May 31, 2018　=========

☆  obsessive  脅迫的な

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I might have been a bit obsessive this month talking about mental health! Mental health and mental care is an important topic though. One good example of this is in the USA. They have so many deaths each year from guns, and yet they never seem to implement gun control. There just seems to be too many people who are obsessive about the right to own guns.

So, in my humble opinion, if they aren’t able to change the gun laws, then perhaps they should be more obsessive about the mental health help that they provide to people. I’m not sure if that would help, but surelyRead more about Today’s Word: obsessive[…]

May 30, 2018　=========

☆  destructive  破壊的な

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Something that is destructive causes or is capable of causing harm or damage. For example, feelings of guilt can be very destructive. You may have heard of Daniel Goleman, who wrote the famous book, Emotional Intelligence (1995). He has written many other books, including one in 2002, Destructive Emotions: And how we can overcome them.

This book is basically an interview with the Dalai Lama, and it looks at ideas in science and philosophy and sees how they can work together, to help us recognize our destructive emotions such as hatred, anger, guilt and so on. It then offers insight into how we can recognize and transformRead more about Today’s Word: destructive[…]

May 29, 2018　=========

☆  psychological  精神的な

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Psychological describes something affecting or arising in the mind. Something that is related to the mental and emotional state of a person. So, someone who is in good mental health is at a level of psychological well-being, and they are functioning at a satisfactory level emotionally.

It’s interesting though, because what exactly is a “satisfactory level”? Right? A lot of this kind of psychological health is also cultural. With the heart or liver or other body part, doctors can easily say if we are healthy or not. However, with our psychological health, it is much more difficult don’t you agree? It is so subjective, who decides whatRead more about Today’s Word: psychological[…]

May 28, 2018　=========

☆  toxic  有害な

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Toxic is usually used to describe a substance that is poisonous, such as toxic waste. However, it is often used these days to describe a person or relationship that is not healthy and harmful to your mental health. So, you might have a toxic friend or be stuck in a toxic relationship for example.

When I was in primary school, I was bullied by my “best friend” … it was a strange situation. When it was just me and her, she was so nice, and acted like my best friend. But when other people were around, she was so mean to me! It was very confusing, andRead more about Today’s Word: toxic[…]

May 27, 2018　=========

☆  make excuses  言い訳をする

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When you make excuses or make an excuse, it means that you are giving a reason to explain why something has happened or not happened. My kids are experts at making excuses!! It’s usually when they answer “Why did you hit your brother?” Their answer is always (almost always) “Because he hit me first.” Sigh… Sometimes I don’t know whether to laugh or cry!

Another time when my kids are likely to make excuses is when there is a big mess to clean up. “Why haven’t you cleaned up XYZ?” and of course the answer is “Because he helped make the mess, so he should helpRead more about Today’s Word: make excuses[…]

May 26, 2018　=========

☆  panic  パニックになる

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If you panic, it means that you suddenly feel anxious or afraid, and act very quickly without thinking carefully. It’s interesting how people are so different in what kinds of things make them panic. When I lived in Japan, earthquakes made me panic so much, even the tiny ones. But I know that small earthquakes often don’t worry most people in Japan, right?

Now that I’m back in Australia, a lot of my friends who run, always panic during the “snake season” because they always worry they will see a snake when they are running in the hills. For me, though, this doesn’t make me panic soRead more about Today’s Word: panic[…]

May 25, 2018　=========

☆  function   機能する

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This word is usually used to describe a machine or a system that is functioning, in other words, it is working or operating. For example, “The business cannot function without local government support.”

However, in terms of mental care, we can also talk about people functioning – or not functioning. For example, in Australia, if your mental health suffers so much when you are working, that you cannot function properly and cannot do the work you are supposed to do, you can actually apply for the disability pension so that you can stop working. If you can still function, but are having trouble with mental health issues,Read more about Today’s Word: panic[…]

May 24, 2018　=========

☆  take ～ personally  ～をあてつけと受け取る

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If you take something personally, it means that you are upset because you think they are criticizing you in particular. Many years ago, I read a great book, The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. One of the agreements was, “Don’t take anything personally.” This one stuck in my mind and seemed so useful in every day life. When people say something, it’s never really a reflection of you, but rather something that they are feeling. So, remembering not to take it personally is a great way to avoid feeling angry or sad or even confused.

