The most wonderful time of the year (the Christmas season) is also the most stressful for lots of people struggling to fit in increased end-of-the-year workloads, holiday parties, shopping, guest hosting, travel, and seeing friends and relatives who you'd otherwise avoid. Luckily, the same coping mechanisms that can help relieve stress and find better balance during the year also work for this holiday.

    Here are four tips to finding work—life balance during this season.

1） Know and avoid your stressors(压力源).

    If cooking for a large group, baking cookies, or Christmas shopping are your key stressors, don't do them. Lots of grocery stores will help cater your next holiday meal. Bakeries exist for a reason, and gift cards are much appreciated by all. Stop trying to live up to someone else's expectations of the holidays and stay merry by outsourcing the pain points.

2） Get flexible at work.

    If you normally travel an hour each way at work, see if your boss will let you work from home in this special season to save time, get more done, and reduce your stress. Or ask if you can start work from home in the mornings and come to the office later in the day to avoid peak hours. Leave early and finish your day from the comfort of home, too.

3） Make your own list and check it twice.

    Make a to-do list for yourself, for both work and life, then divide it up into categories like “must do,” “want to do,” and “feel obligated to do.” If you can remove any or all of your required list, the rest of your to-dos will start to look a lot easier.

    Once you have your lists in order, it's time to start crossing things off. In between your must-dos tasks, include a want-to-do task to break things up and re-energize yourself. Yes, this holiday is a time to give back to others and be selfless, but there's still a bit of “self” in selflessness, isn't there?

4）If you start to feel a cold coming on, come to a full and complete stop.

    The best way to stop a cold from exploding into a weeks-long sickness is to stop it at the start. Unless a task or activity is an absolute necessity, cancel your plans, put away your to-do lists, and settle in for a long winter's nap. A day of rest and enough sleep is the only thing you NEED right now. Feel bad about declining holiday invitations from your friends and family? You're doing them a favor. Once people hear that you're sick, they'll be glad you stayed away — they don't want to come down with a cold during the holiday any more than you do!

    It is certain that you can feel less stressed in this hectic season when you stop expecting so much from yourself, because nobody puts so much expectation on you as you do to yourself. Trying to satisfy clients, co-workers, friends and family can be draining and can finally negatively impact you in many ways. When you simplify things up front, you relieve the stress off of yourself and everyone else in the process. Stop focusing on what you feel like you're obligated to do, and start focusing on what you want and need to do, the load will get lighter and you will feel a lot merrier under the Christmas tree.

The Lost Rules of Etiquette

    Etiquette, or good manners, used to be the glue that held society together{#blank#}1{#/blank#}Sadly, these days it has mostly gone by the wayside. This list is several best rules of etiquette that have now disappeared.

Opening the Door

    In days gone by, a gentleman would always open doors for ladies{#blank#}2{#/blank#}This has now almost entirely disappeared-- and it is pot entirely the fault of the men. I have seen women laugh at men for opening a door for them. They seem to be confusing manners with chauvinism(大男子主义)．

Writing Thank-You Notes

    In days gone by, whenever a person received a gift, they would write a thank-you note as soon as possible{#blank#}3{#/blank#}Parents would sit children down after a birthday or Christmas and coach them in their first thank-you note. It is a shame that gift giving has now become a virtual obligation and the idea of a thank-you note would be laughed at.
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         We seem to have completely lost the concept of correct timing when it comes to parties these days{#blank#}5{#/blank#} After all, a party normally has a guest of honor-this is usually the oldest woman present. It was considered extremely rude in the past to leave a party before the guest of honor-and once the guest of honor left, it was a signal to all that they should begin their own preparations to leave.

A. Arriving on Time.

B. Leaving at the Right Time.

C. People leave with various excuses.

D. It enabled people to get on well with each other.

E. This rule was true even if the giver was a relative.

F. It could be the lady they were driving, or a stranger.

G. We've thrown away the concept of a guest of honor at will.

Tips for Upcoming Senior Two

    People often describe Senior Two as a year with “much more homework, more frequent exams and more fierce competitions”.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    ⒈Manage your time carefully and make full use of it.

    Try to study not hard but efficiently. Make a to-do-list for your time after school. Don't just spend quite a long time on only one subject.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Remember to take breaks when you feel exhausted.

    ⒉Treat Competition in Class in a right way.

    Don't treat your classmates as potential(潜在的)enemies. Competition cannot be avoided, but everyone wants to study and live in a friendly environment.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}By helping others solve problems, you inspire others, enrich your own knowledge and gain lasting friendship.

    ⒊{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Don't let your former rankings limit you. What really matters is how you treat exams and ranking. Forget the class ranking or grade rankings, but compete with yourself. In a while, you will see yourself climbing in scores and rankings.

