English Level B2 — Lesson 1: Diagnostic Test

From the outside, Alex’s life looks very balanced. He has a full-time job in a design agency, goes to the gym three times a week and posts photos of healthy meals on social media. However, a year ago his daily routine was completely different. He used to get up at the last possible minute, skip breakfast and rush to the office, where he would sit in front of a screen for ten or eleven hours a day. By the time he got home, he was too exhausted to cook, so he ordered takeaway and answered a few more emails from the sofa.

The turning point came after a routine check-up, when his doctor told him that his blood pressure was higher than it should be for someone in their early thirties. She didn’t say anything dramatic, but her calm tone made him realise that his “busy lifestyle” wasn’t as harmless as he liked to believe. On the way home, he decided to redesign his days instead of waiting until he had a serious health problem.

These days, Alex still works hard, but his schedule is more deliberate. He starts the day with a short walk and a simple breakfast, and he tries to keep the first hour of work free from emails so he can focus on one important task. At lunchtime, he eats away from his desk and, at least twice a week, he meets a colleague or a friend for a quick coffee. In the evening, if he has had a stressful day, he leaves his phone in another room and goes for a walk while listening to a podcast.

Alex says his life on paper has not changed very much — he still has the same job, the same flat and a similar salary. What has changed is the way he organises his time and the value he gives to rest. “I used to treat sleep, movement and meals as extra options,” he explains, “but now I see them as the foundation that allows everything else to work.”