Many of us are so busy with work, school and home life, which often cause there is no time left to do something that you enjoy. What follows are some ways to carve out that essential time you need to slow down, enjoy life and relax yourself.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Try to save certain weeknights just for you. If others ask you to do things those nights, just tell them you have plans. Use the time for gardening, reading, exercise, thinking or the ultimate luxury of doing nothing!

    Monthly Treat. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} It could be on your lunch break, a weekend or it could be leaving work early. Maybe you get a spa treatment, go to see a movie, a haircut, play golf or whatever treat you're always thinking about but rarely get to. Schedule it in and it will happen!

    Buy Tickets in Advance. Sports, theatre, concerts or any other event you would enjoy. Schedule the plans with a friend later. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} Huh? Yes, many of us stay at work late on a regular basis. If this is you, make it a point to leave work exactly on time at least once a week, if not more. And then enjoy that time! Leave work at work.

    Join a Group. Here are some ideas of groups that can allow you some time away from work and home: singing group, gardening group, astronomy society, book club, biking clubs, ski club, etc. What are you interested in? Strike while the iron is hot. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} If you can't find a club, consider starting one yourself!

A. Leave Work on Time.

B. Evenings with Yourself.

C. Having the tickets already in hand will force you to make it happen!

D. Listen to your favorite music!

E. Look up a club in your area today and join!

F. Take an Adult Education Class.

G. Schedule a treat for yourself once a month.

Forgiveness

    To forgive is a virtue, but no one has ever said it is easy. When someone has deeply hurt you, it can be extremely difficult to let go of your hate. However, forgiveness is possible, and it can be surprisingly beneficial to your physical and mental health. People who forgive show less sadness, anger and stress and more hopefulness, according to a recent research.

    {#blank#}1{#/blank#} Try the following steps:

    Calm yourself. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} You can take a couple of breaths and think of something that gives you pleasure: a beautiful scene in nature, or someone you love.

    Don't wait for an apology. Many times the person who hurt you does not intend to apologize. They may have wanted to hurt you or they just don't see things the same way. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Keep in mind that forgiveness does not necessarily mean becoming friends again with the person who upset you.

    Take the control away from your offender(冒犯者). Rethinking about your hurt gives power to the person who causes you pain. Instead of focusing on your wounded feelings, learn to look for the love, beauty and kindness around you.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#} If you understand your offender, you may realize that he or she was acting out of unawareness, fear, and even love. You may want to write a letter to yourself from your offender's point of view.

    Don't forget to forgive yourself. {#blank#}5{#/blank#} But it can rob you of your self-confidence if you don't do it.

A. Why should you forgive?

B. How should you start to forgive?

C. Recognize the benefits of forgiveness.

D. Try to see things from your offender's angle.

E. For some people, forgiving themselves is the biggest challenge.

F. To make your anger die away, try a simple stress-management technique.

G. If you wait for people to apologize, you could be waiting an awfully long time.

Ways to Worry Less

    Do you want to worry less? Of course you do,fight? That's like me asking if I could send you free bacon.Worry is like black mold—it appears in damp conditions and spreads uncontrollably.And often times we don't realize it's there until it's killing us.We must get rid of worry before it destroys us.But how?{#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Do what you need to do.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}You ought not to avoid tough projects or hard conversions until the last moment.If you don't do what you should be doing,you will end up spending the rest of the time worried about the must-to-do things.Believe it or not, the anxiety that comes from worrying is much worse than the task we're worried about.{#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    I think many of us act like we're puppets（木偶）in a play and we're waiting for something or someone to put us in the right place.You just react to whatever is going on.{#blank#}4{#/blank#}We need to live on purpose.Nothing can cause worry like purposelessness.

    Make plans.

    You can't have intentionality without making plans.Making plan will enable you to achieve your aims more smoothly.Yet,don't place your plans in stone.You can adjust your plans flexibly.Accept changes.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    There are other ways to lessen worry.As long as you are determined to take action,you will live a worry-free life.

A.Worry ruins creativity.

B.Get more intentional.

C.Do what you should be doing.

D.We need to stop letting life just happen.

E.Make new plans and then move forward.

F.You do the same as people around you do.

G.Here are some effective ways to deal with it.

Money Matters

    Parents should help their children understand money.{#blank#}1{#/blank#}So you may start talking about money when your child shows an interest in buying things, candy or toys, for example.

