Don't Be So Serious
On the private podcast last week, I chatted a bit about my experience in China and then ended on the idea of the benefit of being silly in your language learning. I thought it was a really interesting and potentially useful topic for people to hear, so I decided to turn it into a public podcast episode too.
In this episode, I’ll be talking about reasons why you shouldn’t take yourself too seriously, and how inserting more silliness into your life can benefit you – both generally and to help your English learning.
How to know if you're taking yourself too seriously
You care too much about what people think of you.
Do you ever think “How do I look?” or “I don’t want to make any mistakes in English!”?
You don’t laugh or play enough
When was the last time you kicked a ball around for fun? Or walked along the wall of a park?
Why you shouldn't be so serious
You don’t have control of a lot of your life
Being too serious is often a result of trying to change your life too much and worrying. Worrying doesn’t achieve anything so try to relax.
You enjoy your life less
Being serious usually results in having less fun, so lighten up!
You fail to learn lessons from life
Serious people may not have time to reflect and learn from their mistakes (very important for language learners).
People may like you less!
People admire those who can avoid being too serious and not thinking too highly of themselves.
How to do this
The Daoist method
Be like water. Don’t grasp things and go with the flow.
Laugh at yourself
If you fall down, laugh at yourself and brush yourself off.
Develop a positive mindset
Expect things to work out and be optimistic.
Don’t try to please everyone
You’ll never make everyone happy, so learn to live for in accordance with your own principles and goals.
Focus on body language
Your mood can change based on your body position.
What can you do to add more silliness into your life?
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Hello, I am from Saudi Arabia. I have been listening to this podcast for more than a year. Finally, I have finished all of it from the beginning until now. I wish you success and look forward to every Tuesday. Thank you.
Hi Gailah! Thanks so much for listening for a while and making it through all the episodes. That’s amazing! Appreciate your support and hope you enjoy future episodes too
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I’m from Libya and I have some questions how can I contact with you?
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