir

Frases curtas e completas do vídeo que você pode usar na conversa do dia a dia:

Is someone disappointed in me?
Were you having similar problems before the stressful period?
Can you follow the task now?
Can you hold the next step in mind?
Is the interaction taking up most of your attention?

Gramática neste vídeo

As estruturas que o falante mais usa, com as palavras exatas do vídeo:

Estrutura	No vídeo
Present perfect have/has + particípio passado — uma ação passada que ainda importa agora	you've never been diagnosed · you've said · hasn't been stated
Voz passiva be + particípio passado — o foco está no que acontece, não em quem faz	been diagnosed · being disrupted · be affected

Pronúncia para ficar de olho

O falante usa 48 contrações e formas reduzidas, como you're, doesn't, can't. Diga-as na forma curta, do jeito que você ouve.

Os sons de “sh” e “zh”: inhibition /ɪnhɪˈbɪʃən/, instruction /ɪnˈstɹʌkʃən/, distraction /dɪsˈtɹæk.ʃən/, notification /ˌnoʊtɪfɪˈkeɪʃn̩/, socially /ˈsoʊʃəli/
Palavras longas — acerte a sílaba tônica: inhibition /ɪnhɪˈbɪʃən/, notification /ˌnoʊtɪfɪˈkeɪʃn̩/, temporarily /ˌtɛmpəˈɹɛɹəli/, disorganized /dɪsˈɔːɡənaɪzd/, procrastination /pɹəʊˌkɹæs.tɪˈneɪ.ʃən/

Sons difíceis para falantes de português:

Consoante final — sem acrescentar um “i” depois: disrupt /dɪsˈɹʌpt/, interrupt /ˌɪntəˈɹʌpt/, reset /ɹiːˈsɛt/, disorganized /dɪsˈɔːɡənaɪzd/, hesitant /ˈhɛzɪtənt/
/l/ final — a língua toca o céu da boca, não vira “u”: stressful /ˈstɹɛsfəl/, facial /ˈfeɪ.ʃəl/
/h/ — um sopro suave, diferente do “r”: inhibition /ɪnhɪˈbɪʃən/, hesitant /ˈhɛzɪtənt/, hierarchy /ˈhaɪ.ə.ɹɑː(ɹ).ki/, behave /bɪˈheɪv/, horizon /həˈɹaɪ.zən/

Como praticar com este vídeo

Ouça o vídeo inteiro uma vez sem falar e anote as palavras que você não conhece.
Comece na velocidade 0,75×, faça shadowing frase por frase e volte à velocidade normal quando ficar fácil.
Grave a sua voz e compare com o original, prestando atenção a palavras como distress, stressful, inhibition.

O que é a Técnica de Shadowing?

Shadowing é uma técnica de aprendizado de idiomas com base científica, originalmente desenvolvida para o treinamento de intérpretes profissionais. O método é simples, mas poderoso: você ouve áudio em inglês nativo e repete imediatamente em voz alta — como uma sombra seguindo o falante com 1-2 segundos de atraso. Pesquisas mostram melhora significativa na precisão da pronúncia, entonação, ritmo, sons conectados, compreensão auditiva e fluência na fala.

Técnica de shadowing: leia o guia completo passo a passo →

Prática de Shadowing: Why You Can't Focus: Is It ADHD or Just Stress? - Aprenda a falar inglês com vídeo

Escolha um modo de prática

Baixar aplicativo

Mental Debugging: How to Build Resilience After Failure

Why You Snap at Small Things (It’s Not Your Fault)

Why Knowing Better Doesn’t Help in the Moment

How To Build a Strong Mind: New Focus on Resilience

Why You Can't Stop Worrying About the Future

Want a Stronger Mind? Start With These 3 Micro Habits

How To Visualize Your Success: Mental Rehearsal To Build Resilience

A Psychiatrist Explains "Quiet Cracking" (While Your Work Still Looks Fine)

Why You Still Feel Drained After Taking Time Off

Why You're Exhausted After Meetings (Even If You Didn't Speak)

5 Signs Chronic Stress Is Damaging Your Brain

The Science of How Your Brain Forms Habits (and How to Take Control)

Which Exercise Actually Wins for Brain Health?

Setbacks vs. Failure: Why Your Brain Gets Trapped in Negative Loops

Always Angry? Try This Technique Before The Next Blow Up

The Real Reason You Always Imagine the Worst

Poor Communicator or The Silent Treatment? How to Deal With It

Why Can’t You Sleep When Work Seems to Be Going Fine?

How You Feel and What You Do Don't Need to Correlate

English Word Stress - 5 Reasons you MUST learn to stress words correctly.

How Bad Is Your Attention Span? (self test) [CC]

ADHD Isn’t Just Low Dopamine: Why More Stimulation Can Backfire

10 Tiny Micro Habits to Start Regulating Your Nervous System

Thinking Too Much About The Past? This One Strategy Can Help

If YOU Can’t Focus, You NEED to See This (Science Backed)

English shadowing | Time Management | Level B2 | How to improve English

How to Study When You Have No Motivation ( 7 Psychology-Based Strategies)

[B2] Stay Focused & Avoid Distractions 🎯 | Deep Work & Productivity English

Vocabulário e dicas de fala para esta lição

Vocabulário principal deste vídeo

Phrasal verbs que você vai ouvir

Frases que vale a pena repetir

Gramática neste vídeo

Pronúncia para ficar de olho

Como praticar com este vídeo

O que é a Técnica de Shadowing?