    ⒈ The basic function of money

    Begin explaining the basic function of money by showing how people trade money for goods or services. It is important to show your child how money is traded for the things he wants to have. If he wants to have a toy, give him the money and let him hand the money to the cashier(收银员).{#blank#}2{#/blank#} When your child grows a bit older and understands the basic function of money, you can start explaining more ways of using money.

    ⒉ Money lessons

    Approach money lessons with openness and honesty.{#blank#}3{#/blank#} If you must say no to a child's request to spend money, explain, “You have to make a choice between this and that toy.”

    ⒊{#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Begin at the grocery store. Pick out two similar brands of a product –a name-brand butter and a generic(无商标产品), for example. You can show your child how to make choices between different brands of a product so that you can save money.{#blank#}5{#/blank#}  If he chooses the cheaper brand, allow him to make another purchase with the money saved. Later, you may explain how more expensive choice leaves less money for other purchases.

A. Wise decision

B. The value of money

C. Permit the child to choose between them.

D. Tell your child why he can –or cannot –have certain things.

E. The best time to teach a child anything about money is when he shows an interest.

F. Talk about how the money bought the thing after you leave the toy store.

G. Ask yourself what things that cost money are most important to you.

    Worry problems are everywhere in our daily life. How to solve them? The answer is that we must equip ourselves to handle different kinds of worries by learning the three basic steps of problem analysis. The three steps are:

Get the facts

    Why is it so important to get the facts? Unless you have the facts, you can't possibly attempt to solve your problem intelligently. Without the facts, all you can do is wondering around in confusion{#blank#}1{#/blank#}When you are worried, your emotions are riding high. But here are two ideas that can help you see the facts in a clear and objective way.

    When trying to get the facts, you can pretend that you are collecting this information not for yourself but for some other person. This will help you to take a cold and fair view of the evidence. You can also pretend that you are a lawyer preparing to agree{#blank#}2{#/blank#}You will generally find the truth lies somewhere in between.

Analyze the facts

    {#blank#}3{#/blank#}And write out all the various steps you could take and then the probable consequences(后果) of each step. For example, what am I worrying about? What can I do about it? Here is what I'm going to do about it. After carefully weighing all the facts, you can calmly come to a decision.

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

Unless you take your action, all you face—finding and analyzing—is a waste of energy. How can you break the worry habit before it breaks you? Crowd worry out of your mind by keeping busy.{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Accept what can't be avoided. If you know a situation is beyond your power, say to yourself: “ It is so; it can't be otherwise.” Don't permit little things to ruin your happiness. Try to develop a mental attitude that will bring you peace and happiness.

A. Act on that decision

B. It is not an easy job to get facts.

C. Decide how much anxiety a thing may be worth

D. Plenty of action is one of the best ways to cure worry.

E. There comes a time when you must decide and never look back

F. Try to get all the facts both on your side and the other side of the case

G. Whenever you are worried, write down the questions that make you worry.

    While it is impossible to live completely free of stress, it is possible to prevent stress as well as reduce its effect when it can't be avoided. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    Try physical activity.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#} Running, walking, playing tennis, and working in your garden are just some of the activities you might try.

    Make time for yourself.

    Arrange time for both work and fun. Don't forget, play can be just as important as your overall well-being as work. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Go window-shopping or work on a hobby. Allow yourself at least a half hour each day to do something you enjoy.

    Take care of yourself.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}If you easily get angry and can't sleep well enough, or if you're not eating properly, it will be more likely that you will fall into stressful situations. If stress repeatedly keeps you from sleeping, you should go to see a doctor.

    {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

    Stress can result from disorganization and a feeling that "there's so much to do, not enough time". Trying to take care of everything at once can be too much for you and as a result, you may not achieve anything. Instead, make a list of everything you have to do, than do one thing at a time, checking off each task as it is completed. Set out to do the most important task first.

A. Make a list of things to do.

B. Do whatever you like and want to do.

C. You could smile to yourself in front of a mirror every day.

D. The following are suggestions for ways to deal with stress.

E. You should make every effort to eat well and get enough rest.

F. You need a break from your daily routine to just relax and have fun.

G. When you are nervous, angry or upset, try reducing the pressure through exercise or physical activity.