[英语课]

Ten social skills everyone should master

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We’ve all watched them, in wonder: the happy-go-skippy social butterflies who are on everyone's must-invite guest list. They love the world and the world loves them back. What's their terrible secret?

Bust a Mood

To have fun, you've got to be fun. Sure, sometimes we are just not "in the mood" to be social, but I know you know how to fake it. And here's the weird part: Scientific research proves that putting a smile on your face will actually conjure the desire to feel like smiling. (And we know that smiling, like yawning, is contagious, so do it.)

Create a Memory

Do you have "blank canvas" jitters when walking into a party? So hide behind a camera. Taking snapshots is one of the quickest icebreakers in a social situation. And the cool part is distributing your catch later. Photos are the most cherished heirlooms, and with digital photography, you've got a billion chances to get the most amazing shot. The key is to avoid being a nudge, constantly telling everyone to "get together." Just hold the camera above the crowd and snap wildly, randomly, intensely—the fun is seeing what you get when you upload the shots.

Rock Your Specialty

Claim ownership of a "specialty" you love to whip up and keep the ingredients on hand. Whether it's after the kids' baseball game or the place for the late-late, after-after party, make your address the crew's place to be (last-minute guests always welcome).

Introduce Yourself

A sudden attack of shyness when you don't know a soul in the joint is quite possibly the most universal human experience. But walk through the door expecting to have a great time, and you will. Prep yourself for every situation by reminding yourself that something new and surprising and amazing can always happen—like falling madly in like at first sight with a new friend or simpatico business partner or finding that missing clue to some mystery of the world that you're trying to solve.

Know How to Play

As in, play a social game for fun, leave obligations behind and have a ball! When I was a kid, my parents told me to pick an instrument and pick a sport. It wasn't about learning how to win or lose or building college application activities, it was about getting me involved in the world, involved with people, building social experiences, building relationships.


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Sometimes Be an Ear, Not a Mouth

I know, we love the sound of our own voices, but once in a while, one of our friends will really need us just to listen. Sometimes the conversation might be a lot of give and take, advice and speculation, soul-searching and puzzle-solving, but sometimes you just need to be a giant ear for an hour.

Share the Wealth

No, not things that cost a ton of dough. I mean, give the things that cost you very little but are of massive value to others. Starting with compliments, all the way up to giving your time to your community. You'll feel like part of something bigger, something wonderfully social.

Join the (Digital) Mainstream

Some of us are addicted to Twit-book, and we know who we are. For those on the opposite side of the aisle, those who live in perpetual fear and suspicion of socializing on the interwebs, I'm here to say: Relax. Once upon a time, it may have been cool to resist the three-times-a-day invitations to join. Facebook and other social media won't replace actual, live, in-flesh human interaction. In fact, they can enhance your offline social life because nowadays that's how a lot of people are sharing important information. If you're shunning Facebook because you think it will kill your social life, you may be killing your social life.

Get Acquainted with a Classic

If you learn how to make one cocktail in this lifetime, make it a martini. It's required knowledge for a passing grade in Western Civ 101, up there in the canon-lands, along with the little black dress, a single strand of pearls and the original icons of elegant style, the Ladies Hepburn (Katharine and Audrey).

Remember to Say Thank You

Strap in, I'm going to write something extremely controversial here: Yes, you can thank someone with an email or a phone call. We all know traditional thank-you etiquette calls for a handwritten, snail-mail note, but I've seen it happen all too often: You keep meaning to find a nice thank-you card or choose some pretty stationery. But something comes up: a crisis, some project at work, football season. And time passes, as it does. Before long, it's too late. And then a chance encounter with the would-be, should-have-been recipient of the phantom note sends you slinking into the shadows, quivering in breathless social shame.


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http://user.qzone.qq.com/448530028/blog/1339401420#!app=2&pos=1339401420

[英语课]

10 brain activation methods

    Have you encountered these: the work of the bottleneck, feeling like you have worked out,  can't think up a new plan and new ideas? In fact, the human brain potential is unlimited, everybody has his creativity, the key is whether you can "dig it out". Now share with you the 10 brain activation methods, to make the brain more inspiration, and tap the potential of creativity.


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1.  Have blue decoration environment

Color psychology study found, to see two blue objects, people would be more positive. So create a "blue harbor" for yourself quickly!

2. Appropriate to drink wine

      Researchers of the United States University of Illinois at Chicago found, a small amount of drink in social activities can make thinking ability stronger and have "inspiration" more easily.
 
3. Daydream

Canada university study points out, the creativity test score is higher from  a person who loves to have daydream.To take some time, let your mind thinking with a powerful and unconstrained style.

4. Imagine yourself as a child

When a person think back to childhood, the brain is more prone to have some "strange and eccentric" ideas. Maintain a childlike innocence, your mind will not old.

5. Laugh out loud

Someone found that after people watch a funny comedy film, they can solve 20% problems more than usual. Smile can save our fatigue, nervous tension.


