【推荐2】Avoids chores, puts off homework and refuses to get out of bed in the mornings, sound familiar?    1    Here's how to give your teen the motivational boost they need without nagging (唠叨) them.

It's about drive

American youth motivational expert Josh Shipp says teenage motivation comes down to drive. “There has to be something that pushes him past the inconveniences, the shortcomings, and the delays that will, without question, arise when he undertakes something that's challenging.” Once teens understand how something benefits them, Josh explains they will continue to do it. “If the reason your child does something is only because it's important to you, that is short term motivation and that will end.”     2     “Feeling a sense of accomplishment is worth the effort it takes to experience it.”

Limit screen time

    3    It is recommended that young people spend no more than two hours a day sitting in front of a small screen and get 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise a day. Make screen time a reward by ensuring your teen completes their homework or chores first. Schedule screen-free time and make family meals an opportunity for everyone to connect. Be a good role model by making sure you're not constantly on your smartphone.

Teach responsibility

It's important for teens to help out with chores and learn responsibility. Set a plan with your teen for the chores they would prefer to do.    4    Be firm and clear about the consequences for not completing the chores—this can range from no screen time, to less pocket money or not being allowed to go out with their friends.

    5    

Your teenager might not act like they need it or want it, but they need to know you love them, care for them and respect them.

When your teen knows you are emotionally available to support them, you may just see a welcome change in their behaviour.

【推荐3】The fear of making the wrong decision, or decidophobia (选择恐惧症), can influence people even when it comes to the smallest choices, such as what to have for lunch.     1     Below are several tips to overcome it and help you progress in life.

Try the Decision-Making Quadrant (象限)

A good tool for decision-making is the Decision-Making Quadrant. In relation to the decision to be made, list answers to these four questions: What happens if X happens? What won’t happen if X happens? What happens if X doesn’t happen? What won’t happen if X doesn’t happen?     2    

Reduce the number of decisions

If making decisions is a weakness, it’s important to admit that and reduce decision-making in as many areas as possible. Eat set meals. Wear standard outfits.     3     Do everything else you can to reduce decisions. Then, consider practicing making decisions with someone who is more decisive.

Take it one step at a time

Change can be hard. Not everyone likes to be different from routine by making decisions, big or small. When making a decision, look at it as a learning experience.     4     Don’t be afraid of the result. Look forward to it.

See things from a different perspective

When decision paralysis (决策瘫痪) has taken over and “what ifs” are holding you down, sometimes you need to step outside of yourself for a different perspective.     5     Ask yourself, “What would he or she do?” and let it be your guide.

【推荐1】Fitness tracking devices (健康追踪装置) often suggest we take 10,000 steps a day. But the goal of taking 10,000 steps, which many of us believe is scientific, in fact comes by accidents and history rather than research.

The 10,000-steps target became popular in Japan in the 1960s. A clock maker, mass-produced a pedometer(计步器) with a name that, when written in Japanese characters, looked like a walking man. It also translated as “10,000-steps meter,” creating a walking aim that, through the decades, somehow has been accepted widely.

But today’s best science suggests we do not need to take 10,000 steps a day for our health or longevity. A 2019 study by Dr. Lee and her colleagues found that women in their 70s who take as few as 4,400 steps a day reduced their risk of early death by about 40 percent, compared to women completing 2,700 or fewer steps a day. The risks for early death continued to drop among the women walking more than 5,000 steps a day, but benefits plateaued(处于停滞状态)at about 7,500 daily steps. In other words, older women who completed fewer than half of the mythic(神话的)10,000 daily steps tended to live longer than those who covered even less ground.

Another study last year of almost 5,000 middle-aged men and women found that 10,000 steps a day are not a requirement for longevity. In that study, people who walked for about 8,000 steps a day were half as likely to die early from heart disease or any other cause as those who walked 4,000 steps a day.

According to recent estimates, most adults in Western nations average fewer than 5,000 steps a day. The good news is that increasing our current steps by even a few thousand additional ones most days could be an achievable goal, Dr. Lee said. If, like many people, we currently take about 5,000 steps a day during the course of everyday activities like shopping and housework, adding the extra 2,000 to 3,000 steps would take us to a total of between 7,000 and 8,000 steps most days, which, Dr. Lee said, seems to be the step-count sweet spot.

【推荐2】Rock climbing may seem like a sport possibly full of danger.     1     But experts say it offers participants a wide variety of physical and mental health benefits that are not always found in other sports. Here are four reasons you may wish to give rock climbing a try.

Build muscle strength. It’s not surprising that pulling your body up a cliff wall builds muscle in your arms.     2     In addition to giving your biceps (二头肌) and triceps (三头肌) a workout, it can build a lot of upper-body strength when you climb, especially in the hands and fingers.

    3    . Much of rock climbing’s skill lies in determining and memorizing your climbing route beforehand. You also need to be able to work out some problems on the fly so that you can change your route if you encounter unexpected obstacles.

Improve communication skills. Roped climbers have a companion on the ground called a belayer (保护者), who handles the rope through a device to manage the tension or slack (松弛). Throughout a climb, the climber must constantly communicate with the belayer about when the climber wants to rest and when it’s time to come down.     4    

Combat depression.     5     Researchers in Germany found rock climbing to be successful psychotherapy for adults with depression, thanks to its physical, social and mental benefits.