1 . Studies about sleep and employee behavior typically focus on various activities that occur within the body during sleep, and their impact on daytime cognition. New research adopts a different method.     1    

The researchers conducted three studies involving thousands of dreams recalled by employees. The first study asked participants upon awakening to rate the degree of awe (敬畏) and wonder brought by their dreams and to write down their biggest work problem.     2     Another one they answered was whether they envisioned anything good arising from the difficult work situation—a measure of resilience, which meant the ability to become strong and happy again after toughness. Those who found positive meaning in dreams reported higher levels of awe.     3    

In the second study, participants who recalled a dream likewise reported its positive or negative meaning, and then wrote descriptions of the dream and what they took to be its causes and meaning. After work they answered questions about their resilience and progress on the day’s tasks.     4     The third study tracked similar measures among employees who participated daily for two weeks, and it looked at how naturally curious each person was. It found similar results about awe and showed that it raised resilience and productivity far more in the naturally curious.

    5     Awe can help people deal more effectively with challenges and progress toward goals. “Our research reveals how awe can be brought about at a time that has a critical impact on daily work outcomes,” the researchers write. “Employees could use dream journals and simple practices to ‘guide’ their nighttime visions, thus increasing their odds of having meaningful, awe-inspiring dreams.”

2 . There Are 4 Types of Anger: Which One Is Yours?

You’re passive-aggressive (被动攻击型)

    1     when a colleague asks for a favor, but then oh, forget to do it—or do it late and not well. You say "it's fine" when it's really not or 'whatever' when you really mean no. These are all classic passive-aggressive behaviors-or patterns of indirectly expressing negative feelings instead of openly addressing them.

You make mountains out of molehills (小题大做)

You find the fault in every situation, and regard each conversation as an argument you have to win. Maybe you were made to look or feel inferior（卑微的） growing up. To pay off, you become more aggressive. Instead of feeling like a victim, you learn to be the "rejecter".     2    . And you create conflict or deliver the first blow in an argument so it gives you the chance to be heard, to prove you are smarter, and to show you're right.

Your fuse (保险丝) is short and you burst into anger

When you lose the ability to control a situation, it may set off aggression, violent behavior or explosive outbursts that are not necessary to the situation.    3    . This type of anger can also put people at risk for harm, so it's important to seek professional help.

    4    

When it comes to your religious, political or other beliefs—yours are right, the others are wrong; yours are good, the others are bad. So when others go against your beliefs, you're on the offensive because your beliefs are correct, and therefore your anger is reasonable. Even if your intentions are good, anger gets you in trouble when you allow it get out of control.    5     because you think your morals back the behavior.

3 . In the 1920s, Russian psychologist Bluma Zeigarnik observed a strange thing. While dining out, she was impressed by the complex orders the waiters were able to remember at one time.     1     This observation gave rise to the study of what would become known as the Zeigarnik Effect.

The Zeigarnik Effect refers to our tendency to remember incomplete or interrupted tasks better than completed ones. At first glance the Zeigarnik Effect can seem like a handy adaptation: It’s good to remember the things we need to do, and it’s a positive thing to want to finish the things we start.    2    

First, each incomplete task your brain reminds you about takes up a bit of your attention, making it harder to concentrate on whatever you’re currently working on. Second, even if we manage to physically disconnect from work, the Zeigarnik Effect ensures that our unfinished tasks follow us home. They bring trouble to our vacations, our weekends, and even our sleep.    3    

So what can you do about it?

Write your tasks down. Your brain is a terrible filing system. Instead of keeping tasks in your head, make a habit of writing them down as soon as they come to you.

    4     Make a plan for tomorrow before you end the work day so your unfinished tasks don’t remain in your mind after-hours.

Don’t forget to look back at how far you’ve come.    5     Therefore, review your completed tasks at the end of every week to celebrate what you’ve already.

4 . The demands of today's busy schedules have driven us indoors, where we now spend almost 90 percent of our time commuting（通勤）, at work, and inside our homes. This modern way of living disconnects us from the outdoors and from the natural light and fresh air we all require to be healthy.     1    

Marvin Skycove is a glass structure that projects into the open air, enhancing connections with the outdoors. Skycove creates a smart extension of usable space, opens a room to panoramic（全景的）views, and allows in restorative light from four directions.     2     And while Skycove is a fantastic way to use light and views, imagine yourself sitting in this space on a starry night or during a summer rain shower.

