Practice English Reading Exercises for B2 – Overcoming Fears, Phobias & Mental Obstacles 9

Exercises:   123456

Reading 1

You are going to read an article about four young professionals talking about recovering from severe clinical burnout.

For questions 1-10, choose from the people (A-D). The people may be chosen more than once.

Which person

1   mentions that minor adjustments to their daily routine proved completely ineffective?

2   was pleasantly surprised by the supportive attitude of their co-workers?

3   initially viewed their exhaustion as a character defect rather than a health condition?

4   points out that discovering who they were outside of their profession was essential?

5   admits they were heavily burdened by the thought of letting their team down?

6   was terrified that their absence would permanently hinder their professional advancement?

7   realised that walking away from their duties actually demonstrated remarkable bravery?

8   acknowledges that they persistently overlooked the physical warning signs of their condition?

9   states that a short vacation was nowhere near enough to restore their wellbeing?

10   highlights that returning to the office required them to establish strict new boundaries?

Stepping Off the Treadmill: Recovering from Corporate Burnout

A Mark

In the fast-paced world of investment banking, I always assumed that pushing through fatigue was simply part of the job. When I started waking up with a feeling of sheer dread, I blamed my own lack of resilience. I genuinely believed my inability to cope was a personal flaw rather than a legitimate medical crisis. When my doctor finally mandated a six-month medical leave, the overriding emotion I felt wasn’t relief, but intense guilt. I was convinced I was completely abandoning my department during our busiest quarter. For the first few weeks, I constantly checked my emails, trapped in the illusion that I was indispensable. However, as the mental fog gradually lifted, my perspective shifted drastically. I came to terms with the fact that admitting you are broken, and stepping away to heal, isn’t a sign of fragility. In reality, confronting your limits and prioritizing your health requires remarkable courage.

B Sarah

Working as an emergency room nurse, you are trained to look after everyone except yourself. I was so dedicated to my patients that I continuously brushed off my own deteriorating health. I experienced chronic headaches and dizzy spells for months. It must have been obvious to everyone else that I was struggling, but I stubbornly put the symptoms down to irregular shift patterns rather than acknowledging them as glaring red flags. It took a dramatic collapse in the staff room for me to finally accept that I was suffering from severe clinical burnout. Taking a year off felt utterly alien. Without my uniform, I felt entirely lost, as my entire sense of self was tied to my job title. The most vital part of my recovery was learning to untangle my self-worth from my productivity. Finding out what brought me joy outside the hospital walls—like painting and hiking—was a crucial step in my rehabilitation.

C David

In the competitive tech industry, taking a long break is practically unheard of. When I was diagnosed with severe burnout, my immediate thought was that my career was effectively over. I was absolutely terrified that stepping away for a few months would put me at a permanent disadvantage, allowing my peers to easily overtake me on the corporate ladder. Consequently, I was incredibly anxious about sharing the news. To my astonishment, instead of judging me, several colleagues reached out privately to express their admiration and share their own struggles with stress. That unexpected validation was a massive comfort. Having finally bounced back and recently rejoined the workforce, I’ve had to make significant changes to my routine. To prevent history from repeating itself, I’ve had to put my foot down and explicitly refuse to answer work calls after 6 p.m. If you don’t fiercely protect your personal time, the industry will gladly consume it.

D Emma

When the early symptoms of burnout crept up on me, I thought I could simply ‘life-hack’ my way out of it. I started downloading meditation apps, drinking green smoothies, and making sure I got exactly eight hours of sleep. I sincerely thought these small tweaks to my schedule would be enough to reverse the profound exhaustion I was feeling. Unsurprisingly, they were entirely useless against a condition that had been building up for years. Next, I took a fortnight off, flying to a quiet beach resort, hoping to quickly recharge my batteries. However, I soon realised that a brief holiday was nowhere near sufficient to undo the psychological damage; I was still dreading the office on the flight home. I eventually had to take a nine-month leave of absence. It was a difficult pill to swallow, but I came to understand that true recovery cannot be rushed with quick fixes or abbreviated breaks.