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6. Imagine yourself in the distance

The United States of America Indiana University study found, imagine yourself in a faraway place, the ability of people seems to be easier to play.

7. Speak obscure words.

If you make some professional terms hanging in the mouth, your mind will change narrow automatically. So we should speak more "vernacular", make miracle in the ordinary.

8. Change the workplace.

"The environment affect the mind".  Stay in a fixed place all the time, the thinking is easy to limit. Change a place, even a chair, it will be different.

9. Go outside to have a look.

Open world gives people an open mind. When you feel the brain exhausted, stand and go outside to have to walk, let the universe give you inspiration and creativity.

10. Go downtown.

The United States Santa Fe Institute study found that, in the busy city, people's creativity can enhance 15%. So use the "world" to stimulate the brain.


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Have a try of the methods above, I believe you will bear fruit. Believe that the brain's potential is infinite.

[英语课]

 

Ten tricks of emergency belly reduction

                                                         in summer

It's easy to look great in your little black dress again with our easy exercise tips. So even if you're sitting down all day or rushing around after the kids we've got some great suggestions to help you flatten your belly.

1. Dance it off

All types of vigorous dancing is great for burning fat and calories--around 400 an hour--and dancing is a good workout for your waist too. Salsa, ballroom and belly dancing are particularly good.

2. Swap your chair for a fitness ball

You might feel silly but sitting on a fitness ball instead of a chair when you watch telly will help tone up your belly. You have to use your muscles, especially your stomach muscles to balance and stay on the ball.

3. Sit-ups

Yes, we know you've heard it before but sit-ups or crunches can help fight the flab. You won't see a change immediately and you may need to build up to doing 10-15 sit-ups a day. Always hold your hands by your ears rather than behind your head so you don't strain your neck or back.

4. The reverse curl

If you find sit-ups difficult try the reverse curl instead, it's just as effective but easier on the back. Start by lying on the floor, with your hands by your sides. Lift your bum off the floor using just your stomach muscles and keep your arms and shoulders on the floor. Hold for a few seconds then lower yourself back to the floor. Repeat 15-20 times.

5. Yoga

It's not just for celebs like Madonna, Yoga can be done by anyone at any level. It's great for toning all over but especially good at toning the belly because of the breathing exercises that are involved, and because it helps your posture--and good posture leads to a flatter tum!

6. Check your posture

To keep your tummy flat you need to keep your back strong too as the band of muscle around your waist also helps support your spine. So stand up straight and keep your back and stomach muscles taut.

7. Crunch and twist

Once you've been doing sit-ups for a while you'll notice that they've become a lot easier, don't give up and don't just do more, do them differently instead. Keep your hands by your ears and raise yourself up slowly then twist your body--from the waist, not your back or shoulders--and try to touch your knees with your opposite elbow, i.e. your right elbow comes up and across to touch your left knee. Untwist and go back to your starting position. Repeat on each side 10-15 times.

8. Touch your toes

If you're bored of sit-ups, try this exercise instead. Lie on the floor with arms straight up, pointing at the ceiling. Slowly curl yourself up and forward so that your hands are pointing towards your toes--and if you can, touch your toes. Then return to your starting position but do it slowly to stretch the muscles. Repeat 15-20 times.

9. Hold your stomach in

This is easy exercise if you're feeling lazy. Just holding your stomach in when you're walking or waiting for the bus can help tone your belly.

10. Could it just be bloating?

If it is, then there are loads of things you can do to get a slimmer waist, almost overnight. Swap fizzy drinks for still drinks, chew slowly and take pre and pro biotic supplements, which will increase your good gut bacteria and lessen the bloating.


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http://www.kukuspeak.com/kouyu/shiyong/9106.html?1339823674

[英语课]

I will persist until I succeed.

                                                                                   ---Og Mandino

  In the Orient young bulls are tested for the fight arena in a certain manner. Each is brought to the ring and allowed to attack a picador who pricks them with a lance. The bravery of each bull is then rated with care according to the number of times he demonstrates his willingness to charge in spite of the sting of the blade. Henceforth will I recognize that each day I am tested by life in like manner. If I persist, if I continue to try, if I continue to charge forward, I will succeed.
 
I will persist until I succeed.
 
I was not delivered unto this world in defeat, nor does failure course in my veins. I am not a sheep waiting to be prodded by my shepherd. I am a lion and I refuse to talk, to walk, to sleep with the sheep. I will hear not those who weep and complain, for their disease is contagious. Let them join the sheep. The slaughterhouse of failure is not my destiny.
 
I will persist until I succeed.
 
The prizes of life are at the end of each journey, not near the beginning; and it is not given to me to know how many steps are necessary in order to reach my goal. Failure I may still encounter at the thousandth step, yet success hides behind the next bend in the road. Never will I know how close it lies unless I turn the corner.
 
Always will I take another step. If that is of no avail I will take another, and yet another. In truth, one step at a time is not too difficult.
 
