【推荐2】For one month, I turned down all in person activities with friends: going out for drinks, dinners, parties and non-work events, to see if it would make me more productive and improve my focus on my career.

Gradually, I came to enjoy the moments of doing nothing, sitting at cafes without any technology, and found myself daydreaming more frequently as I was no longer attempting to fill every spare moment. Such moments are linked to creative problem solving, brainstorming new ideas and reimagining existing projects.

However, such benefits would be a concern if I remained alone at home for too long. “For many working in an office environment, socializing is one of the most important parts and people with a ‘best friend’ at work are seven times more likely to throw themselves fully in their work,” says Silvia Bellezza, professor of Harvard University. Workplace friendship also creates a common sense of purpose and a social support network. Of course, off-hours socializing is also an important way to build work contacts. While one month of no social life did not impact people’s relationship with existing connections, it may have reduced their ability to build new ones.

During the month, I learned that I couldn’t cut out an area of life in order to lift another — a connection with people is linked to our work and helps us deal with life’s ups and downs. Researcher Ellen Galinsky has found that people who are dual-centric (兼顾的) are the most satisfied in their lives. “We find that people who are dual-centric tend to be healthier, do better at work and do better at home,” says Galinsky. Perhaps the secret to a successful career is not cutting out my social life, but combining the two.

【推荐3】AQ, or Adversity Quotient (逆商), refers to an individual’s capacity to effectively navigate and overcome adversities. It shares similarities with concepts such as resilience (应力) and persistence. Those with a high AQ have the ability to bounce back after facing setbacks.     1    

Adaptability to shifting circumstances

Similar to how creatures in the natural world must adapt to survive, individuals in the professional realm must also embrace change. Individuals with high AQ understand that change is constant and inevitable, and instead of resisting it, they embrace it as an opportunity for growth and development.     2    

    3    

Emotional stability is a crucial quality when facing adversity. Individuals with a high AQ possess the capacity to manage their emotions effectively, ensuring that they do not get overwhelmed by negativity or despair. They remain calm under pressure and approach problems with a clear and rational mindset.

Positive Mindset

High AQ individuals maintain a positive and optimistic outlook on life. They usually view adversities as temporary hurdles and believe in their ability to overcome them.     4     They also use setbacks as stepping stones towards personal development positively.

Problem-Solving Skills

    5     They possess creative problem-solving abilities and a flexible mindset that allows them to identify effective solutions to overcome difficulties. They approach problems with a strategic mindset, analyzing the situation, and finding practical and efficient ways to resolve them.

【推荐1】For 365 days a year, come rain or shine, Ruth Rose, 87, has taken a morning swim in Seaford, a small coastal town on the south coast of England. What started as a personal habit has developed into an almost full-time occupation（工作） over the past eight years, with Rose gathering a group of over 150 swimmers each day.

“It's a social event of the day,” she said. “The community needs this sort of grouping of people. We're doing something together and making our lives better.” Rose's group, called the Seaford Mermaids, has grown in number since last year.

While cold water swimming is nothing new in the U.K., its popularity has grown massively over the past few years. According to a recent nationwide study of the popularity of open water swimming, 7.5 million swim in outdoor pools or open water every year. 2.1 million of those say their preference is to swim in cold water. And supporters say swimming in cold water isn't just a form of exercise.

Jo, a recent addition to the Seaford Mermaids and one of the younger members of the group, lost her job last summer. She said that after being encouraged by a friend, swimming each morning had made a “huge difference” to her life.

“While precautions (预防措施) must be taken, especially for first-timers, to enter the water slowly and be well aware of an exit strategy in case muscle movements slow down in the cold water, there may be some potential (可能的) benefits of cold water swimming in treating anxiety and depression（抑郁), though the science is still unclear,” said Dr. Heather Massey, a senior lecturer at School of Sport Health and Exercise Science, University of Portsmouth.

“One of the ones that is a bit of a hot topic at the moment is that it may have some potential health benefits,” Massey said. “This is a hugely under-researched area and there's lots of anecdotal(传闻的) evidence that may support an improvement in people's health and well-being, whether that's physical or mental health. However, we don't have the scientific evidence to support that yet.”

