The Mental Health lesson

The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places. — Ernest Hemingway, “A Farewell To Arms”

Intro

This lesson idea is meant to raise awareness and understanding on the topic while also helping students become aware of the vocabulary associated with mental health and stress. The language focus in this lesson is on ‘giving advice’. Stem sentences for giving advice are useful in any context but particularly here. There is also a role play speaking activity in which students have an opportunity to practice the language and vocabulary that is taught. Most of the material here is for Upper-Intermediate classes but if you have a strong Intermediate class you can adapt it for them by selecting certain parts of the ideas here that suits them but is still challenging. If you are looking for lesson ideas, check the lesson idea page for more. By becoming a member you gain free access to all the lessons.

Warm-Up

Quote:

Project the quote or write it on the board and ask the class to discuss in pairs briefly, what it means to them and provide an example that justifies their explanation. Do some light feedback here just to get the ball rolling before leading in with the warm-up below.

1. Warm-Up (10 minutes)

Objective: Activate prior knowledge and introduce the topic.

• Activity: Write the phrase “Mental Health” on the board and ask students:

• What comes to mind when you hear this term?

• Can you name any activities or habits that support mental health?

• Collect their ideas as a mind map.

Vocabulary

Extended Vocabulary List

Nouns

1. Well-being.  2. Anxiety.  3. Depression.  4. Therapy.  5. Resilience.  6. Mindfulness.  7. Support system.  8. Burnout.  9. Coping mechanism.  10. Stigma

Adjectives

11. Overwhelmed.  12. Resilient.  13. Anxious.  14. Mindful.  15. Compassionate

Verbs

16. Cope (with). 17. Manage (stress/emotions).  18. Overcome (challenges).  19. Vent (feelings).  20. Seek (help/support)

Phrasal Verbs

21. Open up (about feelings).  22. Calm down.  23. Look after (yourself).  24. Bounce back (from adversity).  25. Bottle up (emotions)

Vocabulary exercise

For the adjectives, verbs and phrasal verbs you can do this synonyms activity in which students have to match the words with their synonyms

Adjectives

11. Overwhelmed – Struggle

12. Resilient –  Strength

13. Anxious – Concern

14. Mindful – Focused

15. Compassionate – Empathetic

Verbs

16. Cope (with) – Deal with

17. Manage (stress/emotions) – Handle

18. Overcome (challenges) – Get through

19. Vent (feelings) – Emotional outlet

20. Seek (help/support) – Look for

Phrasal Verb focused Vocabulary:

1. Break down – To lose emotional control or have a mental collapse.

Example: She broke down after weeks of stress at work.

2. Cheer up – To feel or make someone feel happier.

Example: Talking to friends always cheers me up.

3. Get over – To recover from something challenging, like stress or sadness.

Example: It took her months to get over her anxiety after the accident.

4. Snap out of – To suddenly stop feeling sad or upset.

Example: It’s hard to snap out of feeling overwhelmed, but exercise can help.

5. Go through – To experience a difficult or emotional time.

Example: Many people go through rough patches in life.

6. Reach out – To seek help or support.

Example: Don’t hesitate to reach out if you’re struggling.

7. Turn to – To seek help, advice, or comfort from someone.

Example: He turned to his family for support.

8. Calm down – To become or make someone less upset or angry.

Example: Take deep breaths to calm down.

9. Open up – To share feelings or thoughts with someone.

Example: She finds it hard to open up about her emotions.

10. Work through – To deal with and resolve emotions or problems.

Example: It takes time to work through deep emotional pain.