I will persist until I succeed.
 
Henceforth, I will consider each day's effort as but one blow of my blade against a mighty oak. The first blow may cause not a tremor in the wood, nor the second, nor the third. Each blow, of itself, may be trifling, and seem of no consequence. Yet from childish swipes the oak will eventually tumble. So it will be with my efforts of today.
 
I will be liken to the raindrop which washes away the mountain; the ant who devours a tiger; the star which brightens the earth; the slave who builds a pyramid. I will build my castle one brick at a time for I know that small attempts, repeated, will complete any undertaking.


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I will persist until I succeed.
 
I will never consider defeat and I will remove from my vocabulary such words and phrases as quit, cannot, unable, impossible, out of the question, improbable, failure, unworkable, hopeless, and retreat; for they are the words of fools. I will avoid despair but if this disease of the mind should infect me then I will work on in despair. I will toil and I will endure. I will ignore the obstacles at my feet and keep mine eyes on the goals above my head, for I know that where dry desert ends, green grass grows.
 
I will persist until I succeed.
 
I will remember the ancient law of averages and I will bend it to my good. I will persist with knowledge that each failure to sell will increase my chance for success at the next attempt. Each nay I hear will bring me closer to the sound of yea. Each frown I meet only prepares me for the smile to come. Each misfortune I encounter will carry in it the seed of tomorrow's good luck. I must have the night to appreciate the day. I must fail often to succeed only once.
 
I will persist until I succeed.
 
I will try, and try, and try again. Each obstacle I will consider as a mere detour to my goal and a challenge to my profession. I will persist and develop my skills as the mariner develops his, by learning to ride out the wrath of each storm.
 
I will persist until I succeed.
 
Henceforth, I will learn and apply another secret of those who excel in my work. When each day is ended, not regarding whether it has been a success or a failure, I will attempt to achieve one more sale. When my thoughts beckon my tired body homeward I will resist the temptation to depart. I will try again. I will make one more attempt to close with victory, and if that fails I will make another. Never will I allow any day to end with a failure. Thus will I plant the seed of tomorrow's success and gain an insurmountable advantage over those who cease their labor at a prescribed time. When others cease their struggle, the mine will begin, and my harvest will be full.
 
I will persist until I succeed.
 
Nor will I allow yesterday's success to lull me into today's complacency, for this is the great foundation of failure. I will forget the happenings of the day that is gone, whether they were good or bad, and greet the new sun with confidence that this will be the best day of my life.
 
So long as there is breath in me, that long will I persist. For now I know one of the greatest principles of success; if I persist long enough I will win.
 
I will persist. I will win.
 
                                                                                              

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  Og Mandino is the most popular and inspired writer writing self-help books nowadays. He is the author of 14 books, sold over 30 million and translated into 18 languages​​.
  Thousands of people from all walks of life praised Og Mandino changed their lives, and got the magical power from his books.
   His books are full of wisdom, inspiration and love. His books include: "The greatest miracle in the world," The Greatest Salesman in the World"," the greatest success in the world".
 

 

[英语课]

Five ways for you

                  to improve the morning efficiency

    Do you feel time in the morning is always slip quickly? How to take advantage of a few hours every day at the beginning of a good beginning for your own a day?  Here are  a few small coups for you, so you can improve easily the efficiency of the morning to greet the new day!


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Step 1: Establish Current Routine

Before you can make any changes to your current routine, you need to know what it is. Start by taking notice of how you spend your time. Do you reset the alarm a few times? Do you sit in the kitchen and wait for the coffee to brew? Jot down the steps you take and the times that you actually do these things.

Step 2: Decide What’s Most Important

What’s the point of being efficient if you’re not able to enjoy the time you’re saving. If there is something in your morning routine that you feel you simply can’t live without, it needs to be identified and considered sacred. For example, if you really need to [en]snooze
at least once in the morning, that ten minute sleep snack can be preserved. Likewise the cup of coffee and headline grazing.
 
Step 3: Make a List

Now that you know what you’re doing, make a list of the things that must be done in the morning. It may be as simple as: wake up, bathroom, coffee, shower, dressed, check emails, and leave for work. Some lists are much more complicated with exercise, dog walking and meditation thrown in.

Step 4:Stop Your Paper Subscription

Normally you might linger ten minutes or so over the paper while you eat your breakfast or drink your coffee. It would be far better, however, to stop your paper subscription and simply read the news on your device or listen to the news of the world on the radio on your way to work.

Step 5: Mesh Schedules

If you’re sharing a bathroom, all of your efficiencies are completely wasted if your roommate or partner isn’t on something of a schedule, too. Be very clear about the times that you need the bathroom and if the times overlap between the two of you, rearrange your schedule, adjust your wake-up time or simply flip a coin to make it all work. Otherwise it’s all for naught!

http://user.qzone.qq.com/448530028/blog/1340002776#!app=2&pos=1340002776


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[英语课]

Social activities to keep slim

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Keeping a busy social life amongst lots of friends may keep people slimmer than spending several hours on a treadmill, according to scientists.