In Ruiz’s words, he says, “Don’t take anything personally.Read more about Today’s Word: take ～personally[…]

May 23, 2018　=========

☆  seek  求める

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Today’s word is a formal word that means contacting someone in order to ask them for help or advice. It’s been a long time since I thought about the past tense form of a verb, but I was thinking about this one – do you know the past tense form of this word? If you don’t know the answer, you could always seek help from an English teacher. 😉 ha ha

The past tense form of this verb is sought. So, you might seek advice from a boss after you sought advice from a coworker and didn’t get a good answer. You might not hear this wordRead more about Today’s Word: seek[…]

May 22, 2018　=========

☆  cajole  おだてる

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To cajole someone into doing something means to get them to do it after persuading them for some time. As a parent, I often find myself cajoling my kids into doing things! And this time, I’m not even talking about cleaning up! Ha ha.

Yep it’s true, I even have to cajole them into doing things that they enjoy doing. Swimming lessons. I have to cajole them each week. Soroban lessons – oh my – you wouldn’t believe how much my younger son “hates” going to Soroban lessons. Every week I cajole him into going, by buying him a frozen coke from McDonalds! Even in winter… theRead more about Today’s Word: cajole[…]

May 21, 2018　=========

☆  worry  心配する

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If you worry about something such as a problem, it means that you keep thinking about that problem or think about unpleasant things that might happen. Recently I have started worrying about my mother again. Last year she got very sick but made an amazing recovery and was able to go back and live in her own home.

Recently though, she has had trouble sleeping and so she uses her iPhone in the middle of the night. Last week, she accidentally called me at 1:30am when she was playing games on her phone as she couldn’t sleep!! Oh my goodness!! Of course, I woke up and calledRead more about Today’s Word: worry[…]

May 20, 2018　=========

☆  help  助け

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You probably know this word more as a verb than a noun, for example, “Can I help you?” However, it is also often used as a noun, and has a similar meaning to assistance or support. Here are some example sentences:

Thanks very much for your help.
You should always ask for help when you need it.
Her situation qualified her for payments and other help from the government.
I had no choice but to ask for help from my neighbor.

Can you use help as a noun in a sentence?

Bye,

Chris

May 19, 2018　=========

☆  others  他の人達

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The useful phrase this week is, “It’s OK to ask others for help.” Are you able to ask others for help or do you tend to feel like you should do everything yourself? I must admit, I’m more of the “do it all myself” type of person, but as I said a few months ago I broke my ankle, so I really had to rely on the help of others in order just to get anything done!

I couldn’t drive, so I had to use online shopping for our groceries. I also had to ask others to help with school pick up and drop off – luckilyRead more about Today’s Word: others[…]

May 18, 2018　=========

☆  cause   原因

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The cause of an event, is the thing that makes it happen. We usually use cause when talking about a negative event. For example, “Smoking is now known to be a preventable cause of disease.” Or, “In most cases, the exact cause of mental illness is not known.”

So, while we may not know the cause of mental ill health, we do know a lot about the causes of happiness. We often hear that food and exercise, family and friends, success, and even religion are important for happiness. However, these are not the causes of happiness! Happiness is not due to some external factors, but instead, happinessRead more about Today’s Word: cause[…]

May 17, 2018　=========

☆  environment  環境

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The environment that we live in can really affect our mental health. I can’t stand clutter! It makes me feel really stressed… unfortunately for me, my kids don’t seem to care at all about how messy our house is! I love the idea of a peaceful home environment, where everyone puts away their things after they have finished using them… but at the moment that seems like a dream rather than reality! Ha ha.

It’s important to remember also, that clutter doesn’t just relate to our physical environment. Mental clutter can be just as stressful! Emails, messages, notifications, and phone calls can all build up as mentalRead more about Today’s Word: environment[…]

May 16, 2018　=========

☆  ailment  病気

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An ailment is an illness that is not very serious. If you have an ailment, you can usually go to the drug store to get medicine for it, without seeing a doctor. Or, you may not even need to get medicine, just rest and eating well will be enough. Some ailments might actually be chronic, meaning that they last a long time. Here are some example sentences:

She suffered from a chronic back ailment.
The doctor is treating me for a variety of ailments.
Recently, doctors have started to consider depression as a serious ailment.
Even after many tests, they couldn’t find a cause for his ailment.

