Directions:
Read the following text. Choose the best word(s) for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D on the ANSWER SHEET.
① Your social life is defined as “the activities you do with other people, for pleasure, when you are not working”. It’s important to have a social life, but what’s right for one person won’t be right for another. Some of us feel energised by spending lots of time with others, ____1____ some of us may feel drained, even if it’s doing something we enjoy.
② This is why finding a ____2____ in your social life is key. Spending too much time on your own, not ____3____ others, can make you feel lonely and ____4____. Loneliness is known to impact on your mental health and ____5____ a low mood. Anyone can feel lonely at any time. This might be especially true if, ____6____, you are working from home and you are ____7____ on the usual social conversations that happen in an office. Other life changes can ____8____ periods of loneliness too, such as retirement, changing jobs or becoming a parent.
③ It’s important to recognise these feelings of loneliness. There are ways to ____9____ a social life, but it can feel overwhelming ____10____. It’s a great idea to start by thinking about hobbies you enjoy. You can then find groups and activities related to those where you will be able to meet ____11____ people. There are groups aimed at new parents, at those who want to ____12____ a new sport for the first time, or networking events for those in the same profession to meet up and ____13____ ideas.
④ On the other hand, it’s ____14____ possible to have too much of a social life. If you feel like you’re always doing something and there is never any ____15____ in your calendar for downtime, you could suffer social burnout or social ____16____. We all have our own social limit and it’s important to recognise when you’re feeling like it’s all too much. Low mood, low energy, irritability and trouble sleeping could all be ____17____ of poor social health. Make sure you ____18____ some time in your diary when you’re ____19____ for socialising and use this time to relax, ____20____ and recover.