　　Scientists believe social activities can release a brain chemical that converts white fat into brown fat. Brown fat burns calories to generate heat, while white fat stores calories and makes us fatter.

　　Converting white fat into brown fat is very difficult, normally requiring long-term exposure to cold conditions or activating part of the body's nervous system. However, scientists from Ohio State University think that having a busy social life is an even more effective way of carrying out this conversion.

　　Tests on mice showed that those lived in large communities and had more space and toys lost half of their abdominal weight in four weeks, even if they ate more than those in boring, lonely environments. Researchers said that social stimulation aids weight loss.

　　However, social activities make some people worried. Study author Dr Matthew During of Ohio State University said, "I'm still amazed at the degree of fat loss that occurs...  We often think of stress as a negative thing, but some kinds of stress can be good for your health."

　　Explaining how new technology had threatened face-to-face socializing, he added, "It's not just a sedentary lifestyle and high calorie foods, but an increasing lack of social engagement."

　　Co-author Dr Cao Lei said, "Loneliness is a profound factor for cancer and death; it's on par with cigarette smoking. Social engagement is very important."

 http://www.kukuspeak.com/kouyu/shiyong/9149.html?1340168087

[英语课]

10 ways to make you have more time

We all wish we had just a bit more time.

Just think what you could do with an extra hour or two each day: you could finally stick to an exercise routine, or spring-clean the house, or write your novel, or learn the guitar, or get a new qualification.

I can’t magically make all your days 25 hours long. But I can help you find more hours in your day for the things that really matter.


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Get Out of Bed Earlier

If you normally get up at 7.30am, try getting up at 7am. That half-hour might not sound like much -- but it could be time that you use to meditate, to exercise, to read that book you’ve been meaning to finish, or simply to get your day off to a calm and organized start.

The first hour or half-hour of the day is often a great chance to work on something important, before other demands crowd in on you. And if you need your beauty sleep? Just get to bed half an hour earlier.

Use Your Commute Productively

How much time do you spend commuting every week? Unless you work from home, you’ve probably got at least a couple of hours each week when you’re traveling between your home and your workplace.

Use your commuting time for something useful. If you drive, you could listen to audio books. If you take the bus or train, you could read a book rather than grabbing a free newspaper. And if your workplace is quite close by, you could try walking or cycling to work -- this builds exercise into the natural rhythm of your day.

Tackle the Important Tasks First

Once you get to work, take a few minutes to prioritize your tasks. Get the important ones done first (not the easy ones, or even the urgent ones). You can afford to spend at least an hour working on big, important tasks rather than on all those little urgent ones.

If you work like this, you’ll usually save time: the urgent tasks will still get done, and you won’t spend hours procrastinating over the important ones.

Don't Check Email So Often

Your colleagues and clients can wait for a few hours -- or even a day or two -- for you to reply to their emails. If there’s something truly urgent, they’ll pick up the phone.

Keep your inbox closed when you’re working, and only open it when you’re ready to spend 30 minutes or so dealing with emails. It’s much more efficient to batch-process your emails than to keep popping in and out of your inbox to deal with individual ones.

Reduce Interruptions

If colleagues have a habit of hanging around your desk to chat, or if the phone is constantly ringing, you might find that it takes you half the day to finish a simple task like writing a letter. Constant interruptions don’t just eat up time -- they also break your concentration.

When you’ve got a big task to focus on, let your calls go to voicemail. If you have an office door, close it. If you work in a cubicle, wear headphones: having them on makes it less likely that people will try to strike up a conversation.


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Stay Focused on Your Work

You might have heard the saying “procrastination is the thief of time.” When you want more hours in the day, procrastination can be a real problem. A few minutes chatting, browsing the web, updating your Facebook status, and so on, can easily turn into hours of wasted time over the course of a day.

When you’re working, work. If your concentration is slipping, take a proper break: go and get a glass of water, or stretch your legs a bit. And if you’re facing a difficult task, try breaking it into small steps or stages so that it’s easier to tackle.

Go Home on Time

If you’re supposed to finish work at 4pm, but you never make it out of the office door until 6pm at the earlier, then it’s no wonder you don’t have enough hours in the day.

In some jobs, it is difficult to get away on time (if all your colleagues work late, you might feel obliged to do the same). But if you’re staying because you only ever seem to get any work done in a mad dash at the end of the day, then your working habits need to change.

Delegate Some Chores

Perhaps you seem to be the only person in your household who’s capable of unstacking the dishwasher or ironing the clothes. If your evenings get taken up with a long list of chores, see whether you can delegate some of those.

Your partner, housemates, or kids can pitch in and help out. Even if you just free up 20 or 30 minutes every evening, you’ll have a bit of extra time to spend on something important to you.

Eat Dinner at Home

Although going out for dinner might seem like it saves time (after all, you don’t have to cook) -- you’ve got the time cost of traveling to the restaurant, ordering the food, waiting for it to arrive, paying the bill ... and it might well be faster just to cook and eat at home.