Marvin Signature Modern: Windows and Doors that Play Nice

Combining large windows and doors to create large glass walls is a great way to complement a modern design and truly blur（模糊）the boundaries between indoors and out.     3     The Marvin Signature Modern line was created to solve these very problems. Marvin Modern windows and doors are engineered to work as part of a high-performing, unified system.

    4     Like their bigger cousins, bi-fold windows can virtually pull a room outdoors. These types of windows have been used commercially for many years in restaurants and bars, but they're now finding their way into our homes.

At Marvin, well-being is our guidepost.     5     We try hard to find new ways to thoughtfully bring light and fresh air into every inch of a building. We purposefully marry our 100 years of industry expertise with a forward-thinking approach to deliver people-first products inspired to help people feel happier and live better in their homes.

5 . How long does it take to become an elite (精英) in your field?     1     That’s what John Hayes, a cognitive psychology professor at Carnegie Mellon University, wanted to know.

For decades, Hayes has been investigating the role of effort, practice and knowledge in top performers.     2     The research focused on people like Mozart and Picasso-to determine how long it took them to become world-class at their craft.

Let’s talk about what Hayes has discovered about world-class-performers. And more importantly, let’s discuss how you can use these insights to achieve your goals and become your best.

    3     He analyzed thousands of musical pieces produced from 1685 to 1900. The central question that drove his work was, “How long after one becomes interested in music is it that one becomes world-class?” Eventually, Hayes developed a list of 500 pieces of “masterworks” in the field, which were created by a total of 76 composers.

text, Hayes mapped out the timeline of each composers career.     4     What he discovered was that virtually every single “masterwork” was written after the tenth year of the composer’s career. Not a single person produced incredible work without putting in a decade of practice first. Even a genius like Mozart had to work for at least ten years before he produced something that became popular.     5    

In follow-up studies, Hayes found similar patterns among famous painters and popular poets. These findings have been further confirmed by research from professors like K. Anders Ericsson, who produced research that revealed that you needed to put in “10, 000 hours” to become an elite or expert in your field.

6 . It was dinner time, yet I hadn’t finished my work for the day. Cheery people who were enjoying their holiday time buzzed around me. But with my head down and headphones in, I had interacted with very few of them. The day passed more like a fast-forwarded video than something that I actually fully experienced.     1    

This was my first week living the digital nomad lifestyle. I had left my corporate role and found freelance (自由职业的) writing work online to afford me the freedom to travel.     2     With enthusiasm, I expected my attitude would also change. Instead, the first surprising realization of my travel journey had hit: despite changing my formal suits to casuals, I was the exact same person I had been at home.

I had prepared excitedly, surfing online about digital nomadism.     3    While you might expect finances to be the biggest killer of this lifestyle, unrealistic expectations are the death blow that I hear about most often. After six years abroad, realism is now the primary message I share.

    4     Instead of an office room, you’ll work from a balcony overlooking the Mediterranean or a sunny rooftop in the heart of Marrakesh. Instead of waiting at the coffee machine next to complaining colleagues, your daily coffee run will lead you down dusty cobblestone streets into tiny cafes. These dreams exist and are waiting for you once you clear customs.

But that’s not all that’s waiting for new digital nomads.     5     At-home life and life on the road can at times feel shockingly similar, or, if bad work habits take over, even worse. It’s an important expectation to understand before you set out on your digital nomad lifestyle: your surroundings will change, but you take you everywhere that you go. No matter how ultra-light you pack.

7 . Providing feedback is an essential part of personal and career development.     1     One of the most effective and classic methods to make it easier for both the giver and receiver is the feedback sandwich technique, sometimes also referred to as a compliment (赞美) sandwich.

If you are seeking to enhance your career growth, learning about the feedback sandwich can be a game-changer.     2     Rather than simply focusing on what went wrong, it ensures that the person receiving the feedback also knows what went well. The process can be broken into three parts. A manager or superior starts by providing positive feedback to encourage a person to continue their good work. Afterward, they communicate constructive feedback for the person to improve. This feedback aims to be specific, behavioral, and relevant to the situation.     3    

The feedback sandwich technique is a highly useful method. It can help soften the blow of criticism. By starting and ending with positive feedback, it’s easier for the recipient to receive the constructive criticism without feeling attacked.     4     As we all know, criticism is awkward, but when you’re giving potentially negative feedback, it’s easier when you’re also serving it up with two compliments. Additionally, it enables the meeting or an interaction to end on a positive note.