Vocabulary exercise ideas

Context Sentences for Phrasal Verbs (Gap-Fill Activity)

1. She completely ________ after weeks of dealing with pressure at work.

2. When I feel down, my friends always help me ________.

3. It took him a while to ________ the disappointment of not getting the promotion.

4. You need to ________ of this negative mindset and focus on the positive.

5. Many people ________ hard times in their lives, but they eventually recover.

6. If you ever feel overwhelmed, don’t hesitate to ________ to a friend or family member.

7. When she felt confused about what to do, she ________ her mentor for advice.

8. Take a few deep breaths to help you ________ before speaking.

9. It can be tough to ________ about your struggles, but it’s the first step to healing.

10. Processing emotions takes time, so it’s important to ________ them gradually.

Answer Key

1. broke down. 2. cheer up.  3. get over.  4. snap out.  5. go through.  6. reach out   7. turned to.  8. calm down.  9. open up.  10. work through

Language Focus

For more scenarios and roles check the speaking section

Role-Play Activity (15 minutes)

Objective: Practice using vocabulary in context.

• Scenario:

• One student is a friend feeling stressed and anxious; another is a supportive listener offering advice.

• Provide phrases like “Have you tried…?”, “It’s okay to feel that way.”, “Maybe you could…”.

Additional Phrases for Offering Advice

• “Have you considered talking to someone about it?”

• “Maybe it would help to take a break and focus on yourself.”

• “Sometimes writing things down can help you process them.”

• “It’s okay to ask for help when you need it.”

• “Why don’t you try some deep breathing exercises?”

• “You might find it helpful to go for a walk or exercise.”

• “I’m here if you need someone to listen.”

• “You could think about setting small goals to start with.”

You can tell the students to use the stems of these sentences as in: “have you considered…?”, “Maybe it would help to….”, Why don’t you…”, “You might find it helpful to…” etc

Speaking

Objective: Encourage speaking fluency and sharing opinions.

• Prompt: Divide students into pairs or small groups to discuss:

1. Why is mental health important?

2. How do people in your country view mental health?

3. What activities help you stay mentally healthy?

• Follow-up: Share group insights with the class.

Use these Role play scenarios so students can use the language focus phrases and practice giving advice (see language focus and vocabulary sections)

Scenario 1: Stress About Exams

• Student A: A university student feeling stressed and unable to concentrate before an important exam.

• Student B: A supportive friend offering advice to help them manage their stress.

Scenario 2: Difficulty Adjusting to a New Environment

• Student A: Someone who recently moved to a new city and feels lonely and anxious.

• Student B: A coworker or classmate giving suggestions to help them adapt and meet new people.

Scenario 3: Feeling Burned Out at Work

• Student A: A professional feeling exhausted from working long hours.

• Student B: A colleague suggesting ways to achieve a better work-life balance.

Scenario 4: Overcoming a Fear of Public Speaking

• Student A: A person terrified of an upcoming presentation.

• Student B: A mentor or coach offering tips to boost their confidence.

Listening

This YouTube video provides background on stress and its effects on our brain as well as terminology related to the topic.

Here are some listening comprehension questions for the video:

1. What is the main topic of the video?

• The video discusses how stress impacts the brain.

2. According to the video, what are some common causes of chronic stress?

• Chronic stress can be caused by factors such as being overworked or having arguments at home.

3. What are some effects of chronic stress on the brain mentioned in the video?

• Chronic stress can affect brain size, its structure, and how it functions.

4. How does stress influence the size of the brain?

• The video explains that chronic stress can lead to changes in brain size.

5. What is one way to mitigate the negative effects of stress on the brain?

• The video suggests that certain activities or practices can help reduce the negative impacts of stress on the brain.

Here are some vocabulary questions based on the same video(optional):

1. What does the word “resilience” mean in the video?

• a) The ability to recover quickly from difficulties

• b) A state of constant stress and anxiety

• c) The process of making decisions under pressure

2. The video uses the word “trigger.” What does it mean in this context?

• a) To start or cause something to happen

• b) A type of brain cell

• c) To stop a process from continuing

3. What does the word “disrupt” mean when talking about stress and the brain?

• a) To change something in a positive way

• b) To cause something to stop working properly

• c) To improve the function of something

4. The speaker uses the word “cope.” What does it mean?

• a) To deal with or manage a difficult situation

• b) To ignore problems until they go away

• c) To make a situation worse by reacting emotionally

5. What does the phrase “take a toll on” mean in the video?

• a) To have a negative effect over time

• b) To improve someone’s health or well-being

• c) To help the brain grow stronger

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