Learn English Phrases to use in Tough Times (and an Update)

Hi, Bob the Canadian here.

In this English lesson,

I'm going to teach you some English words and phrases

that you can use to describe tough times.

Tough times are when things are outside of your control

and when life isn't going the way

that you necessarily want it to.

So in this video, I'll help you learn some phrases

to describe tough times,

and I'll give you some phrases

that you can use to encourage someone

if they're going through tough times as well.

And please watch to the end.

I know many of you have questions about how I'm doing

and how my family is doing

at this current time in the world.

So at the end of the video,

I'll give you a little update about me,

and how things are going here at home right now

with the situation in the world with the coronavirus.

So stay tuned for that at the end.

But before we do that,

let's do a little lesson on tough times.

One of the first phrases I wanna teach you

that's related to tough times is the phrase tough it out.

If you imagine that you are an athlete

and you are playing in a game

and you hurt yourself just a little bit,

your coach might say to you, "Hey, you should keep playing.

"You should tough it out."

Your coach might say, "If your injury isn't too bad,

"can you tough it out until the end of the game?"

So when you tough something out,

when you use that phrase in English,

it means that you just do it in spite of the fact

that maybe you can't do it well.

Maybe you just mentally decide that, no matter what,

you are going to tough it out.

So when you tough it out,

it means that you're going to do it

in spite of the possibility

that you have some obstacles preventing you from doing it.

Tough it out.

Two other phrases that I wanted to teach you

in this English lesson are the phrases one step

at a time and one day at a time.

I actually give this advice quite often to people,

sometimes even in the comments below,

when they are asking about things like studying

for an upcoming English test.

I usually say, "The best way to think about a test

"if it is a month away

"is simply to think about it one step at a time."

Don't think about the entire test

and all of the things that you need to do.

Simply think about the one thing

that you need to do now, and do things one step at a time.

So a step is, when you're walking along, you take steps.

But in English, we use the same wording

to describe how to approach something

that might be kind of tough for you.

So one step at a time or one day at a time

is usually the best way to approach things.

Another English phrase that we might use during tough times

is the phrase grin and bear it.

So a grin is when you smile,

and when you use the word bear,

it could also mean that you are carrying something.

So sometimes, you are having tough times.

Things aren't going well,

but you just need to decide to grin and bear it.

Basically what we're saying in English

is somehow in your mind, you just have to decide

that in spite of the fact that things

aren't going well for you, you just need to smile.

You just need to do what you need

to do considering the situation,

and you just need to find a way to smile

and do the job that needs to be done.

So you need to grin and bear it.

This is not easy to do.

There are many times in life where you

are having tough times, where things aren't going well,

and it's very difficult to grin and bear it.

But sometimes with a lot of rest

and a lot of thinking about things deeply,

you can find a way to just smile and get on with your day,

and you can find a way to grin and bear it.

A similar English phrase is the phrase make the best of it.

Right now, I'm stuck at home for a few weeks.

My school has been canceled.

It's currently spring break,

so it's actually a short break from school,

but our school has decided to close.

So I'm going to be home for at least three weeks.

I could decide to be grouchy about that,

or I could decide to make the best of it.

When you use the English phrase make the best of it,

you take the situation you are in

and you find out ways to use it to your advantage.

So instead of being disappointed,

you try to find other things

that you can do that make you happy.

So I'm trying to make the best of it

by thinking about things like this.

I can give a lot of attention

to you in the YouTube comments.

I can go for a really long walk every day.

The amount of stress in my life related

to my job has gone way down,

but there's a little more stress related

to our health and those kinds of things.

We are healthy by the way.

But certainly, sitting at home

and just kind of not being happy and being disappointed

by the situation is not a good approach.

I'm better off to use the last phrase grin and bear it,

and I'm better off to make the best of it.

So when you have tough times,

there's a few phrases, three actually,

that I wanna talk about that kind of describe the situation.

The first phrase is that we say,

you need to ride out the storm,

or you need to ride it out.

So that's the second phrase.

So you say, "I just need to ride it out,

"or I need to ride out the storm."

And we have another phrase where we just say,

"You need to weather the storm."

So we kind of describe the situation

and relate it to weather,

as if right now there is a storm.

So if you are having tough times in your life,

maybe you could describe that

as like it's a storm in your life,

and you should choose then to think

about that you just need to ride it out.