Can you use ailmentRead more about Today’s Word: ailment[…]

May 15, 2018　=========

☆  mental health   メンタルヘルス

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One of this week’s useful phrases is, “Your mental health is just as important as your physical health.” Do you agree? How do you take care of your mental health?

I know a lot of people who say that meditation is the best thing they do for their mental health. I’d love to have a habit of meditating, but no matter how often I try to start meditating regularly, it never becomes a habit. However, I do love running and I always find that running is good for both my physical and mental health. Unfortunately, due to my ankle injury, I haven’t been running in aRead more about Today’s Word: mental health[…]

May 14, 2018　=========

☆  doom  凶運

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If you have a sense or feeling of doom, it means that you feel things are going very badly and are likely to get even worse. For example, if the economy is not going well, it is common to say that “people are full of doom and gloom.”

I think this week’s quote by Marcus Aurelius, “Dwell on the beauty of life.” is a good way to get past any feelings of doom you might have. If you have a feeling of doom regarding your job or your situation and think things will only get worse, then try to take a moment to dwell on the beautyRead more about Today’s Word: doom[…]

May 13, 2018　=========

☆  blue   憂鬱な

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If you are feeling blue, you are feeling sad or depressed, often without any particular reason. Blue is an informal word, but it is used often, and it is OK to use when talking to a doctor, too. For example, you could say to your doctor that you are feeling depressed, but you could also say that you are feeling blue, and they will still take you seriously.

In the movie I mentioned yesterday, Inside Out, the character for Sadness is the color blue, and this comes from the idea of feeling blue when you are sad or depressed. Interestingly, the character for Joy is yellow, butRead more about Today’s Word: blue[…]

May 12, 2018　=========

☆  dejected   落胆して

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If you are feeling dejected, you are feeling miserable or unhappy, because you have been disappointed by someone or something. When we are expecting something good to happen, and it doesn’t go as planned, we feel disappointed and dejected.

Have you seen the Pixar movie, Inside Out? It’s technically a kids’ movie, but wow, I thought it was really powerful. It is the story of an 11-year-old girl and how she copes with all the emotions that come up when her family moves from Minnesota to San Francisco. Although “dejected” isn’t one of the five main emotions (joy, sadness, fear, anger, and disgust) in the movie, itRead more about Today’s Word: dejected[…]

May 11, 2018　=========

☆  resentful  怒りっぽい

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If you are resentful, you feel resentment and anger. Other similar words are: bitter, angry, and offended. For example, he felt resentful about losing his job. Or, she was feeling resentful about being left out of her father’s will.

Another word with a similar meaning but one that is more informal is “miffed”. Have you heard of this word? It is not as strong as resentful, it is closer to annoyed than angry. For example, I am feeling miffed that my little baby girl won’t have a daytime nap at the moment, so I cannot get anything done! In this situation, it would be too strong toRead more about Today’s Word: resentful[…]

May 10, 2018   　=========

☆  discouraged  がっかりして

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If you are feeling discourage, you are feeling deterred, disheartened, dismayed, down in the mouth, down in the dumps… that’s a lot of D words! Ha ha… Have you heard of either of the phrases, down in the mouth or down in the dumps?

Down in the mouth is easy to imagine, right? If your mouth is “down” as opposed to “up” then we can imagine that you are feeling sad or discouraged.

Down in the dumps might not be so easy to guess. A long time ago, “the dumps” meant “a state of depression” but it is only used in this idiom now. Nowadays, “the dump”Read more about Today’s Word: discouraged[…]

May 9, 2018   =========

☆  upset  腹をたてて

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If you say you are upset, you mean that you are unhappy or disappointed because something unpleasant has happened to you. I usually think that upset is similar to sad in meaning, and yes, you can use it for that meaning, however it is more like the meaning of distressed, bothered, troubled or worried. Here are some examples of it in use:

She looked so upset after the meeting.
After he left, I felt very upset.
The kids were terribly upset about their parents’ divorce.
Sorry to hear you’re upset. (This week’s useful phrase)
There’s no need to get upset!

Can you use upset in a sentence?

