Vocabulary practice · Episode 31

Review the useful expressions from the episode

Study the episode’s central expressions with English definitions, nuance and examples, plus reviewed support-language versions where available.

B1–B2ListeningAbout 19 min + dynamic ads5 PDF versions available
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A short study session

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  1. Choose one expression. Read its definition, nuance and examples.
  2. Make it yours. Write one true sentence from your own life.
  3. Return to the episode. Listen for the expression in its original context.

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Vocabulary from the episode

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Expression 1

mental noise

A stream of distracting or repetitive thoughts that makes concentration difficult.

Nuance: A common metaphor in wellbeing and productivity contexts.

Slow breathing can reduce the mental noise.

I turned off my phone to quiet the mental noise.

Expression 2

to stop the mental noise

To interrupt repetitive thoughts and regain calm attention.

Nuance: Stop is followed by a noun phrase here, not an infinitive.

The exercise helps stop the mental noise.

A short walk stopped the mental noise for a while.

Expression 3

a reality check

A fact or question that helps someone see a situation more accurately.

Nuance: Often used when fear or optimism has become unrealistic.

Ask for a reality check before believing the worst.

The budget meeting gave us a painful reality check.

Expression 4

the second wave

The extra distress created by reacting to an initial thought or feeling.

Nuance: A metaphor: the first wave is the event; the second is the mind’s reaction.

Do not turn one anxious thought into a second wave.

Self-criticism created a second wave of stress.

Expression 5

to name a feeling

To identify an emotion with a clear word.

Nuance: Naming an emotion can create distance and make it easier to regulate.

Name the feeling instead of fighting it.

She named the feeling as disappointment, not anger.

Expression 6

a tiny action

A very small, manageable step that creates movement.

Nuance: Tiny emphasises that progress can begin without strong motivation.

Take one tiny action before your mind invents another excuse.

Sending one email was a tiny action with a big effect.

Expression 7

to break the cycle

To stop a repeated pattern of thoughts, feelings or behaviour.

Nuance: A common collocation in psychology and habit change.

Speaking one sentence can break the cycle of avoidance.

The new routine helped him break the cycle.

Expression 8

to ride the wave

To experience a strong feeling without fighting it until it naturally passes.

Nuance: A therapeutic metaphor often used for anxiety, cravings and emotion.

Breathe slowly and ride the wave of anxiety.

She rode the wave instead of reacting immediately.

Expression 9

a body response

A physical reaction produced by emotion, stress or danger.

Nuance: Response is neutral; it does not imply that the reaction is appropriate to the current situation.

A racing heart is a normal body response to fear.

His body response continued after the danger had passed.

Expression 10

to take action

To do something concrete rather than only think or plan.

Nuance: Action is normally uncountable in this collocation.

Take action before overthinking grows louder.

The company took action after receiving the complaint.

Expression 11

to let the wave move through you

To experience a thought or feeling without fighting it until it passes.

Nuance: A mindfulness metaphor presenting emotion as temporary movement.

Let the wave move through you and return to your breath.

She let the wave of disappointment move through her.

Expression 12

the truth is clear

Used when the essential fact is no longer confusing or hidden.

Nuance: Clear can mean easy to understand or impossible to doubt.

When the noise settles, the truth is clear.

The evidence was incomplete, but one truth was clear.

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