How can I cope with post-holiday blues? We've all been there, haven't we? That moment when a holiday comes to a close and the reality of everyday life sets back in. The post-holiday blues, that feeling of melancholy after returning from a relaxing escape, can cast a shadow on our moods. According to a 2017 article from mirror.co.uk, 57% of Brits are affected. Many of you may be experiencing these blues right now, so today we're exploring just how to beat the slump. Post-holiday blues might be an unwelcome visitor, but they don't have to overstay their welcome. By understanding their roots, applying some practical strategies, and looking forward to new experiences, you can successfully navigate this transition. What actually causes post-holiday blues? The abrupt shift from leisure to responsibility can trigger this emotional response. Research indicates that the anticipation and excitement leading up to a vacation, followed by its sudden end, can lead to a drop in mood. And it's understandable, really. After all, for most people, normal life is pretty repetitive. Our daily routine simply can't compare to the excitement and adventure of being on holiday. Our brains struggle to shift gears from relaxation to routine. Generally speaking, the longer a holiday is, the harder it is to readjust to a normal routine afterwards. What can I do to get through this transition more easily? While post-holiday blues are common, there are ways to help ease the transition. One approach is to gradually reintegrate into your routine. Consider giving yourself a buffer day between your return and resuming work or other commitments. Engaging in stress-reducing activities like meditation or exercise can assist in mitigating the blues. Maintaining a positive outlook by reminiscing about the enjoyable moments of your holiday can also be helpful. Think of it as carrying a piece of that relaxation into your daily life. Similarly, you could recreate your favourite meal from the trip, as recommended by Octavia Lillywhite writing for mirror.co.uk. Do you have any other tips? Absolutely. One effective way to combat the post-holiday blues is to plan something else to look forward to. It could be a small weekend getaway, a fun event, or even setting new life goals. This helps redirect your focus from what's ended to what's ahead. Connecting with friends or loved ones and sharing your holiday experiences can also be therapeutic. Don't hesitate to express your feelings. You might well find others who share your sentiments. Remember it's important to be patient with yourself during this transition. It's natural to feel a bit down after leaving behind a great time. So give yourself permission to feel those emotions while actively working on transitioning back to your regular routine. There you have it. 词汇表 post-holiday blues n. 节后综合征（假期结束后出现的忧郁情绪） set back in 重新袭来，再次降临 melancholy [ˈmelənkəli] n. 忧郁，忧伤 cast a shadow on 给…蒙上阴影，对…产生负面影响 slump [slʌmp] n. 情绪低谷，消沉，萎靡 overstay one's welcome [ˌəʊvəˈsteɪ] （客人）逗留过久使人生厌，赖着不走 navigate [ˈnævɪɡeɪt] vt. 顺利度过，应对 shift gears [ʃɪft ɡɪəz] 改变方式，换挡 reintegrate [ˌriːˈɪntɪɡreɪt] vt. 重新融入，重新整合 buffer day [ˈbʌfə] n. 缓冲日（假期结束后、返工前的调整日） resume work [rɪˈzjuːm wɜːk] 恢复工作，重新开始工作 mitigate [ˈmɪtɪɡeɪt] vt. 减轻，缓解（痛苦、问题等） positive outlook ['aʊtlʊk] 积极的心态，乐观的看法 reminisce (about) [ˌremɪˈnɪs] vi. 回忆，追忆，缅怀 weekend getaway [ˈɡetəweɪ] 周末短途旅行，周末出游 therapeutic [ˌθerəˈpjuːtɪk] adj. 有疗效的，起疗愈作用的 sentiment [ˈsentɪmənt] n. 情绪，感受；看法，观点 🪴翻译和pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进入【打卡交流群】

The dangers of cyberloafing Time to own up. When you're sitting at your computer, do you work solidly all day? Or do you allow yourself to become distracted now and again… to open a few extra tabs, check social media, read a spot of news, browse the latest fashion trends, maybe catch up on some celebrity gossip, and look at some… Stop! You're 'cyberloafing'. The unwieldy word is a combination of 'cyber', which means 'related to computers', and 'loafing', which means 'relaxing in a lazy way'. We do it, and we do it a lot. A study from the University of Texas suggests we are guilty of this form of procrastination for 14% of our working day. On a Friday afternoon, I expect it's more than that. I'll admit to indulging in the odd bout of cyberloafing myself. In fact I've already done it in the course of writing this story. OK, more than once. But it's a slippery slope. It can damage your productivity and even your career. Because according to the Univeristy of Texas research, each time a worker gets sidetracked by the internet it takes an average of 23 minutes to get back to work. More than that, cyberloafing has a dark side, according to a report published in The Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace. It argues that cyberloafing is connected to several negative personality traits. People who