Ways to sleep smarter

    Studies show that poor sleep influences people to make good decisions, concentrate on tasks or even manage a friendly mood(情绪) at work. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Today we've got our top favorite sleep tips and facts.

Set a regular bedtime

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}Choose a time when you normally feel tired. Try not to break this routine(惯例) on weekends when you will probably stay up late. If you want to change your bedtime, make the change gradually, such as 15 minutes earlier or later each day.

Eat the right food

    Some foods are more helpful to a better night's sleep than others.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} Others like bananas, potatoes, and whole-wheat bread are also helpful.

{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Exercising provides lots of good health benefits(好处). A good night's sleep is one of them. But make sure you exercise in the morning or afternoon. The National Sleep Foundation reports that exercise in the morning or afternoon can help deepen sleep. However, those who worked out in the evening hours saw little or no improvement in their sleep.

Reduce(减少) screen time before bed

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} A recent study shows that people who use electronic media(媒体) just before bedtime report lower-quality sleep even when they get as much sleep as those who don't.

A. Avoid the alarm clock.

B. Exercise to improve sleep.

C. Try to solve problems in your sleep.

D. Go to bed at the same time every night.

E. There are many ways to increase the quality of your sleep.

F. Everybody knows that warm milk helps people sleep better.

G. Stop watching TV just before bedtime and you'll sleep better.

    How can I carry out a group project?

    Group projects can be so overwhelming (使人不知所措的), especially when people don't cooperate and follow through. “{#blank#}1{#/blank#}” To follow this wise advice from expert Julie Hochheiser IIkovich, simply break down that hug project into smaller jobs that can be tracked. Here's exactly how to do it:

    List it. The day the project is assigned, immediately identify the end goal.{#blank#}2{#/blank#}This should include everything from minor tasks to major ones.

    Schedule it.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}This should include meetings, tasks, and deadlines. Assign each person a color and highlight each task with those colors, so it's clear who is doing what.

    Track it. As a team, decide on a project manager who will keep everyone on track, and who you agree is allowed to call team members out if they're not hardworking. (Advice on how to choose:{#blank#}4{#/blank#}.

    As stressful as group work is, it can actually be beneficial in the long run. At first, groups that work well together can achieve much more than individuals working on their own. And being part of a team will help you develop your interpersonal skills. Also, working with others will help identify your own strengths and weaknesses.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

A. Give feedback on group processes to groups

B. Then list what needs to get done to accomplish it

C. Look for the person with the most organized desk!

D. A half-hour of planning saves a week of stress at the end!

E. Create a timetable for the project and put everything from the list on it.

F. This sense about yourself will be invaluable when you enter the workforce.

G. Group projects can help people develop new approaches to solving problems.

    There is no way to make somebody stop smoking,and just like with users of any drug,it is very unlikely a person will stop unless he or she wants to.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Step One: Make Observations

    Smoking use can affect memory and make it difficult for people to do well at work or school.Other bad effects that you may notice include:{#blank#}2{#/blank#}Is she getting sick more often than she used to?

    Write down your concerns using “I” statements,such as “I feel sad that when you smoke you give up your artwork.”{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Step Two: Approach the Person

    Bring up your concerns to your friend at a relaxing time.Express your concerns using the statements you wrote down.Tell him you will be there to support him if and when she decides to give up smoking.He will likely give you one of three responses:

    He wants to quit.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    He wants to stop,but not yet.

    You must be willing to calmly accept any of these responses.If he says he does want to stop,go on with the next step.If not,they will have to be visited later when he is ready.

    Step Three: Prevent Him Giving Up Halfway

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}However,symptoms only appear after some time of quitting smoke.This causes some who are addicted to believe that they are not actually addicted and to start using again.

A. He doesn't want to quit.

B. Does this person appear more nervous?

C. Are you lazy because you smoke too much?

D. It's best to approach the person in this manner.

E. People can become physically dependent on smoking.

F. The drug can stay in the system for a long period of time.

G. But there are steps you can take to support a friend or family member.

    Healthy habits that stick

    Here are five rules that helped me develop good habits.

    ⒈Pick habits you honestly want to have

    I didn't choose habits I thought I should add because of what anyone else was doing. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} It was about listening to myself.