    All in all, the coming new school year is sure to be full of challenges. Too much worry only adds to your difficulties in your development.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}Wish you the best of luck in the new academic year!

A. Learn for yourself, not for others.

B. Have a right attitude towards your rankings.

C. Good time management skills are very important.

D. Instead, divide the hours into small periods for different subjects

E. When you prepare for the battle, some advice from me may be of help

F. So when they turned to you for help, just share your wisdom immediately

G. If you keep my advice in mind, you will achieve a lot and lead a happy life.

    A lot of kids and adults say they get nervous during social situations. Maybe it's speaking up in class or making a phone call or just trying something new. You might feel butterflies in your stomach, or your heart may beat faster or you get suddenly sweaty. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} And if fear of being embarrassed or making a mistake is getting in your way, there are some things you can try on your own to help.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}

    Experts agree that avoiding situations that make us anxious can actually make things worse in the long run. Getting out of something you didn't want to do might make you feel better in the moment, but you will still feel anxious the next time you're asked to do it.

    Push yourself.

    While leaving your comfort zone isn't easy, it can be very good for you. That's because anxiety tends to go away when you start doing the things that make you anxious.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}You might find you have the skills to handle it. And next time you're in that situation you might feel less self-conscious.

    Practice a lot.

    As an experiment, try doing something that makes you nervous.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} Whatever you do, you'll find that it gets easier over time. That's because by practicing the things that make you nervous you are actually improving your ability to easily handle them.

    Relax yourself.

    Instead of trying to relax by watching television or visiting a website, try a deep relaxation practice that has a physical effect on the mind.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Don't avoid something.

B. Being nervous is uncommon.

C. Pay no attention to your original thoughts.

D. Those things are your body's reaction to fear.

E. Start with little things like answering questions in class.

F. So try to face your anxiety and fear and see what happens.

G. For example, doing things like yoga can also help you stay calm.

    Maybe you are an average student. You probably think you will never be a top student. However, anyone can become a better student if he or she wants to. Here is how

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} When you plan your week, you should make a list of things that you have to do. After making this list, you should make a schedule of your time. Choose a good, regular time for studying. Of course, studying shouldn't take all your time. Don't forget to set aside enough time for entertainment.

    Find a good place to study. Look around the house for a good study area. Keep this space free of everything but studying materials. No games, radios, or television.

    Make good use of your time in class. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Listening carefully in class means less work later. Taking notes will help you remember what the teacher says.

    Study regularly. When you get home from school, go over your notes. Prepare lessons before class and try to know what your teacher is going to discuss the next day. Do read that material. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} The purpose of a test is to show what your have learned about a subject. The world won't end if you don't pass a test, so don't be over-worried.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} You will probably find many others after you have tried these.

A.   There are other methods that might help you with your studying.

B.    Develop a good attitude to tests.

C.   Make full use of class time to listen to everything the teachers say.

D.   No one can become a top student unless he or she works hard.

E.    Plan your time carefully.

F.    A weekly schedule may not solve all your problems

G.   This will help you understand the next class.

    Most people have some regret that they just can't seem to get rid of. But holding on to regret about the past that can't be changed can have a bad impact on the possibility of a happy future. Regret is a waste of time, emotion and energy. To make sure that your life is a successful one, you need to take action to live in a way that you have no regret holding you back.

    Some people make very big decisions with very little consideration at all, and as a result they often regret their decisions. Before choosing a college major, getting married or accepting a job, you must think about all conditions carefully and make a conscious decision rather than a careless one. Big decisions aren't the only ones that require forethought, though. Before you become angry and say something you will regret later, think about what you're going to say.

    Some of things will be easy to do and some will be hard, but keep your eyes on the prize of living a successful life without regret, and you'll find that achieving your goals might be easier than you think. But don't just daydream about those goals—make an actual list, written down in black and white, and refer to it now and then to see what you have left to do.

    When you're feeling happy and full of energy, taking care of yourself isn't a problem. But in those days when you feel like crawling beneath the bed and never coming out again, you still must take care of yourself. You can do what you want and don't get angry with yourself about your shortcomings. On the contrary, you just admit them and try to change them and move on. Improving your mental health is just as important as taking care of yourself physically.

    Keep those who are important to you very close and be sure to let them know how important they are to you. Family, friends, co-workers and people who are as close as your families are your lifelines that you can depend on whenever you need them to help you remember what's important in life. You should make sure of repairing your relationships with your friends if something bad happens.

    Last but not least, learn to give yourself some relaxation and not to waste your time regretting things you cannot change. Treat those things properly and move on. Life is hard, but it is precious. Don't waste time regretting the past, or your future will get here before you know it.