cyberloaf are more likely to be manipulative, self-interested and narcissistic. Furthermore, people with these traits are less likely to feel remorse about avoiding work, and less concerned about getting caught. Why do we do it? For some, it's undoubtedly an escape from the drudgery of what they're supposed to be doing. Or a way of avoiding tackling that ever growing in-tray. Some might get a feeling of satisfaction, get a buzz from finding a great deal online. But overall, it's something that takes you away from what you're actually being paid to do, or paying to do: if you're a student. When you have the whole world of the internet at your fingertips, it's hard to resist. How do we nip it in the bud? If you can truly ask yourself why you are cyberloafing, then that can help identify the base problem. And if that sounds like too much hard work, you could just switch off the internet for a couple of hours! So in the meantime, let me just close those extra tabs… 词汇表 own up (to) vi. 坦白，承认（错误或责任） solidly [ˈsɒlɪdli] adv. 连续地，稳定地，扎实地 now and again adv. 偶尔，时不时 tab [tæb] n. （浏览器）标签页 a spot of 少量，一点儿，一些 celebrity gossip [səˈlebrəti ˈɡɒsɪp] n. 明星八卦，名人绯闻 cyberloafing [ˈsaɪbələʊfɪŋ] n. 网络摸鱼（工作或学习时上网做无关事情） unwieldy [ʌnˈwiːldi] adj. 拗口的，难使用的，笨重的 cyber [ˈsaɪbə(r)] adj. 网络的，电脑的 loafing [ˈləʊfɪŋ] n. 闲混，游荡，无所事事 procrastination [prəˌkræstɪˈneɪʃn] n. 拖延，耽搁 indulge in [ɪnˈdʌldʒ] 沉迷于，沉溺于 odd bout of [ɒd baʊt] 偶尔的一阵，偶尔的一次 slippery slope [ˈslɪpəri sləʊp] n. 滑坡效应，一发不可收拾的局面 get sidetracked [ˈsaɪdtræktɪd] 分心，走神，偏离正题 dark side [dɑːk saɪd] n. 阴暗面，黑暗面，负面 psychosocial [ˌsaɪkəʊˈsəʊʃl] adj. 社会心理的，心理社会学的 cyberspace [ˈsaɪbəspeɪs] n. 网络空间，虚拟空间 manipulative [məˈnɪpjələtɪv] adj. 操纵他人的，控制欲强的 self-interested [ˌself ˈɪntrəstɪd] adj. 自私的，利己的 narcissistic [ˌnɑːsɪˈsɪstɪk] adj. 自恋的，自我陶醉的 remorse [rɪˈmɔːs] n. 自责，懊悔，悔恨 drudgery [ˈdrʌdʒəri] n. 枯燥乏味的工作，苦差事 ever growing [ˈevə ˈɡrəʊɪŋ] adj. 不断增长的，日益增加的 in-tray [ˈɪn treɪ] n. （办公室的）收文篮，待处理文件盒 buzz [bʌz] n. 兴奋，快乐，愉悦感 at your fingertips adv. 触手可及，近在手边 nip it in the bud 扼杀在萌芽状态，防患于未然 📖 翻译、pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进【打卡交流群】

What makes a good citizen? Neil Hello, this is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Neil. Georgie And I'm Georgie. Neil Georgie, what do you think makes a good citizen? Georgie Ooh, interesting question. I think a good citizen is someone who doesn't break the law and is generally kind to other people. What about you? Any ideas? Neil Yeah, I agree. But also maybe people who volunteer – so, people who run clubs for children and that kind of thing. I think they're good citizens. Now, being a citizen, a member of society who enjoys certain rights in return for having certain responsibilities, is an old idea that's been in the news a lot recently. It's something that interests Myra Anubi, presenter of BBC World Service programme People Fixing the World. Myra Anubi What do you think makes a good citizen? Is it someone who follows the laws of the land and pays their taxes? Well, some people might say it should go beyond that, and a good citizen is one who tries to improve the place where they live. Georgie A good citizen obeys the law of the land – a term for the set of rules and laws that exists in a country. But should there be more to it than that? Neil Around the world, young people today are less likely to vote, and many people aged 18 to 30 say they feel ignored by politicians. So, in this programme, we'll be hearing about MyPolis, an exciting project helping young people in Portugal re-engage with their citizenship. Georgie But before that, I have a question for you, Neil. The project's name, MyPolis, comes from the ancient Greek states, such as Athens and Sparta, where the idea of citizenship was born. So, what is the meaning of the Ancient Greek word 'polis'? Is it: a) vote, b) people, or c) city? Neil Hmm, that's a good question. I'm going to guess b) people. Georgie OK. Well, I'll reveal the correct answer later in the programme. MyPolis runs council assemblies where children can propose improvements to their local school community – anything from fixing broken water fountains to changing the curriculum. Local politicians also attend, listening to the children's ideas and responding by giving their support or explaining why not. Neil The project was started by founder Bernardo Goncalves when he was in his 20s, because he was disappointed by interactions between political parties and young people. Here's Bernardo telling more to BBC World Service programme People Fixing the World: Bernardo Goncalves We have seen a quick erosion in the trust of the population in the democratic institutions, such as the National Parliament, such as the government in office. We need to find new ways to connect children and young citizens to democratic institutions, otherwise the gap will get bigger and bigger. This is very