1 . The Best Ways to Deal with Awkward Silences

We all know what it’s like when a conversation dies off and you’re left to sit in silence together. There’s only one word to describe it: Awkward!     1    . Here are some ways to deal with the silences.

Think of topics ahead of time. Before attending a social event, think of a few “‘go-to” topics to jumpstart a dead conversation.     2    . So you aren’t scrambling (绞尽脑汁) for words in the moment. People who share your interest in a sport or hobby can be the easiest to talk to.

Ask open-ended questions. Open-ended questions have more than one possible answer, so they are likely to get the person talking more than asking a question that will result in a short response. Ask “    3    ?” instead of asking “Did you like your high school?”

Make a general statement to fill the silence. Find something casual (随意的) to comment on if things start getting awkward.     4    . If you are having a meal together, you could say something about the food: “Is it me, or is this the best salad place in town?” Not only does that break the silence, but raising a question gives the other person a chance to respond.

    5    . This is always a safe bet, as long as it’s appropriate. For example, you could say, “ I’ve been meaning to tell you I really like your shirt. Where did you get it?” This could move the conversation in another direction while making the other person feel good. Stick to complimenting (赞扬) someone’s personality or achievements if you’re trying to make small talk.

2 . Studies have shown that gardening and garden-based activities have positive impacts on childhood development, including better eating habits and stress relief.     1     . Here are some tips on how to create a great garden with your kids.

Involve them from the very beginning

Take your kids to the store and give them options to pick from. This will allow them to select plants that they can handle and are appropriate for your home conditions. Then give them tasks suitable to their age. For example, younger kids can be assigned to water plants or just cut yellow and brown leaves.     2     . Although you might want to step in when you see your children feeding a plant with too much water, some of the most lasting lessons come from just trying things out.

Pick the perfect plant

To make sure your garden is a success, assess both your home environment and your kids’ attention span.     3     .

Instead, think about your goal: Growing something tasty? Filling your home with flowers? Then ask your kids to choose plants in their favorite colors.

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Another way to get kids excited about gardening—and to raise lifelong nature lovers in the process—is to adopt eco-friendly methods. Seeds from ripe peppers or tomatoes can be saved and planted. Potato “eyes” can be planted and grow into potato plants.

Reuse household items as planting vessels (容器). Almost anything can be used as planters, from old food containers to kids’ toys.     5     . For example, a plastic bottle in front of a hot window could be damaged by the heat soon.

3 . Self-learning can help you develop important skills and gain valuable knowledge. Understanding strategies for self-learning is important. They can help you study new concepts with ease.     1    .

Determine your learning style. People often prefer to learn new information or a new skill using varied approaches.     2     by exploring different learning styles and understanding your own learning process.

Find a purpose. Determine what you want to learn about and why you want to be a self-learner.     3    . Then, consider reflecting on how it might affect your life right now and how you might plan to use it in the future. For instance, if you plan to learn fiction writing, you can decide whether you’re interested in seeking a publishing career or maintaining it as a hobby.

    4    . This can help you focus your efforts. It may be helpful to choose specific options, so you can optimize (优化) the steps of your self-learning process. For example, if you’re practicing a programming language like HTML, you can make a goal to design your own website with certain functions using the knowledge you’ve learned.

Determine a schedule. To create an effective plan, it may be helpful to create an agenda for your self-learning sessions.     5     and estimate how long each task might take to complete. Depending on your preferences, you can plan your sessions using a physical notebook, an informal to-do list or spreadsheet software.

5 . Sharing is regarded as both a social morality and a personal virtue. It is a wonderful thing that increases pleasure and reduces sorrow. Then why do we tend to be happier when sharing with others?     1    

We have shared with others since the beginning of civilization and interaction. It is one of the primary ways we learn to communicate.    2     People from these cultures open up their homes to traveling visitors and those curious about learning their cultural practices. However, sharing doesn’t always need to be this grand gesture. Simple acts like exchanging compliments can also brighten up a person’s day and make them feel more positive.

    3     Oxytocin helps build trust, relieve stress and anxiety, improve immune (免疫的) function and benefit your overall wellbeing as a result. When people are in possession of generous levels of Oxytocin in their bodies, they are more empathetic (有同感的) towards others and feel more generous than they would in normal circumstances. You can gain Oxytocin even by making online donations. You need not have to physically share in person to experience the benefits of the hormone.

When you share your belongings with others, you are expressing trust in their ability to keep your possession safe and out of harm’s way. If your trust pays off in them, you experience a sense of happiness. We tend to be more emotionally satisfied and happy when we are able to build trust in our relationships. Trust and happiness are closely related experience.

Humans are social animals.    5     If we happen to have encouraging and supportive friends and family to rely on, we are less prone (倾向于) to anxiety and depression. However, if we tend to lack a reliable social support system in our lives, our happiness can suffer. Sharing helps build new relationships. Social interactions advance your health, wealth and general wellbeing.

