Health

be in good shape

to be in a good state of health or condition

get to grips with

to understand or deal with something difficult

have a natural aptitude

to have natural ability or skill, especially in learning

have a particular knack for

to have a natural skill or ability

have a rare gift for

to have an unusual abiity or talent

overcome setbacks

to deal successfully with problems that had caused difficulty

show drive and determination

to demonstrate that you have the qualities of determination and the ability to do something even when it is difficult.

step outside your comfort zone

to move beyond the range of activities or situations that you feel happy and confident in

clear-cut

easy to understand or be certain about

far-fetched

extremely unlikely to be true or to happen

far-reaching

having a great influence or effect

hard-wired

if an attitude, way of behaving etc is hard-wired, it is a natural part of a person’s character that they are born with and cannot

life-long

lasting through your life

long-held

for a long time

time-honoured

a time-honoured method or custom is one that has existed for a long time

upcoming

happening soon

widely-held

believed by a lot of people

comforting

making you feel less worried, unhappy, or upset

distressing

making you feel very upset

hypnotic

making you feel tired or unable to pay attention to anything else, especially because of a regularly repeated sound or movement

involuntary

happening to you although you do not want it to

nostalgic

if you feel nostalgic about a time in the past, you feel happy when you remember it, and in some ways you wish that things had not changed

shrill

a shrill sound is very high and unpleasant

soothing

making you feel calmer and less anxious

tingling

a slight stinging feeling, especially on your skin

unsettling

making you feel nervous or worried

clutch

to hold something tightly because you do not want to lose it

flinch

to move your face or body away from someone or something because you are in pain, frightened, or upset

gasp

to breathe in suddenly in a way that can be heard, especially because you are surprised or in pain

grimace

to twist your face in an ugly way because you do not like something, because you are feeling pain, or because you are trying to be funny

make you squirm

to make you feel ashamed or embarrassed

set your teeth on edge

if a sound or taste sets your teeth on edge, it gives you an uncomfortable feeling in your mouth

start at

to move your body suddenly, especially because you are surprised or afraid

wince

to suddenly change the expression on your face as a reaction to something painful or upsetting

activate symptoms of stress

to create signs of stress

foster a positive outlook

to develop a positive attitude to life or the world in general

keep our spirits up

to keep yourself feeling happy

kick-start our brains

to do something to help us to think or learn better

loosen muscles

to relax muscles

offset food indulgences

to do something that will lessen the effects of eating food that has a lot of calories

open up to others

to stop being shy and say what you really think to other people

take time to unwind

to take time to relax and stop feeling anxious

crop up

if a problem crops up, it happens or appears suddenly and in an unexpected way

mess with

to get involved with someone or something that may cause problems or be dangerous

pass something on to

to give someone a piece of information that someone else has given to you

push you into a way of thinking

to influence you or force you to think in a certain way

put

to make a suggestion, especially to get someone’s opinion or agreement