Reading 2

You are going to read an article about four individuals sharing the realization that their chronic procrastination was actually a psychological defense mechanism driven by severe anxiety, not laziness.

For questions 1-10, choose from the people/sections (A-D). The people/sections may be chosen more than once.

Which person/section

1   admits they initially mistook their behaviour for a simple lack of discipline?

2   substituted their main responsibilities with less significant tasks?

3   felt frustrated by their family’s misinterpretation of their inaction?

4   discovered that their delays were actually caused by a dread of doing well?

5   was hindered by an overwhelming need to produce completely faultless work?

6   experienced a breakthrough after listening to an expert’s explanation?

7   delayed taking action to protect themselves from potential rejection?

8   had the root cause of their problem identified by an observant companion?

9   mentions adopting a strategy of separating large tasks into manageable steps?

10   experienced uncomfortable bodily sensations when attempting to face their duties?

The Delay Tactic: Escaping the Anxiety Trap

A Liam

For years, I genuinely believed I was just inherently lazy. I would stare at a blank document for hours, completely unable to start, berating myself for my terrible work ethic. I took it for granted that I simply lacked the discipline my peers possessed. However, the truth was far more complex. The thought of writing something mediocre filled me with such intense dread that my chest would tighten and my heart would race whenever I opened my laptop. It turned out that my procrastination was actually a shield against my crippling perfectionism. By putting things off until the last minute, I was providing myself with a built-in excuse: if the work wasn’t brilliant, it was merely because I had rushed it, not because I lacked ability. Once I came to terms with the fact that this was an anxiety-driven defence mechanism, I stopped being so hard on myself. Letting go of the impossible standard I had set has allowed me to finally break the cycle.

B Maya

When I graduated, I spent six months doing absolutely nothing about finding a career. My parents were tearing their hair out, frequently accusing me of being a slacker who expected everything to be handed to her on a silver platter. Their constant criticism really stung, especially since I couldn’t articulate why I felt so utterly paralysed. Every time I looked at a job application, my mind would go blank, and I’d convince myself there was no point in applying because I wouldn’t get hired anyway. Eventually, I realised that avoiding the applications was my brain’s misguided way of protecting my fragile self-esteem. As long as I didn’t apply, I couldn’t be formally rejected. It wasn’t about being unmotivated; it was about avoiding the devastating emotional blow of being told I wasn’t good enough. Recognising this underlying anxiety was half the battle. Now, I try to view rejections as ordinary bumps in the road rather than personal attacks.

C Toby

I used to be the master of ‘productive procrastination’. Whenever a massive university assignment loomed, I would suddenly decide that my entire flat needed a deep clean, or that my email inbox had to be meticulously organised. I genuinely convinced myself I was just suffering from dreadful time management skills. The penny finally dropped when I was listening to a psychology podcast on my way to campus. The guest expert explained that when our brains perceive a task as a massive, overwhelming threat, they automatically seek out easier, controllable activities to self-soothe and reduce the immediate panic. It was a massive lightbulb moment for me; my spotless kitchen was literally a symptom of my severe academic anxiety. Since that revelation, I’ve completely changed my approach. Instead of running away from a huge project, I purposefully divide it into tiny, non-threatening stages. Tackling these bite-sized goals keeps my anxiety at bay and stops me from reaching for the vacuum cleaner.

D Chloe

I had spent months developing a concept for an online business, but whenever it came time to actually launch it, I would invent a hundred different reasons to delay. I kept telling myself the website wasn’t perfect yet, or the market conditions were wrong. I assumed I was just being exceptionally cautious. It wasn’t until a highly perceptive friend pointed out my pattern of self-sabotage that the truth dawned on me. She bluntly asked if I was actually terrified of what would happen if the business took off. She was absolutely right. The prospect of succeeding, and the increased expectations and responsibilities that would inevitably follow, secretly terrified me. My chronic delays weren’t about avoiding failure; they were a subconscious attempt to remain in my safe, predictable comfort zone. Understanding that I was actively hiding from my own potential was a bitter pill to swallow, but it finally gave me the courage to hit the publish button.

Exercises:   123456