dangerous for democracy. Georgie Bernardo thinks Portugal has seen an erosion of trust – a term for the gradual weakening of people's confidence in political and economic institutions, and the government in office. A government in office means the government in power at the present time. Neil MyPolis mirrors the political activities that children will need as adult citizens – things like voting and holding politicians accountable. Reporter Alison Roberts visited schools around the Portuguese capital Lisbon and was impressed by what she saw, as she explains here to Myra Anubi, presenter of BBC World Service's People Fixing the World: Alison Roberts Another benefit is MyPolis has designed the programme so it can be included as part of the national curriculum, rather than as an add-on. Myra Anubi Mmm. Well, it's good to know that this is happening in other places, but the thing that also really strikes me here is that politicians are actually listening to these kids and taking them seriously, giving them answers, because politicians, as we know, can be hard to pin down. Georgie The MyPolis programme is designed as part of the whole school curriculum and not just an add-on, meaning something extra that is added later, instead of being planned in from the start. Neil Myra was impressed that local politicians take the school children seriously. If you take someone or something seriously, youthink it's important and deserves attention. And that's good because, as everyone knows, politicians can be hard to pin down. To pin someone down means to force them to explain their plans and intentions in detail. Georgie It sounds like the programme is really developing active citizens of the future in Portugal. In fact, it's been so successful that similar programmes have been started in Italy, Hungary and Mozambique. OK. Neil, I think I should reveal the answer to my question. I asked you, "What is the meaning of the Ancient Greek word 'polis'?" And you said, "People," which was the wrong answer, I'm afraid. The right answer was c) city. 📝字数限制，完整文本、词汇表、翻译及pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复1可加入【打卡交流群】

What makes us seek a calm life? We're likely to try out many sorts of lives before we land, finally, on the quiet variety. Rarely does anyone start there, the kind of life where we try to be in bed by ten and are intensely grateful when nothing has gone dramatically wrong in the preceding hours. First we might try out the life of fame, the sort where we dream that someone will stop us in a shop or train and say, 'Aren't you…?' or 'Don't I know you from…' That's a not-negligible thrill, especially if you didn't feel too noticed in childhood or if, in adolescence, it was always someone else who was able to make people you loved smile. Or we might be drawn to the life of melodramatic relationships, the kind where we're constantly wondering whether they love us or we love them, where we break up every couple of weeks and are calling them, frantically, to come back from their parent's house and we didn't mean all those crazy words we said, we were just scared. It can take a lot of pain before we make our peace with so-called ordinariness and accept it for the wonder it is. Before we can deeply love a day when we have 'nothing' to do, other than wake up early, finish the dishes from last night, shower, read a few poems, answer some emails, maybe go to the museum to see some African masks or a canoe from Oceania, buy some bread, fry some eggs. We might become rather fierce at anyone and anything that threatens this hard-won achievement. At well-meaning people who invite us on complicated excursions or worrying parties; at newspapers that force us to think about driven types starting companies and releasing a new film or record. We know how much these stimulants can cost us. It takes great confidence to give up on being special. It takes kindness to oneself to interrupt the longing for suffering and anguish. One might have needed to try out almost everything else before realising, in the end, that it was calm we always really wanted. 词汇表 land on 最终选择，落脚于 intensely grateful [ɪnˈtensli ˈɡreɪtfl] 万分感激，无比感激 go dramatically wrong [drəˈmætɪkli] 出大乱子，发生严重差错 preceding [prɪˈsiːdɪŋ] adj. 先前的，前面的 fame [feɪm] n. 名声，名望，声誉 not-negligible [nɒt ˈneɡlɪdʒəbl] adj. 不容忽视的，不可忽略的 thrill [θrɪl] n. 兴奋感，激动 melodramatic [ˌmelədrəˈmætɪk] adj. 戏剧性的，情节剧似的，夸张的 frantically [ˈfræntɪkli] adv. 急忙地，狂乱地，发狂似地 make peace with 与…和解，接受 ordinariness [ˈɔːdnərinəs] n. 平凡，普通 canoe [kəˈnuː] n. 独木舟，划艇，轻舟 Oceania [ˌəʊsiˈɑːniə] n. 大洋洲 fierce [fɪəs] adj. 暴躁的，狂怒的 hard-won [ˌhɑːd ˈwʌn] adj. 来之不易的，难得的 well-meaning [ˌwel ˈmiːnɪŋ] adj. 好心的，善意的 excursion [ɪkˈskɜːʃn] n. 远足，短途旅行 driven type 有干劲的人，积极进取的人 stimulant [ˈstɪmjələnt] n. 刺激物，激励因素 anguish [ˈæŋɡwɪʃ] n. 痛苦，苦恼 🏫翻译，视频和pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进入【打卡交流群】