Unit 5 · Health & Wellbeing · Lesson 23
Mind Matters
Learn how to talk about stress, mental health and support with the care and precision the topic needs. You'll practise respectful B2 vocabulary so you can listen well, share honestly and avoid stigmatising language.
Warm-up · §1
5 minGet talking
How do you know when you're stressed — before anyone else notices?
Who do you talk to when things get heavy? Why that person?
Name one small habit that genuinely helps your mental wellbeing.
Grammar focus · §2
8–10 minSensitive vocabulary — accurate, not clinical
Quick rule
Use 'struggle with', 'go through', 'feel overwhelmed', 'reach out'. Avoid 'crazy', 'weak', 'just stressed'.
Pattern builder
Struggle with
subject + struggle with + [issue]
e.g. I've been struggling with sleep.
Go through
subject + be going through + [phase]
e.g. She's going through a rough patch.
Feel overwhelmed
subject + feel overwhelmed (by)
e.g. I felt overwhelmed by everything at once.
Reach out
subject + reach out to + [person]
e.g. He finally reached out to a friend.
Getting support
subject + be getting support / help / therapy
e.g. She's getting support from her GP.
Compare
| Avoid | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| He's crazy. | He's going through a really hard time. | 'Crazy' is stigmatising and vague. |
| She's just stressed. | She's genuinely struggling with anxiety. | 'Just' minimises what's real. |
| Man up. | It's okay to ask for help. | 'Man up' is gendered and unhelpful. |
| I'm depressed today. | I'm feeling really low today. | Depression is a diagnosis, not a mood. |
Examples
- →
I've been going through a bit of a rough patch.
- →
She's been struggling with anxiety for a while.
- →
I felt completely overwhelmed last week.
- →
If you're not okay, reach out — even to one person.
- →
It's okay to not be okay.
- →
He's been feeling really low, but he's getting support.
Common mistakes
I am overwhelmed of work.
✓ I'm overwhelmed BY work. / I feel overwhelmed WITH work.
'Overwhelmed' takes by/with, not 'of'.
He reached out me.
✓ He reached out TO me.
'Reach out' takes 'to'.
She has an anxiety.
✓ She has anxiety. / She has an anxiety disorder.
'Anxiety' is uncountable when it's the feeling/condition.
Natural English
'It's okay to not be okay.' is a very common English phrase — used in campaigns, cards and conversations. Learn it as a chunk.
Deep dive (full explanation)
Talking about mental health at B2 means choosing words that are accurate but not stigmatising, personal but not oversharing. 'To struggle with', 'to be going through a rough patch', 'to feel overwhelmed', 'to reach out' are all natural B2 phrases. Avoid outdated or reductive labels ('crazy', 'lazy', 'weak'). Say 'has depression / anxiety', not 'is depressed / anxious' when talking about someone else's diagnosis.
Question 1.Most respectful:
Question 2.Correct preposition:
Question 3.Correct verb:
Question 4.Best B2 phrase for a bad phase:
Question 5.Most natural:
Build the sentence → spot the natural chunks → say it aloud → reply like a real conversation.
1.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.
2.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.
3.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.
Quick check 1.Most respectful:
Quick check 2.Correct preposition:
Vocabulary · §3
5–7 minWords & phrases to own
to struggle with
to have difficulty coping with.
a rough patch
a difficult period in your life.
to feel overwhelmed
to feel it's all too much.
to reach out
to contact someone for support.
to open up
to talk honestly about your feelings.
to burn out
to collapse from long-term stress.
to be there for someone
to give consistent support.
to check in on
to make sure someone is okay.
to feel low
to feel sad, flat or unmotivated.
self-care
things you do to protect your wellbeing.
Activate it now
Talk about your real experiences — share only what you're comfortable sharing.
- Make it yours#1
Describe a time you felt overwhelmed. What helped?
to feel overwhelmed - Your view#2
Is 'self-care' overused, or genuinely useful language? Why?
self-care - Complete#3
Finish: 'The person I'm most likely to reach out to is ___ because ___ .'
to reach out - Rank#4
Rank most helpful → least helpful when a friend is low: listening, giving advice, distracting them, checking in the next day.
to be there for someoneto check in on - Discuss#5
What's one way you 'check in on' the people you love?
to check in on
Tap an item on the left, then tap its match on the right.
Pronunciation · §4
3–4 minSoftening intonation on sensitive words
When you talk about how someone feels, drop your pitch slightly and slow down. Rising, quick delivery on words like 'struggling' or 'overwhelmed' sounds dismissive. Low, slow delivery sounds caring.
- She's been STRUGGling for a WHILE.
- It's OKAY to NOT be OKAY.
- I've been FEELing a bit OVERwhelmed.
- REACH OUT if you NEED to.
Reading · §5
8–10 minThe Words We Use About the Mind
Listen to the passage
Tap play to listen. Replay as many times as you need.
The language of mental health has changed more in the last ten years than in the previous fifty. 'Nervous breakdown' has quietly disappeared. 'Snap out of it' is heard less and less. In their place: 'going through a rough patch', 'struggling with anxiety', 'not okay right now'. This matters more than it sounds. Old language treated the mind as a personal weakness. Newer language treats it as a health issue — the same kind you might have with your back or your sleep. Someone with anxiety doesn't 'need to relax'; they may need therapy, support, or simply time. The words we use decide how easy it is for people to ask for help. At work, the shift shows up in small phrases: managers now ask 'How are you really?' at check-ins. Colleagues offer to 'be there' without needing details. Sick leave for mental health is, in most workplaces, treated the same as sick leave for anything else. At home, the same rule applies. If someone opens up to you, you don't need the perfect answer. You need three things: listen, don't rush to fix it, and check in again a few days later. That, quietly, is what 'being there' means. And if you're the one struggling: reach out. To one person. Today. It doesn't have to be a professional. It doesn't have to be a whole speech. 'I'm not okay' is enough of a sentence to start.