If you don’t have much time to cook during the week, try making extra portions at the weekend so that you can freeze some. That way, you’ve got an almost-instant meal (and one that’s probably healthier and cheaper than a restaurant meal, too).

Limit Your TV Watching

If you put the TV on as soon as you get in from work, it’s easy to end up spending hours slumped on the sofa. Instead of watching whatever happens to be showing, try watching just one or two programs each night.

You might also want to have at least a couple of TV-free evenings; a great chance to read a good book, or to work on a project around the house.

http://user.qzone.qq.com/448530028/blog/1340181006#!app=2&pos=1340181006


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[英语课]

10 things about happiness

             from the Economic Interpretation

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Money can buy happiness, but up to what point? And does working more make us miserable? And will you be happier if you start your own company? Here's what the research tells us。

　　1) Generally speaking, richer countries are happier countries. But since many of these rich countries share other traits -- they're mostly democracies with strong property rights traditions, for example -- some studies suggest that it's our institutions that are making us happy, not just the wealth。

　　2) Generally speaking, richer people are happier people. But young people and the elderly appear less influenced by having more money。

　　3) But money has diminishing returns-- like just about everything else. Satisfaction rises with income until about $75,000 (or perhaps as high as $120,000). After that, researchers have had trouble proving that more money makes that much of a difference. Other factors -- like marriage quality and health -- become more relatively important than money. It might be the case that richer people use their money to move to richer areas, where they no longer feel rich. Non-economists might chalk this up to the "keeping up with the Jones'" principle。

　　 The diminishing-returns principle is true for entire countries, too... The "Easterlin Paradox" suggests that once a developed country passes a threshold average income, more growth doesn't increase average reported happiness。

　　4) Income inequality reduces well-being, and higher public spending increases well-being。

　　These conclusions have been reached many times ... and called into question many times. Most interestingly, "perceived social mobility" might mitigate the effects of income inequality. If people think they can move up the income ladder, they're willing to tolerate a larger equality gap。


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　　5) Unemployment just makes you miserable。

　　Across most surveys, nothing correlates with unhappiness more than unemployment, except perhaps for bad health. This effect is particularly strong among men in Great Britain, Germany, and the U.S. There is an odd silver lining: Being around lots of other unemployed people makes us feel better about not having a job. So high-unemployment regions can possibly "neutralize" the negative effects of unemployment -- but that shouldn't make you feel good about them。

　　6) Inflation makes you pretty unhappy, too. But its effect is weaker than unemployment. The mixed evidence seems to suggest that a volatile inflation rate decreases well-being, but in countries with generally stable prices, a little inflation has a small effect on happiness。

　　7) Working more hours makes you happier ... until it makes you miserable。

　　As workers move from part-time work to full-time work, they're happier. But as they move from full-time work to Jesus-when-will-this-day-finally-end work, the joy of labor subsides. There seems to be an "inverse U-shaped relationship" between hours worked and self-reported well-being, although the precise figures differ across countries。

　　８) Commuters are less happy. The studies here are really interesting. Health scientists say that commuting can make you sick and die -- not conducive to happiness. Daniel Kahneman's research on female happiness found that while commuting, women experienced the "lowest ratio of positive to negative emotions during the day." One study pegged the magic number at 22: If your commute is more than 22 minutes, there is an appreciable decline in reported well-being. Yet another study found that for every 10 minutes of additional commuting, community involvement falls by 10 percent。

　　9) Self-employed people are happier. When workers think they're good at their job and that their bosses like them, they're more satisfied. So it makes sense that when they are their own boss, they're happier to work. A famous OECD study found that the self-employed "typically report higher levels of overall job satisfaction than the employed." But another study suggests that only rich self-employed people are happier to be self-employed。

　　10) Debt sucks. The kind of debt matters. Mortgage debt doesn't correlate much with happiness. Credit card debt does -- in a negative way. Either way, high debt correlates strongly with anxiety and depression。

http://www.kukuspeak.com/kouyu/shiyong/9165.html


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[英语课]

How to get rid of insomnia to fall asleep quickly

There are a few lucky people out there who have absolutely no trouble falling asleep at night. The minute their head hits the pillow, they’re out. The rest of us lie in bed staring at the ceiling, tossing and turning, counting sheep or minutes, or snore, waiting for the mercy of blessed sleep to come.

Lack of sufficient, good quality sleep takes a toll on nearly every aspect of our lives, everything from health, to mood, to safety, to job performance. The good news is…all is not lost. With a bit of knowledge, a bit of planning and a bit of patience, we can learn to fall asleep fast!


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With that in mind, here are a total of 19 ways to fall asleep fast.

Daytime Sleep Enhancers

Exercise during the day – We all know exercise improves our health, but it also improves our sleep by reducing stress. The caveat, don’t exercise within 3 hours before bedtime. The adrenaline will keep you awake.