    5     Many people are knowledgeable about this technique, which might make it sound insincere or predictable if not done correctly. Also, when feedback becomes a routine, employees can start to perceive positive feedback as simply a form of sugarcoating the negatives, thus reducing its value. Hence, positive feedback should not simply be seen as something to cushion the negative, but should be delivered so as to reinforce and encourage good performance.

8 . The storms in our lives often leave behind gifts if we open our eyes to see them. As the skies clear and you start to emerge from the loss, look for the silver linings.    1    

Going through difficulties requires courage and determination. You have to dig deep and find the strength you didn’t know you possessed to overcome the challenges.    2    That self-knowledge and confidence in your abilities will serve you well going forward.

Coming out the other side of trouble sometimes gives you a fresh outlook. Priorities shift.    3    You have a deeper appreciation for life’s simple moments and clarity about what matters. Use that insight to guide your choices and cherish each day.    4    The old way of doing things no longer works, so you must rebuild and reimagine your life. Though change is hard, it opens up possibilities for new growth and exciting adventures. Look at this as a chance for a fresh start. You can pursue new dreams or make along-wished-for switch in your situation. The future is unwritten.

Your struggles and pain have given you understanding for what others maybe going through in their own lives. You now recognize the suffering of people around you and desire to help ease their burdens. Use your experience to be there for friends and family members facing difficulties.    5    Your sympathy can make a real difference.

9 . How to Make Exercise a Habit

The new year is a time when it seems like everyone makes goals to work out and get fit. But by the third week of January, that all seems to go out the window. I’ve seen this happen almost every year: my workout classes are packed with fresh faces.     1     So I will share some tips on how to make exercise a habit, helping you stay healthier in the long run.

Focus on the routine and not the results

These days it feels like everyone is looking for a quick fix or fast results, particularly when it comes to health and fitness.     2     Focus on creating and enjoying the habit. Try scheduling your works alongside one of the other routines you already have in place.

    3    

Everyone seems to want to set big goals of working out 4 times a week with 60-minute sessions. But realistically, if you’re not used to this, it will just be overwhelming and lead you to quit. Given this, doing workouts even as small as5-10 minutes is a good place to start.

Forget the “all or nothing” view

When it comes to exercise, the all or nothing approach does not serve you. Say you plan a workout for today, but say things get crazy at work and you miss your scheduled time. Well that doesn’t mean you’ve failed.     4     Even if you miss your workout, that doesn’t mean you’ve given up. Just remember your results are from your every effort, not matter how small.

Find joy in your workouts

    5     Don’t let yourself be boxed into a certain type of workout just because it’s trendy or everyone is doing them. A workout that suits you will promote your drive and enjoyment.

10 . HOW TO OVERCOME A CREATIVE BLOCK

I’m sitting at my desk, staring at a blank document, hoping my fingers will start typing and a brilliant story will appear on my screen. Even though I feel fortunate to usually be full of ideas, I still face creative blocks times — when I feel uninspired.

    1    . Different emotions may lead to creative blocks. One is the so-called “inner critic”, a voice we all have within when we are feeling anxious. There’s no room for mistakes when this is in charge, so we end up feeling frozen.     2    . As a way of people-pleasing, and avoiding conflict or a negative reaction from other people, it can produce negative self-talk. If we feel insecure, we may not feel safe to express ourselves through art or craft.

Fortunately, there are steps we can take to breakthrough these blocks.

Working with our inner critic

We work with our inner critic by teaching it more compassionate (有同情心的) ways of speaking to us.     3    . The best way to do this is to imagine whether you would say the same things you say about yourself to a love done. It’s unlikely that you’d say: “You’re not good enough, what a failure!” Then we can think of a kinder response such as: “You’ve learned so much from this, what do you think you’ll do differently next time you have ago?”

    4    

We can try other creative and mindful activities to help reduce anxiety, and boost yourself-esteem (自尊). It could be singing along to your favourite music, doing some weeding, going out for a walk in nature, taking photographs on a lunchtime stroll, or having interesting conversations with friends. Then you’ll feel ready to get your creativity on the go again.

Next time you’re feeling a creative block, remind yourself that it’s OK to just get something written, or painted, or crafted and that you don’t need to share it with anyone. It’s all about making a start.     5    .