【推荐1】Consider what goes through your mind after you’ve taken your seat on an airplane. You’ve not seen the captain, but his or her voice comes over the air. “Hello, this is your captain speaking.” Are you about to fly the friendly skies? What you probably don’ realize is that you do make quick judgments (判断) based on very few factors the moment you hear “hello”.

Experts have discovered that “hello” carries enough information for listeners to draw judgments about the speakers personality, such as how reliable (可信赖的) he or she is. They recorded 64 students reading a telephone conversation. The word “hello” was then picked from each recording, and 320 different students listened to that word through a computer. The students were asked to score the voices according to personality, including attractiveness and warmth, giving them points from l to 10. Although every voice was played in one third a second, the students formed an opinion quickly.

It is amazing that from such short voices of speech they can get such an obvious impression of a person. And whether it is correct, their impressions are mostly the same as what the other listeners get. The research also suggests that people’ impressions are based on the tone (语调) of voice. Men and women who present the strength of their voices are regarded as more reliable.

The speed with which the students made their judgments makes much sense. Deciding who to trust can be important to your survival. There’s no point in listening to someone talk for 5 minutes to decide if they’re reliable or not — you could be dead already. The discovery may help improve computer-made voice technologies, experts say.

【推荐2】Cultural exchanges and cooperation between Cambodia and China have been developing rapidly since the announcement of the Belt and Road Initiative.

China has donated millions of dollars to help with the restoration of Angkor Wat（吴哥窟）, shouldering more responsibility for world heritage protection. Cambodia's Angkor Wat was listed as a World Heritage site in 1992 and China began the restoration in 2000. Most of the 98 temples were completed by 2013.

Liu Jiang is from the Chinese restoration team. He says the restoration work at the Chau Say Tevoda Temple has been praised by the Cambodian side. Cambodia hopes they can do more restoration work for other historic sites of Angkor Wat in the future. Phay Siphan, spokesman for the Cambodian Council of Ministers, says the successful restoration of the Chau Say Tevoda Temple shows that China is not only influential in the economic and political field, but also in the cultural fields.

Now, the World Heritage Site is a popular destination for Chinese tourists. So far, China has overtaken Vietnam to become the largest source of tourists to Cambodia. Cambodia launched a "China Ready" strategy in 2016, with the aim of attracting more Chinese tourists. The country received about 1 million Chinese tourists last year, and it aims to double the number of Chinese tourists to 2 million by 2020. Many tourists say culture is their reason for visiting Cambodia.

A show called the "Smile of Angkor", which was created by both Chinese and Cambodian artists, has been on show since 2010 in Cambodia. It was sponsored by the Chinese Ministry of Culture and the Cambodian Ministry of Culture. So far, it has been performed more than 1,000 times, and seen by over a million audience members.

【推荐3】Whether you want to impress a new teacher, or just chat with a new acquaintance, knowing how to start a conversation can help you feel more comfortable and confident.

    1    . To take an example, when you go into a room full of strangers, most people there are just like you in their hopes and fears. So when you approach someone to start a conversation, you’re helping him, because he wants someone to talk to as much as you do.     2    , you can acknowledge and accept them, which will be to your advantage.

No matter what the situation is, you can find something positive to say. Comment on the weather, the food, or the event itself. Saying something as simple as you hope your conversation partner has a good time also is a good way to get a conversation rolling. People tend to respond better to a positive subject rather than a negative one. Staying positive also helps put others at ease.     3    .

It can be difficult to try to talk to someone when it feels that you have little in common. In these situations, getting the other person to talk about his or her own interests, work, or expertise can be a useful way.     4    , so expressing a genuine interest in the things that other people enjoy can be excellent fuel for a great conversation.

Learning how to start a conversation is an important skill that can help you build social connections. It can be difficult initially, particularly if you struggle with shyness or social anxiety.     5    . The more often you start to interact with others, the stronger your conversational skills will become.