Tired? Bored? Feel like you could be happier?

If that’s you, read our top five tips for a better life.

【小题1】

Most people feel happier when they’re healthy. And did you know that going for a walk is better for your mind than playing chess?A stronger body means a stronger mind too!

【小题2】

When we’re busy, we can sometimes forget about our friends. But they’re important to us. Think of someone you don’t talk to enough, then pick up your phone and make a call right now!

【小题3】

We know that people who help other people are healthier and happier than those who don’t. And remember: people will be friendlier and nicer to you if you’re friendly and nice to them! Smile at the bus driver or the shop assistant and watch them smile back at you.

【小题4】

Did you ever think of learning a new language, doing a new sport, playing the piano or joining a new group? Well, don’t just think about it—do it! It’s probably easier than you think.

【小题5】

Check your email once a day—twice if you must—but not twenty times! And think about how much time you spend surfing the Internet. Get up from your chair and find something more interesting to do.

Do you want to become better at making small talk with new people? Do you want to become better at networking with others? Nothing will improve your networking ability and your ability to make a successful conversation with other people rather than your curiosity（好奇心）about them.

When you are curious about other people, you will want to discover some of the interesting ways that they are similar to you. When you are curious about them, you’ll also be interested to discover the ways in which they think differently and live differently from you.

When you have curiosity about others, you will be much less self-conscious and your conversations will work a lot better. Instead of worrying yourself, “What can I say next that won’t sound stupid?”, you will be focused on（关注）learning more about the other person.

Making small talk with strangers can be tricky. We’ve all heard the advice that we should pick something out of our immediate environment and use that as a main point to start our small talk with the other person.

It’s true that this can be a great starting point for a conversation. However, when you focus too much on discussing things like the weather in your city, you can bring the conversation to a painful end very quickly. The other person will sense that you are trying to make a conversation, but that you have no interest in really getting to know him or her.

How can you keep small talk from becoming boring?

One way is to watch the other person for clues they will give you about what is really interesting to them. When you get these clues, use them to start making the conversation a bit more about their life, their opinions, and their experiences.

After you have had a couple of minutes to break the ice, try looking for ways to make the conversation a little bit more personal. Ask the other person for his or her opinion about something that is a bit more personal but not extremely so. The first few minutes of talking to someone new will not be the best time to ask the other person his or her opinion on religious（宗教的）or political（政治的）matters. However, he or she might be happy to discuss his or her favorite team or musical band.

① Do you like to watch animals through your window? Just make your yard a place that animals want to visit. You don’t need a big space. You just need to know what makes a good habitat (栖息地).

② You can provide animals with food. You may plant trees that produce nuts or berries (坚果或浆果). Birds and squirrels like them. You can grow flowers. Bees and butterflies like them. You can also offer some food like fruit or bread to animals.

③ It’s important to prepare water for animals. They drink water and also take a bath in water. Many insects lay eggs in water. Some people build small ponds in their yards. You can fill a bowl with water and put the bowl in your yard. Change the water a few times a week so that the water won’t get dirty.

④ Animals need hiding places. They need a safe place to hide from the bad weather. They need to hide from people or other animals when they get frightened.Bushes (灌木), trees and tall grass are good places for them to hide in. You can also make other hiding places.

⑤ Helping animals build homes is necessary. Animals need safe places for their babies. Many birds make their homes in trees or bushes. Rabbits usually make their homes in tall grass. You can build or buy homes for animals.

⑥ These are all helpful to make your yard a home for animals. Soon, you will see animals running around. You will hear birds singing songs.   You will have fun watching wild animals through your window.