Basically, just let happen what's going to happen

and keep in mind that there is an end to it.

If you ride it out, if you ride out the storm,

if you weather the storm, you are acknowledging

that at a certain point in the future,

the storm will be over.

And it gives you some control of the situation,

because it makes you realize that what is happening

is only temporary and that there is an end to it.

So sometimes you just need to ride it out.

You need to ride out the storm.

You need to weather the storm.

In this English lesson, I also wanted to talk

about some phrases that you can use

when you know someone else is going through tough times.

Sometimes it's nice to let people know

that you acknowledge the fact that their life

is a little bit rough right now.

One of the coolest things you can say to someone is,

"You're not alone."

When you say to someone, "You're not alone,"

it helps them recognize that what they are going through,

they don't have to think that they are all alone

when they are going through it.

That there are people like you hopefully

who are willing to talk to them about it.

We also say things like, "You've got this."

I have to look at my list here.

We say things like, "You can do it,"

and we say things like, "Hang in there."

So all four of those phrases are great things

to say to someone when you know

that they're going through tough times.

Well, now a little bit about me.

First of all, I am healthy.

Jen is healthy.

All of our children are healthy.

I know some of you are in parts of the world

where the coronavirus is spreading rapidly.

That is also happening or starting to happen in Canada.

Just a few updates, like I mentioned earlier in the video.

I'm going to be home for at least three weeks.

Schools are canceled in my province.

I live in Ontario, Canada.

So schools are canceled for the next three weeks.

We are already on spring break,

so it's not a huge change.

But for the next three weeks,

there will be no school.

A week from now, I need to start teaching online.

So I have to redesign my courses

so my students can learn online.

Again though, we are healthy.

In Canada, in this part of the world,

we are being told to stay home as much as possible.

So Jen and I are doing that.

Prime Minister Trudeau was just on the news today announcing

that Canadians who are in other countries should come home

and that Canadians who are home,

whether you're sick or not sick,

you should only go out when you actually need to.

You've probably noticed in a few of the shots

that there are a lot of people driving by.

I don't know if everyone is listening right now,

but I'm sure that within the next couple of days

if things get worse, which they probably will,

you'll see a lot more Canadians just staying home.

So my plan is just to stay home, to stay safe.

We're only going out for essentials.

There's actually not a lot to go do anyways.

There are no sports games in North America right now.

Nothing is open except for grocery stores,

and pharmacies, and doctors' offices, and hospitals,

and I can see in the next couple of days that things,

life will just be a little slower here

in Canada for the next little while

while we and the rest of the world wait to get past this.

So just so you know, I'm healthy.

I don't plan to change any of my video release schedule,

so you're watching this video on a Tuesday.

I'm going to do a livestream from home this Friday.

I'll do another livestream on Saturday.

It's nice for me to be able to connect with you

in that way, so that you know that things are going well

and that I'm doing good.

So anyways, thanks for watching this video.

If you have any questions or specifically if you want

to tell me how things are in your part of the world,

tell me in the description below.

I'm very curious to know how you're doing as well.

I know there's thousands of you,

but still, it is nice to be able to read

and get an update from people

in different parts of the world.

Let me just check my list here.

Yep, I think I talked about everything.

I forgot to mention that casinos are also closed.

That doesn't affect Bob the Canadian,

because I'm not a gambler anyways.

So anyways, once again, Jen and I are healthy.

Videos will continue.

Hopefully, if you are stuck at home,

you are finding lots of things to do.

Hopefully, you are listening to a lot of music.

Hopefully, you are maybe learning to play the guitar

or practicing piano,

or finding an old hobby that you used to do.

And certainly, I hope that all of you are healthy,

and if you are not, I know the chance that some

of you actually have this virus is pretty realistic.

I hope that you get through it,

and that you're well, and that you recover quickly,

and that's all I can say for today.

Anyways, Bob the Canadian here,

sending out lots of love to all

of you guys around the world.

Guys and girls, I hope that you're doing well.

I think I'm rambling on a bit now,

so I think I'm gonna finish this video off.

I hope it was helpful for you,

and again, let me know how it is going

in your part of the world.

I'm always curious to know.

So, and I have lots of time to read comments

over the next few days.

So let me know how things are going.

Bye, have a good week,

stay safe, stay home, take care of yourself,

and take care of your family.