Question 1.What has replaced 'snap out of it', according to the writer?
Question 2.Why does the language matter?
Question 3.What three things does the writer suggest when someone opens up?
Question 4.What does the writer say is 'enough of a sentence to start'?
Q1.Older language treated the mind as a personal weakness.
Q2.You need the perfect answer when someone opens up.
Q3.You have to reach out to a professional first, according to the writer.
Listening · §6
8–10 minA colleague checking in on another (about 1:30)
Listening audio
Tap play to listen. Replay as many times as you need.
Show transcript
Maya:Hey — got a minute? I just wanted to check in properly.
Tom:Yeah, of course.
Maya:You've seemed a bit off the last two weeks. I'm not fishing — just, how are you, really?
Tom:Honestly? I've been going through a rough patch. Nothing dramatic. Just… overwhelmed.
Maya:I'm really glad you told me. Is it work, or outside?
Tom:Both, a bit. I haven't been sleeping. I've been feeling low for a few weeks.
Maya:Have you spoken to anyone — a GP, or the employee support line?
Tom:Not yet. I've been meaning to reach out.
Maya:Okay. No pressure. I'll check in on Friday. And if you need to leave early any day this week, just tell me — no explanation needed.
Tom:Thanks, Maya. Really.
Question 1.How does Maya open the conversation?
Question 2.How does Tom describe it?
Question 3.What has Tom NOT yet done?
Question 4.What does Maya promise?
Exam skills · §7
5 minStrategy focus — Sensitive topics in Speaking Part 3
Task
Speaking Part 3 can touch on stress, wellbeing or health. Learners who only say 'stressed' and 'tired' cap themselves at B1.
Strategy
Use ONE precise phrase per turn: 'going through a rough patch', 'struggling with sleep', 'feeling overwhelmed'. Add a hedge — 'in my experience', 'from what I've seen' — to keep the tone respectful.
Example
In my experience, most people struggle with the same three things: sleep, workload and comparison. When someone's going through a rough patch, they don't need advice — they need someone to listen and check in again a few days later.
Practice · §8
8–10 minFill in the blank
Question 1.She's been ___ through a rough patch.
Question 2.I've been feeling ___ by everything at once.
Question 3.If you're not okay, ___ out — even to one person.
Question 4.I just wanted to ___ in on you.
Question 5.He's been feeling really ___ for a few weeks.
Question 6.It's okay to not ___ okay.
Q1.'I've been ___ through a rough patch.'
Q2.'It's okay to not ___ okay.'
Q3.'She finally reached ___ to a friend.'
Writing · §9
5 minPut it in writing
Your task
Write a 130–170 word message to a friend or colleague you're worried about. Use at least FOUR sensitive-vocabulary phrases from this lesson. Don't diagnose them — offer to listen.
Your answer
Show model answer
Hi Rae, I hope this is okay to send. I've been thinking about you a lot this week. You've seemed a bit off since the project ended, and I just wanted to check in properly — not fish for details, just say I've noticed. If you're going through a rough patch, I'm here. You don't have to explain anything. You don't have to be having a crisis for it to count. Feeling overwhelmed, feeling low, not sleeping — all of those are enough of a reason to talk to someone. It might be worth reaching out to your GP, if you haven't already. But honestly, tonight, I'd love to just meet for a walk. No advice, no fixing. Just a slow lap of the park and a coffee afterwards. It's okay to not be okay. I'll check in again on Sunday either way. Love, Sam
Speaking · §10
10–15 minMake it a real conversation
ROLEPLAY — The Check-In. Your partner (or teacher) plays a friend who has seemed 'a bit off' for weeks. Ask how they really are, listen, and offer support using at least FOUR phrases from this lesson. Then swap.
Useful phrases
- • How are you, really?
- • You've seemed a bit off — no pressure to talk.
- • It sounds like you're going through a rough patch.
- • It's okay to not be okay.
- • Have you reached out to anyone?
- • I'm here if you want to talk — or not talk.
- • I'll check in on you on ___.
- FriendI haven't been sleeping. I feel like I'm just holding it together.
- You_______________
- FriendI don't want to make a big deal of it.
- You_______________
- FriendI'm not sure what to do.
- You_______________
Optional · Teacher-led
Teacher Activities
Optional teacher-led activities. This lesson deals with sensitive topics — set expectations about privacy first. ~25 min total
Homework · §11
Take-homeTake it home
Write the 150-word check-in message above to a real or invented friend.
Record a 60-second voice note describing something that helps YOUR wellbeing, using at least three phrases from this lesson.
Write true sentences using: struggle with, rough patch, feel overwhelmed, reach out, open up, be there for, check in on, feel low, self-care.
Watch a 3-minute mental health awareness clip. Note two respectful phrases you hear.
Recap · §12
2–3 minWhat you've learned
- You can talk about mental health with respectful, accurate B2 vocabulary.
- You can check in on someone kindly, without demanding details.
- You can offer support without rushing to fix things.