Humor

If you see humor as an optional form of entertainment, you’re missing some of its biggest benefits: Humor makes average-looking people look cute and uninteresting people seem entertaining. Studies show that a good sense of humor even makes you seem smarter.

Best of all, humor raises your energy, and that can have an effect on everything you do at school, at work, or in your personal life. The increase of energy will even make you more willing to exercise, and that will raise your overall energy even more.

Humor also transports your mind away from your daily troubles. Humor lets you better understand life and sometimes helps you laugh at even the worst of your problems.

In my experience, most people think they have a sense of humor, and to some degree that’s true. But not all senses of humor are created equal. So I thought it would be useful to include some humor tips for everyday life.

You don’t have to be the joke teller in the group in order to show your sense of humor. You can be the one who directs the conversation to fun topics that are ripe for others to add humor. Every party needs a straight person. You’ll appear fun and funny by association.

When it comes to in-person humor, effort counts a lot. When people see you trying to be funny, it frees them to try it themselves. So even if your own efforts at humor fall short, you might be freeing the long kept humor in others. People need permission to be funny in social settings because there’s always a risk that comes with humor. For in-person humor, quality isn’t as important as you might think. Your attitude and effort count a lot.

Some people--and I was one of them--believe that humorous complaints about the little problems of life make humor, and sometimes that is the case. The problem comes when you start doing too much complaint-based humor. One funny observation about problem in your life can be funny, but five is just complaining, no matter how smart you think you are. Funny complaints can wear people out.

Self-deprecating(自嘲式) humor is usually the safest type, but here again you don’t want to overshoot the target. One self-deprecating comment is a generous and even confident form of humor. You have to be at least a bit self-assured to laugh at yourself in front of others. But if you do it too often, you can transform in the eyes of others from a confident joker to a Chihuahua dog.

【推荐2】Like many people, the start of the day maybe isn’t your favourite time.     1     Try at least one of these tomorrow.

Stretch every part of your body for 15 minutes.

Try this before you open your eyes. Lift your arm and begin by stretching each finger, then your hand, then your wrist, then your arm.     2     Then your toes, feet, ankles and legs. In this way, you upped the flow of blood through your body, providing more oxygen to all parts of your body.

Set your alarm 10 minutes earlier.

    3     You can begin your day by lying in bed, slowly waking up, mentally ticking off the decisions you made in advance about what you’re going to wear, what you are going to do.

Brush your tongue for 2-3 minutes.

There’s no better way to rid you of bad morning breath and begin your day fresh and clean. After all, more than 300 types of bacteria stay in your mouth every night.     4    

Avoid any decisions.

For truly relaxing mornings, reduce the number of choices and decisions you make to zero.     5     Really, there’s no need to vary your breakfast, timetable or clothes to wear every morning.

【推荐3】How to store food properly is one of those things people can’t seem to come to an agreement on. Check the kitchen of any given household and you’ll find onions in the refrigerator, ketchup in the pantry(食品储藏柜), and vice versa.    1    , there are rules about food storage that can keep the taste and extend the lifespan of your goods when followed properly.

    2    . Many fruits and vegetables will quickly rot if left out on the counter, while others will lose flavor if they’re refrigerated. Here is a general rule of thumb:     3    , it doesn’t need to be refrigerated at home. That means citruses, bananas, and pineapples can be left out in a fruit bowl, while berries, broccoli and leafy greens need to be refrigerated. Potatoes and onions should be stored outside the refrigerator in a place where sunlight can’t reach them.     4    . While they can last a few days on the countertop, there is no shortcoming to refrigerate them: According to Real Simple, apples in the refrigerator can last up to three weeks without getting brown or wrinkly.

Another thing that can let people make mistakes when they’re putting away their groceries is condiments(调味品).     5    . However, these suggestions don’t always need to be followed. Many condiments are high in vinegar and other preservatives(防腐剂). That means they won’t become bad sitting at room temperature, even if the packaging seal has been broken. Soy sauce, honey, and chutney can all be stored in the pantry, though keeping them in the refrigerator won’t hurt.