Limit beverages that interfere – We all know that caffeine makes it difficult to fall asleep, but we may not be aware that alcohol interferes as well, as does drinking too much water right before bedtime.

Avoid naps – Try not to nap if you possibly can. Sleeping during the day makes it difficult to fall sleep at night. If you absolutely must, limit naps to a power nap of 20 minutes.

Evening Sleep Helpers

Food is a factor – Have a light dinner. Heavy meals may be difficult to digest and indigestion may make it difficult to fall asleep. But don’t go to bed hungry. Hunger keeps you awake. Eat a light snack shortly before bedtime.

Turn off the TV and computer. – This kind of stimulation tells the brain to be alert when it’s supposed to be winding down and has been proven to reduce sleep quality.

Prep the Bedroom Atmosphere

Remove the electronics – Shut off the TV and remove computers and other electronic devices from your bedroom. They tempt you to engage in non-restful activities and keep you awake. The bedroom is for sleep, not work and surfing the internet.

Keep cool – You fall asleep faster and sleep better if the bedroom is cooler. A lower room temperature lowers core body temp, and helps you go to sleep.

Dim the lights – Light, even a small amount interferes with sleep hormones and stimulates the brain. Wear an eye mask if necessary or turn the alarm clock around.

Turn it down – Eliminate noise, or alternatively if you find noise soothing or need to block noise you can’t control, choose calming sounds such white noise or ocean sounds. Wearing earplugs can also help block unwanted noise.
 
Aromatherapy – Aromatherapy sooths the body and have a calming effect. There are many scents available that can help you to relax and prepare for sleep, vanilla, lavender, marjoram, sandalwood are just a few examples. Use on your pillow, in the air or in the bath.


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The Fall Asleep Fast Bedtime Routine

Same time every day – Start your bedtime routine at the same time each day and maintain a regular sleep time. It helps condition your body to fall asleep faster by creating a sleep habit and setting your circadian rhythm.

Try a bath – Take a warm bath before bedtime. It can help you relax and raising the body temperature, then cooling it in a low temperature room helps you to fall asleep faster.

Soothing beverage – Herbal tea or a glass of milk also relax the body and help you wind down.

Read – Read an entertaining or boring book. It helps to get your mind of worries and your to-do list. Stay away from stimulating or self-help books though; they rev up your brain.

Relax your body – try yoga or gentle stretching. Do progressive relaxation; tighten each muscle for a count of ten and then release. It will relax your body and minimize muscle aches and pains.

Relax your mind – Journal to let go of worry and busy thoughts. Try visualizing soothing images such clouds or a peaceful place; a garden or field or beach, whatever soothes you. It helps quiet the mind and release anxious thoughts.

Quality bedding – Get a comfortable, supportive mattress. It’s worth the investment, as you spend one third of your life in bed. Use comfortable soft sheets and comforter. Smooth, quality bedding helps sooth and relax your body to fall asleep faster.

Comfortable clothing – Wear loose, light, cool pajamas. Cotton works best as it minimizes nighttime seating. Alternatively, sleep without pajamas if it makes you more comfortable. Binding or hot PJs make for restless and uncomfortable sleep.

Watch your posture – Sleep position matters. Find a comfortable sleep position that supports good sleep posture. Make sure every part of your body is comfortable. Buy a good quality pillow that supports your neck and properly aligns your body. Side positions are usually better, but if back works for you that’s fins. Lie in the same position every night, so your body becomes accustomed to falling asleep in the same way.

原文：http://www.kukuspeak.com/kouyu/shiyong/9181.html

[英语课]

11 good habits of successful people

We all want to succeed. Whether it’s in losing weight, learning the guitar, speed reading, or starting our own business. For those of us who have tried and failed, success seems elusive. Why is it one person succeeds where another person fails? First and foremost, I believe it is in their mindset. But secondly, I believe that successful people have developed certain habits, either naturally or through research, that the rest of us haven’t stumbled upon yet. I’ve made a list of some habits to help you set goals and achieve them.


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1. Identify your core values

What is important to you? Finding your core values may seem a bit off-topic when it comes to success, but creating goals that are in line with your values is key to creating intrinsic motivation. Sit and reflect on what you value most. Pick a handful of things and actually write them down. Remind yourself of your values every day, and reflect on whether you are honoring those values through your work.

2. Pick a goal (Focus)

Choose one goal to start. Something large enough that will give you a sense of accomplishment, while aligning well with your core values. Focus is key here. The more focused you are on one goal, the higher chance you have of success. If you spread yourself too thin, you might never complete your projects because they will take far too long. Believe me, multitasking isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

3. Set a deadline for success

Set a date for success. Identify when your hope to achieve your goal. Keep it realistic, while not giving yourself too much time. By setting a time limit, you are making the process more real.