Bye,

Chris

May 8, 2018      =========

☆  angry  怒って

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When you are angry, you feel a strong dislike or impatience about something. Yesterday I mentioned my younger son saying it wasn’t fair that his brother got a laptop for his birthday… he was definitely angry about it! He has a long wait until he is ten and he might not even get a laptop then!

My younger son is still angry – it has only been one day, but hopefully he won’t feel angry for too much longer! – but one thing that made him feel a little less angry, was being able to use my iPad to play some games for a while.

Can youRead more about Today’s Word: angry[…]

May 7, 2018 =========

☆  fair 公平な

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Something or someone that is fair is reasonable, right, and just… so, today is my oldest son’s birthday. He is turning 10 and has recently started getting homework (Aussie schools are very relaxed about homework and hardly ever give kids homework!) which means that he needs to use my laptop. For his birthday, we decided to get him a very basic laptop.

I think it’s a fair present – he’s ten, responsible, needs it for school, it will mean he doesn’t need to use mine all the time, and he won’t get to have a party with friends, just this one present instead.

But his younger brother,Read more about Today’s Word: fair[…]

May 6, 2018　=========

☆  encourage  促す

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When someone is feeling sad or down, it’s good if you can encourage them (gently) to do things that will make them feel better or more positive. If a friend is feeling down, then you could encourage them to get outside and get some fresh air. Or you could encourage them by helping them make a list of what is troubling them, and then sort out some simple action steps they can take.

If you know someone who was working toward a dream and that dream fell apart, encourage them not to give up. I heard a great idea for this situation, which is that if someone’sRead more about Today’s Word: encourage[…]

May 5, 2018　=========

☆  console  慰める

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If you console someone who is unhappy about something, you try to make them feel more cheerful. Both my sons have soccer matches today with their club teams… one starts at 9am and one at 11am. I hope they win their games and I don’t have to console them when they get home!!

When people are feeling sad and you console them, it’s best not to say things like, “You’ll feel better soon.” Or “Look on the bright side.” Instead, focus on saying things that let them know that you understand their feelings. You could say things like, “You’re not alone, I’m here for you.” Or “I’mRead more about Today’s Word: console[…]

May 4, 2018　=========

☆  soothe  落ち着かせる

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If you soothe someone who is angry or upset, you make them feel calmer. Again, this word can relate to others, or to yourself. You can do things to soothe yourself when you are feeling angry or upset. Some common things that so-called gurus suggest when you’re angry is to count to ten, or punch a pillow… I’ve never found those things work for me! They never soothe me!

For me, what soothes me, is music – but not relaxing music, that seems to make me feel worse. Instead I love dance music! Then I can dance and jump around and soothe my worries and fears. DancingRead more about Today’s Word: soothe[…]

May 3, 2018    =========

☆  protect  守る

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To protect something or someone, means to prevent them from being harmed or damaged. Now how can you use this in a conversation about mental care? Easily! You can talk about protecting yourself from other people that might upset you or bully you. Usually we talk about protecting ourselves by setting boundaries.

One way to protect your mental health from harm by others, is called the “bean dip” method. I learned this recently and love it! If someone asks you a question that you don’t want to answer, you use the bean dip method. What it means is that you answer briefly, without giving any moreRead more about Today’s Word: protect[…]

May 2, 2018      =========

☆  nurture  育む

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Yesterday’s word was about nourishing yourself, and it tends to be used when talking about food. Today’s word is similar, nurture, however it is more about caring for someone or something, while they grow and develop. Whether it is with food (nourishing) or with care (nurturing) it is important to nourish and nurture yourself, too, not just others around you.

The useful phrase this week reflects that idea: It’s important to take time to nurture yourself, too.

So, how have you taken time to nurture yourself in the past few weeks? I’ve had a busy few weeks, as it’s been school holidays, and kids get bored justRead more about Today’s Word: nurture[…]

May 1, 2018　    =========

☆  nourish  栄養を与える

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This month is all about Mental Care. This is actually a topic that is very important for me right now. As you know, my little girl was born in January, and so many of my friends at the moment are also new mums. “Post-natal depression” (PND) is a kind of depression that affects new mums. A surprising number of my friends have said that they feel like they have this PND.

To recover from this, sometimes medication is needed to correct chemical imbalances in the body. Sometimes all that is needed is to take time for yourself and to make sure that you nourish your mindRead more about Today’s Word: nourish[…]