    ⒉Build your habit your own way

    When I started to build up an exercise routine(习惯), I only went when I wanted to go. For me, that was around 2 pm every day. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} If I wanted to do 20 minutes on the bike, I'd do only 20 minutes and then leave.

    ⒊Start small

    I knew that if I tried to take on too much, I'd find a way to make an excuse. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} I started with two minutes of exercise, which were finally built up to 10, then 20 minutes. I realized that just doing something, no matter how small, meant I was more likely to do it again the next day.

    ⒋Be kind to yourself

{#blank#}4{#/blank#} When I got a cold and missed several days of exercise, I didn't beat myself up. Instead of punishing myself, I tried to love myself — and that had a more enjoyable and lasting effect.

    ⒌Celebrate every small victory

    When I began keeping a diary every morning, I put a number in the corner of each page to show how many diaries I had written. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Finally, after I filled up a notebook, I celebrated buying a new notebook.

A. If I missed a day, I let it go.

B. I can make exercise less boring.

C. So my daily purposes were very small.

D. I celebrated my pen running out of ink.

E. It wasn't about keeping up with other people.

F. I should celebrate my success with my friends.

G. It also meant that I would do whatever I wanted to do once I got there.

    Get a Thorough Understanding of Oneself.

    In all one's life time it is oneself that one spends the most time being with or dealing with.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    When you are going upwards in life you tend to overestimate(高估) yourself. It seems that everything you seek for is within your reach.{#blank#}2{#/blank#} It's likely that you think it wise for yourself to stay away from the outer world. Actually, to get a thorough understanding of oneself, you may as well keep the following tips in mind.

    Gain a correct view of oneself. You may look forward hopefully to the future but be sure not to expect too much, for dreams can never be fully realized. You may be courageous to meet challenges but it should be clear to you where to direct your efforts.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Self-appreciate. Whether you compare yourself to a towering tree or a blade of grass, a high mountain or a small stone, you represent a state of nature.{#blank#}4{#/blank#} If you earnestly (诚挚地) admire yourself you'll have a real sense of self-appreciation.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#} In time of anger, do yourself a favor by releasing (释放) it in a quiet place so that you won't be hurt by its flames; in time of sadness, do yourself a favor by sharing it with your friends so as to change a bad mood into a cheerful one; in time of tiredness, do yourself a favor by getting a good sleep.

    Get a full control of one's life. Then one will find one's life full of color and flavor.

A. It has its own value.

B. Do oneself a favor when it's needed.

C. Do yourself a favor when you resist the attack of illness.

D. But it is precisely oneself that one has the least understanding of.

E. Especially if it is well within your reach, you are just too blind to see it.

F. When you are going downhill you tend to underestimate yourself for your own incompetence.

G. So long as you have a perfect knowledge of yourself, there won't be difficulties you can't overcome.

Live Every Day Like It's A Holiday

    We feel great on holiday because we let go of everyday stresses and strains. {#blank#}1{#/blank#} So whether or not you're going away this summer, there's plenty you can do to make sure you benefit from that holiday feeling.

    Sleep like a holidaymaker

    Sleep like a baby when you're on your holidays but stay awake when you're in your usual routine? {#blank#}2{#/blank#}  To reset your sleep pattern, avoid bringing problems to bed. That includes your phone, TV or laptop. Make sure the room is dark and cool. Aim for at least seven hours' ZZZs—just as you would on holiday.

    Get moving

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Given that exercise is cheap, healthy and reduces stress, it makes absolute sense to build it into your day. A walk will release happy hormones, and eases anxiety and mild depression. {#blank#}4{#/blank#} 

    Part of the joy of going away is lingering over delicious food with families. Take up the holiday habit of sitting down as a family for at least one meal a day. Families who eat together experience less anxiety, less depression and less obesity, research has found.

    Be a tourist in your own city

    Part of toe thrill of a holiday is the novelty of discovering a new place and doing new things. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} At weekends, check out a new music venue, visit a different museum or have a drink in that interesting-looking pub you're always walking past. It will get you out of routine and make you feel alive. A bit like a holiday, really.

A. Make your meals a celebration.

B. Carve out some dedicated quiet time.

C. If so, you might need to examine your sleep habits.

D. Just make sure you schedule it into your day or week.

E. But it's also easy to be a holidaymaker in the place you live.

F. Research has even shown that vacations help health and wellbeing.

G. When you're travelling, you walk around new cities without a second thought.