4. Build the right mindset

Believe fully in your ability to achieve your goal. Visualize yourself having completed your goal in the exact time-frame you have chosen, although finishing early is also acceptable. You don’t need to consider the failures that will happen along the way. Success is inevitable. Others may think you will fail, don’t let yourself be one of them! (If you have trouble visualizing success, perhaps a fear of success is limiting you.)

5. Consequences for missing your deadline

Set up negative consequences for missing the deadline. Necessity is the mother of all invention. If you can manage to keep yourself intrinsically motivated, that’s great. If not, this will help kick you into gear and keep your eye on the prize.

6. Weekly and Daily Goals (Plan)

Break down goals by week and by day, setting up a plan to reach your overall objective. Keep the number of tasks per day as low as you can, and focus on completing only your planned tasks for each day. If you find yourself done, pick the next thing from your weekly list. Do the hardest things during your peak energy level, which usually means doing them first!


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7. Prioritize

Prioritize the tasks you have in front of you. Don’t always do the most urgent thing first. Pick the task that’s the most important. Sometimes these overlap, which is nice. By always accomplishing what’s most important, you are making clear progress toward your goal.

Also keep in mind that completing the hardest task first is a sure-fire way of increasing your productivity. If you put it off until later in the day, your energy level is bound to drop, and finishing the hard task will seem daunting and maybe even impossible. But, if you start off with the hardest task, when your energy level is high, you will have the focus and energy required to finish it off.

8. Take risks

Push yourself. Go out of your comfort zone. This is the best way to learn, and the best way to make progress quickly. If you’re looking for new ideas, being risk averse will not help. This takes a lot of self-awareness. Try and be conscious of when you are holding yourself back out of fear. Push yourself to be courageous, and take that next step.

9. Perseverance

Failure is inevitable when you take risks, which is what you’ll be doing if you want to succeed. By its very definition, the desire to succeed at something means you are risking failure. Many people tend to give up far too early. Don’t fall into this trap! Remember your mindset earlier, and visualize your success. Know it will happen. A failure is merely you working out the details, and learning what works and what doesn’t. Use failure. Treat it as a good thing, and march on!

10. Reflect

Take time every day to sit quietly and reflect on your values, goals, and progress made so far. Where have you excelled, and where can you do better. Is everything you are doing still lining up with your core values? Always look for ways to improve.

11. Learn

Never stop learning. Know what everyone else is doing, and what everyone else has done, and how they did it. Search wide for knowledge that might help you, and any inspiration that may do the same. Never think you have nothing to learn from others.

原文：http://www.kukuspeak.com/kouyu/shiyong/9171.html

[英语课]

Words to Live By

I’ll give you some advice about life.


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Eat more roughage

Do more than others expect you to do and do it pains

Remember what life tells you

Don’t take to heart everything you hear. Don’t spend all that you have. Don't sleep as long as you want

Whenever you say“ I love you”，please say it honestly

Whenever you say“ I‘m sorry”，please look into the other person’s eyes

Fall in love at first sight

Don't neglect dreams

Love deeply and ardently，even if there is pain，but this is the way to make your life complete

Find a way to settle，not to dispute

Never judge people by their appearance

Speak slowly，but think quickly

When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer，smile and say，“Why do you want to know？”

Remember that the man who can shoulder the most risk will gain the deepest love and the supreme accomplishment

Call you mother on the phone. If you can't，you may think of her in your heart
 
If you fail，don't forget to learn your lesson

Don't let a little dispute break up a great friendship

Whenever you find your wrongdoing，be quick with reparation

Whenever you make a phone call smile when you pick up the phone，because someone feel it

Find time for yourself

Read more books and watch less television

When you quarrel with a close friend，talk about the main dish，don't quibble over the appetizers

Do the thing you should do

Go to a place you’ve never been to every year

http://www.kukuspeak.com/kouyu/shiyong/9206.html

[英语课]

Five tips for your worry-free workday

In the middle of the Summer, when the weather is beautiful and the beach is beckoning, it can be hard to even drag yourself into the office — let alone to stay organized and productive while you’re there. If you’re finding yourself in a mid-Summer slump at work, check out the following tips for effectively organizing your workday.


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1.Plan Your Day on a Curve

View your workday as a bell curve: Start with easy, pleasant tasks as you’re working on your first (or second) cup of coffee. Once you’re warmed up, tackle the most difficult — or most loathed — tasks of the day. Then plan your most mindless tasks for your after-lunch slump, and finish the day off with something you actually enjoy doing.

2.Reward Yourself

When you’ve got a particularly hectic schedule or are tackling an unpleasant project, give yourself small rewards as you accomplish tasks. When you finish putting together that PowerPoint, run out and grab a latte. After you’ve dealt with a difficult client, allow yourself a few minutes to chat with a co-worker about last night’s episode of True Blood.

3.Prioritize Your To-Do List

When your task list gets unmanageable, it’s time to choose your battles. You obviously can’t accomplish everything at once, so decide what absolutely has to be done right away, and what can wait. Some people like to use symbols like stars to indicate high-priority items; some set a different deadline for finishing each task; and others use spreadsheets to separate urgent items and long-term projects.

