BE 360: Busy or Bored? How to Talk About Workload in English
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This is the Business English Podcast, Episode 360, Busy or Bored? How to Talk About Workload in English.

Welcome to the Business English podcast from All Ears English. Get the English skills you need to achieve your dreams in global business. For a presentation, a meeting, or your office party, this is Real Business English with your favorite American hosts, Lindsay and Michelle, coming to you from New York City and Colorado, USA.

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- Hey there, Michelle. How's it going today? - Good. How are you, Lindsay? - Pretty good. I have a question for you to start off the day. You ready? - Okay, let's hear it.

So for you, Michelle, are certain times of the year or the week busier than other times for your work? I mean, maybe here at All Ears English, do you feel like certain times are busier than others? Here at All Ears English, I guess it would depend, you know, what we're planning. Or I also think sometimes if we need to plan ahead, if certain things are coming up, I

then I'm really working to get a lot of plans in, do a lot of things, work ahead. So I would say those are the busiest, but also if we're working on a course, those are busier times. Yeah, what about you? - Yeah, no, I think you're right. Right now we're recording this in December, so right now it's kind of a slower time, but we are busy with planning for the new year for sure. And then there are certain times that tend to be busier, January, November, these are bigger months.

So yeah, we have a waxing and a waning of activity. Oh, I like that. A waxing and a waning. A waxing and a waning. So today we're going to talk about how to share this information, how to share when you're busier, when you're not as busy. And some careers are, it's more predictable, right? Like tax season, of course, I would say that's a big one for accountants. Oh my gosh, yes. Yes. Yeah, so this is just...

really great to be able to connect with people talking about certain times that are busier than others. So today we're going to share some key ways about how to share that you're busy or not busy at work. And this is usually for more, not necessarily routine things, but it could be. So like, for example, let's do the first one. So the first one is busy season. So that to me sounds more routine. What do you think?

Yeah, I think you know that, for example, if you work in, I don't know, if you work in anything that has to do with the holidays or tourism. Right, that's what I was like, retail. Summer or winter might be the busy seasons and the spring and fall, maybe people don't travel as much. Airlines probably have the summer as their busy season, right? Mm-hmm.

Yes. Right. So you could say, I don't even talk to my best friend during her busy season. She gets too stressed out and I can't get her on the phone. Oh, no, not good. Yeah. That would be hard, honestly. I mean, we have some, like I said, waxing and waning. We have some busier. But generally, I think our industry is somewhat steady throughout the year. But it would be hard to be in an industry where it's just all...

all in for two or three months and then very slow. I think it'd be hard. Right. I have talked to some friends who are accountants and you can't talk to them for a few months and then it seems they get a little bored. Yeah. Yeah. It's interesting. Yeah. Yeah. Or what's another thing you could say? All right. The time of the year, this time of the year is always X. So for example, this time of the year is always wild. So many people are trying to come in before the holidays are over.

Yeah. Yeah. So you could use whatever adjective you could use, wild or slow or, you know, busy, whatever it may be. But this time of year is always something. Yeah. And you might even see this in, for example, I think right now is a busy season for the medical field because people are trying to use their deductibles for their insurance, right? Yeah.

Yes. So try to fit in those expensive appointments at the end of the year. A lot of people are doing that. So there's a lot of reasons why you might have a busy season. For sure. Yep, exactly. Or you could say things are slow or you could say things are busy too, but I think you hear things are slow a lot. So things are slow right now. So I've been a little bit bored sitting at my desk every day.

Oh, my God. I don't remember the last time I felt bored. I think it's been like 10 years at work at least. Yeah. Yeah. I don't feel bored either. It's really funny. But I remember those days, you know, when I was an intern in my graduate program, I remember feeling a little bored, just kind of sitting at a desk. I had a task, but it wasn't very much. But you're looking at the clock.

Gosh, it just seems like so long ago. I don't know. It's crazy. So, all right, here we go. Let's take a quick break, Michelle, and then we'll come back. Okay.

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Okay, Michelle. So another phrase you might use to talk about this kind of ebb and flow is what? When things calm down. So this is a little bit different, but you could say, I'll have to catch up with you when things calm down, hopefully in about two weeks. Yeah. So you're just indicating to your friends, maybe you're going to emerge again. It's a beautiful butterfly. Yeah. Yeah.

You're going to be in touch again and available for social activities, right? Yes. Next one, are having a heavy or a light workload. So I have a heavy workload right now, so I just can't focus on anything else. Yeah. Do you feel that way, Michelle, when you have a lot of work to do? Do you have a hard time focusing on other aspects of life? You know, I don't think that I have... Maybe I would, but because of my kids, I'm so...

