Have you ever had a song stuck in your head and, no matter how hard you tried, you could not get rid of it? The song played on and on, whether you were loading the dishwasher, weaving in and out of traffic, or attempting to _________ your mind at the start of yoga class.

Having a song stuck in one’s head, known as an earworm, is an experience that over 90% of us have on a _________ basis. We’re more likely to catch an earworm after we stop focusing, in moments when the working memory is _________, when we’re relaxed, when work is finished or when we’re a bit sleepy.

Certain songs are _________ than others, and so more likely to “auto repeat” in your head. There are certain musical characteristics that make songs more likely to become earworms, such as if the piece is repetitive, if there is a longer duration of certain notes, if _________ between the notes are smaller. _________, we know that mood can have an impact, with some people reporting that they always get the same earworm when they feel good, or people experiencing a fast-tempo earworm when they are _________. And of course familiarity with a song is a key _________. Songs that you don’t know very well are less likely to pop up as earworms.

If you’ve had enough of your earworm and need to stop it in its tracks, you would be well warned not to try to block the song out, but rather to _________ accept it. A determined effort to block the song out may result in the very __________ of what you want. According to psychologist Daniel Wegner, __________ the song may make your brain keep playing it over and over again. To get rid of an earworm, you may be best served by simply __________ it, accepting it, and leaving it alone to let this phenomenon ends up weakening itself little by little.

Some people try to __________ themselves from the song, and it works. You can try reading a book, listening to a different song or even playing an instrument. Others __________ the tune in question, because it is commonly believed that earworms occur when you remember only part of a song; hearing the entire song may stop it. Neurologists (神经学家) point out that it’s recommendable to chew gum to reduce the __________ of an earworm because jaw movement interferes with musical memory. However, it’s important to note that this phenomenon usually lasts less than 24 hours.

When it comes to lowering stress at work, studies from around the world have yielded a set of five tips with advice ______ from having a nap at your desk to taking your pet to work.

The first tip highlighted by New Science magazine is that workers should be sociable—but not too sociable. British research has shown that ______ is good for health, with a study of thousands of civil servants revealing that moral ______ from colleagues, encouragement from supervisors and clear direction from bosses kept stress levels ______ . Male civil servants who ______ support in the workplace were 31 percent more likely to suffer from ______ and depression, and women 43 percent. ______ , too much socializing could lead to work piling up.

The second tip is to ensure your surroundings are as ______ as possible. Simply being able to see your colleagues makes the working day much more ______ and the height of partitions dividing up office space affects stress level. ______ , the higher the partition is, the more people complain about noise from their neighbours. Research from the University of Montreal shows that the optimum partition height is 1.3 metres—high enough to provide ______ but low enough to ensure staff do not feel ______ .

The third piece of advice for works is to learn to switch off. Mobile phones and other ______ equipment should be switched off after hours of working to allow burnt-out brain cells to recharge.

The fourth piece of advice for workers is to take a nap at your desk every day, which is very easy to do.

Playing with a cat or a dog can also ______ relaxation and if workers can persuade their boss to let them into the office then the day will ______.

I enjoy every moment with my children, from our board games to the bedtime stories. I know I will ___________ days like this one day. However, there are also moments when I feel _________ by the amount of energy my children have. And they _________ to insert (插入) themselves into everything I do. I really need a break sometimes. It seems that the only way is by _________ the request for screen time, and I don’t think that’s a terrible thing.

When I experience burnout, I am more likely to lose _________. After a short rest, I can be the best possible parent for the rest of the time. I want my kids to see that it’s _________ to prioritize (优先处理) my own needs sometimes.

I also know that too much screen time can affect their social skills. For me, it’s about _______. To achieve that, I have _______ about their device use. Screen time is totally _______ when they haven’t finished their homework. I’m aware that these devices aren’t a(n) __________ for good parenting. So I __________ allow my children to engage in screen time that isn’t carefully __________. And I use plenty of controls to ________ content that isn’t suitable for them.

I understand the difference between a brief distraction (消遣) and a larger issue, ________ the line between the two is quite thin. Sometimes we just want a minute to relax, and electronic devices can ____________. The key is to make good use of them.