6 . The process of sorting through my childhood stuff started out easy. At first, I was excited to toss everything out. But as the bedroom emptied out, I felt a creeping sense of sadness. My childhood was over, and I entered full-fledged (成熟的) adulthood. And I wondered:     1     In short, yes.

    2     That’s because going through your old stuff can possibly stir up difficult emotions or sweet memories. Whatever emotions pop up, accept them, and it will help you process it faster.

Before you start sorting, determine how much storage space you’re willing to devote to your childhood items.    3     You may have limited space for old stuff. But listen to your heart. If you’re sentimental and you want to hold on to stuff, hold on to it. You canal ways get rid of it later.

During this process, it can be useful to have someone you trust by your side. They can help you honor the memories associated with each object and let go.     4     They know which life experiences mean the most to you.

And you don’t have to pile your childhood stuff in the attic (阁楼).     5     You can take photos, which you can revisit any time on your phone or computer. Or you can turn them into an art project and display it in a shadow box.

Remember, there is someone who care enough to hold on all old stuff for you. This is a value of all of the time and effort and money your parents have poured into you. This has been saved in love.

7 . 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.

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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.

8 . While it seems like some people are naturally more sociable than others, the fact is that all human beings are social. Armed with some skills, it is possible to train oneself to become more social.     1    .

Be less critical (批判性的).     2    . They avoid social interaction because they are afraid of being judged by others, or judgmental toward others. It is important to accept that everybody, no matter how they may seem on the outside, has both positive and negative qualities. What separates the confident people from the insecure people is the attitude that they have toward themselves and the active focus on living a fulfilling social life.

Don’t over analyze your interactions. It is vital to break the habit of anticipating what social interactions will be like before they happen, and of over analyzing them once they are over. Rather than focusing on what may go wrong, approach every new social interaction with a clean state and a positive attitude.     3    , focus on the positive things rather than the negative ones. Even if it wasn’t the most eventful interaction of your life, try to identify one good experience from each interaction you have, even if it is as simple as having been able to make somebody laugh.

    4    . Interestingly, shy people who feel invisible and unwanted also tend to feel like they are constantly under a spotlight, being watched and criticized by others. This strange paradox (悖论) of shyness is what prevents people from feeling comfortable being themselves in front of others. This doesn’t mean that you should feel like an unimportant person, but rather, that you should acknowledge that you are your own worst critic.     5    .

9 . You’ve sized up the benefits of volunteering, looked over your schedule, and decided you have both the time and desire to give back to your community.     1     Here are some tips to find and get suitable volunteer opportunities in your area — or farther afield.

Identify your values.

    2     Make a list of the values that drive you, or the issues you care about, and then look for organizations with complementary (互补的) missions and opportunities. For instance, if your primary motivation is to strengthen social connections with peers, you might look to organizations such as school groups that require interaction with other parents, or neighbors.

If you’re motivated to serve the less fortunate, you might target organizations that work with housing-insecure populations, people with disabilities or members of historically disadvantaged groups. Motivations for volunteering are as diverse as the volunteers harboring them.     3    

Try to involve the whole family.

Many parents who volunteer turn giving back into a family affair. Community service is a great way to teach kids the value of selflessness.     4     Look for volunteer engagements that welcome people of all ages and abilities, and schedule time for the whole family to participate —whether that means spending an afternoon picking up trash on the side of the highway, or a week in a faraway flood zone.

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Once you find a well-run organization that aligns with (符合) your availability, values, talents, and objectives, work with your contact there to set a volunteer schedule that fits your life. If you’re exploring a frequent engagement — say, a weekly or biweekly commitment —think carefully about how much time you can afford to donate. It’s better to commit to shorter or less frequent volunteer hours than to take on an unmanageable workload.

10 . How to improve your home’s energy efficiency

Ensuring that your home is energy-efficient possibly keeps your bills right down and helps you play your part in the fight against climate change.     1    .

Insulate (使隔热) your loft

Most of your home’s wasted energy will attempt to escape through your roof. To stop it in its tracks, you must invest in having your loft insulated.    2    , but it will be sure to save you over £100 a year.

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By investing in a top-of-the-line boiler, you’ll no doubt tap into an extra of savings. What’s more, making this kind of investment will also be sure to lower your home’s carbon emissions. When choosing a new boiler, give precedence (优先) to those that fall in or near the “A” category. Whatever you do, just don’t slip towards the lower end of the scale.

Fit double glazing (双层玻璃)

    4    . This is because double-glazed windows and doors trap more heat than regular ones, ultimately meaning they will stop you from having to put your heating on as much or as high. The initial investment demanded in this instance can be costly, which is why you should consider making use of the Help to Buy Windows Scheme.

Keep an eye on your energy consumption

Only when you know how much energy you use can you take action with regards to being less wasteful and more resourceful. This means that you should make a conscious effort to keep an eye on your energy consumption.    5    , you might want to consider fitting an energy monitor in your home. Generally, this type of technology will cost between £25 and £40.