Like I have my brain is in many different places at once. So even if I even if I want, even if I want to really just focus on one thing, it's like I'm forced to because I have two little people to take care of. Oh, my gosh, I can imagine. Absolutely. That makes sense. That makes sense.

Yeah. What about you? Are you able to focus on other things? No, I can go pretty heavy into workload for sure. But then I have people in my life that pull me out of it. Thank goodness. That's good. And help me relax even amidst the stress and everything. Yeah, for sure. Yeah. All right. What else, Michelle? So possible busy seasons. We were talking about accountants, right? Tax season. Yeah.

And we also talked about retail workers during holidays, big sales, things like that. But also I was thinking about wet, uh, wedding photographers or anybody who works in the wedding industry also has to be like, I think in the summer, probably, um,

this is the busy season, don't you think? Oh, for sure. I've thought about that before. That must be tough to be in the wedding industry because do you get a weekend, right? If you're booked, you'd be fully booked every weekend, you know? Right. I know. Do you ever sometimes think, oh, this career would have been fun for me?

But then you think the schedule is for my life. You also have to think about your lifestyle. And so I feel like that would be a hard one for me. It would be a very hard... Every Saturday evening for an entire summer, you're busy? No. Yeah. Really hard. Really hard. Yeah. So yeah, we were talking about all these English and how it works for us. So...

This comes down to connection. Again, why does this? Yeah. How could this be used? Why would this be helpful? Oh my gosh. We talk all the time about our workloads and whether we're busy at work. I think work is a pretty big part of our lives here in American culture. So you may have this conversation with coworkers, maybe people in different departments, maybe someone's department is busy and other department is not busy. Right. Right.

Or friends or family, maybe you can't go to a party or do something after work because you have to catch up on things. It's important to explain why and also explain when you'll be back. You know what I mean? It's not permanent what's going on. Yeah, right, right, right, right, right. Exactly. So that's good. So let's do a role play and show how this would work.

All right. Here we go. So here we are, friends, talking about our work. Okay. How's work right now? Ooh, things are kind of slow, so I'm sitting around a lot. You? Oh, wow. Well, I'm jealous. I'm in the middle of busy season. Such a heavy workload. Oh, I'm sorry. But hey, at least you're not bored. Definitely not. This time of year is always busy. We'll have to do happy hour when things calm down in a few weeks. That would be great.

I hope things pick up for you soon. Thanks. Yeah. Wow. Okay. So two different situations here. So I said, you asked me how things are going at work. And I said, things are kind of slow. Maybe it's the summertime, right? And things slow down in my business in the summer season. So they're slow. I'm sitting around a lot. And I asked you, what'd you say, Michelle?

I said, "Oh wow, I'm jealous. I'm in the middle of busy season, such a heavy workload." So it sounds like we're in probably two completely different industries. - Definitely, definitely. And then you said, I said, "Oh, I'm sorry, but hey, at least you're not bored."

Definitely not. This time of year is always busy. So you're saying that it's normal. And that's good to be able to say too, like, this is nothing crazy out of sorts. This is normal. I expected this. Right, right, right, right. And then I but I want to be encouraging about our friendship. So I said, we'll have to do happy hour when things calm down in a few weeks.

Nice. Love that. All right. Good stuff. Very common conversation. Don't you think, Michelle? Have you had this conversation lately with any friends? I mean, you said your friend in tax season, you don't talk to her. Yeah. Yeah. I always kind of miss her during that time. But yeah, that's...

Yeah, I'm trying to think. But yeah, that was the main one that I think about. What about you, Lindsay? Anybody who you know? No, no. Most of the people I know, their industries are pretty steady for the most part. I don't know anyone that really... I don't have anyone close to me that does accounting or that heavy tax stuff, tax planning, that sort of thing. So...

But yeah, important conversation to have for sure. And then just as a little bonus, I said, I hope things pick up for you soon. So what did I mean by that? So you're saying, I hope you get busier soon. Right. Right. Because you're bored. Yeah. Right. Pick up means pick up the pace and, you know, get more active at some point. Because it's also not good to be bored. I mean, I almost think it's worse to be bored. Yeah. It's just boring. Right.

Exactly. It's boring. So guys, don't be bored. Listen to this episode. Episode 354 of the Business English podcast was take on your workday with this English phrasal verb. That's not never boring. Never boring over here. And this is it. I mean, this is the takeaway. Again, work is a big part of our lives. People have different seasons that are busier than others. So you will find yourself talking about this stuff with a friend for sure. Yeah.

Absolutely. So give these a try and we hope your work is as busy or boring as you like. Busy or boring as you like. Love it. All right, Michelle, thanks for being on the show and guys hit the follow button right here on Business English. Okay. All right. Bye guys. See you soon. Bye.

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