4.Don't Neglect Your Breaks

Even on your busiest days, make time for breaks. You may not have time for a leisurely hour-long lunch, but make yourself get out, even if it’s just to do a lap around the building. Getting away from your desk will clear your head, energize you, and may even result in new ideas or a better approach to a problem.

5.Plan Ahead

Save the last 15 or so minutes of each day to plan ahead for the next. Straighten up your desk, toss out any wrappers or coffee cups that have accumulated during the day, and take another pass through your to-do list to make sure you’ve crossed off everything you accomplished. Then start a fresh list for the following day so you can get off to a productive, organized start in the morning.

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[英语课]

5 simple little things to make life better

All wise people know that it takes sometime before a person can reach their goals and improve their life. And while this is a an unquestionable fact still this doesn’t mean that you can’t make small changes to your life to make it better in few weeks if not in few days!

While you can’t reach your life goals overnight you still can take small actions that can help you live a better life almost instantly. Here is what you can do:


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1. Start waking up earlier : one of the main causes of stress is finding yourself out of time while being loaded with lots of tasks. When you wake up earlier you won’t only become more productive but you will also reduce the amount of stress in your life to a great extent.

2. Get organized and write a plan: the main reasons we worry and become anxious is that we don’t trust our actions or current plans. When you write down a plan your subconscious mind starts feeling more comfortable about your future and as a result you will reduce the amount of worrying in your life. Writing down a plan using a pen and a paper will make the plan settle in your subconscious mind and as a result you will feel much safer than if you didn’t have a plan.

3. Break a simple bad habit: I know that some habits take a lot of time to break but what about simple habits that can be broken immediately? When you break a habit that you have been doing for a long time your mood will improve and your life will become better almost instantly.

4. Adjust your eating habits: do you drink enough water? Do you know that you might be feeling tired because your body needs more water? Do you know that unhealthy food can make you feel unhappy? Do you know that your mood is in many cases a reflection of your overall health? Once you start eating healthy foods and a balanced diet your health will become way better and so will your life.

5. Apologize to someone: did you fight with someone lately? Is there someone out there who is sad right now because of what you did to him? call that person and say sorry, not only you will make another person happy but you will also feel better as a result of the disappearance of guilt from the back of your mind.

Just as you saw simple actions such as the ones mentioned can help you live a better life. Use these simple actions to improve your mood and to give yourself a mood boost so that you can pursue your bigger goals.

[英语课]

5 ways to enjoy the life without much money

If you feel you need to have a lot of money to really enjoy life, I am afraid you are sadly mistaken。

　　The greatest things in life are those worthwhile experiences and subtle occurrences that sometimes most individuals simply take for granted. While Madison avenue may think that having expensive “stuff” and the like are what lead to happiness, below are some ways you can still enjoy yourself without spending a fortune。


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  1. Walk The Beach
　　
　　Taking a walk along the beach not only clears your head but it is a great way to relax yourself amid your stressful life. Feeling the sand beneath your feet as you navigate the coast feels so good!

  2. Explore Unknown Places Around Where You Live
　　
　　If you have the need for adventure, taking the time to explore around where you live is always fun. You never know what you are going to find。

　3. Take a Forest Nature Walk
　　
　　Following a path in and out of the woods is always a fun way to escape from the world and have some great time to yourself. If you wanted to take it to the next step, pitching a tent and spending the night is also a great alternative。

  4. Ride the bike　　

    Not only do you get some exercise but even better you get to take your bike off some sweet jumps! Doing this activity with friends or family is also a fun as well!

　
　5. Hangout At The Boardwalk

　　Bringing you back to your childhood days is always a fun thing to do…even if you don’t spend any money. As you walk along the boardwalk with some cotton candy and a hot dog, you can’t help but keep a grin from ear to ear on your face。

　http://www.kukuspeak.com/kouyu/huati/9343.html

[英语课]

5 ways to make your boss love you!

Impressing your boss is key to getting promoted and making more money。
　　
And career expert Alexandra Levit has a few easy tips for making it happen. She recommends you start first with your immediate boss because they're most aware of your day-to-day efforts. They're also most integral in performance reviews and promotions. Here are her five tips.


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1. Be the can-do employee. Accept any assignment graciously and without complaining. Take a leadership role in the group even if its outside your comfort zone。

　　
2. Look for new challenges. Don't get reticent because you're good at your current role. Keep thinking of new ideas。

　　
3. Practice good time management。 Get assignments done before deadline. Never make your boss ask when something will be ready。

　　
4. Be proactive and be your boss' friend. Know his or her spouse and children and work to make small-talk. This will make it easier to come to your boss with ideas。

　　
5. Keep up-to-date。 Read trade publications and follow industry-relevant people on Twitter. Your boss will appreciate if you're in-the-loop about stuff they don't have time to follow。

 http://www.kukuspeak.com/kouyu/shiyong/9353.html