If you've been diagnosed with high blood pressure, you might be worried about taking medication to bring your numbers down. Chronic（慢性的） stress may contribute to high blood pressure. More research is needed to determine the effects of chronic stress on blood pressure. Occasional stress also can contribute to high blood pressure if you react to stress by eating unhealthy food, drinking alcohol or smoking.
Take some time to think about what causes you to feel stressed, such as work, family, finances or illness. Once you know what's causing your stress, consider how you can rid or reduce stress. If you can't rid all of your stressors, you can at least handle them in a healthier way. Try to:
Change your expectations. For example, plan your day and focus on your strengths. Avoid trying to do too much and learn to say no. Understand there are some things you can't change or control, but you can focus on how you react to them.
Focus on issues you can control and make plans to solve them. If you are having an issue at work, try talking to your manager. If you are having a conflict with your kids or spouse, take steps to resolve it.
Avoid stress triggers（诱因）. Try to avoid triggers when you can. For example, if rush-hour traffic on the way to work causes stress, try leaving earlier in the morning, or take public transportation. Avoid people who cause you stress if possible.
Make time to relax and to do activities you enjoy. Take time each day to sit quietly and breathe deeply. Make time for enjoyable activities or hobbies in your schedule, such as taking a walk, cooking or volunteering.
Practice gratitude. Expressing gratitude to others can help reduce your stress.
If you successfully control your blood pressure with reducing stress, you might avoid, delay or reduce the need for medication.
Video conferencing has been around for more than 20 years. Until the COVID-19 pandemic, though, you would find that many people needing to attend a meeting remotely would be calling from a real conference room full of their teammates. Today, we're routinely holding video conferences that are 100% virtual. And this is creating a problem that technology can't fix.
The problem is us, specifically the fact that we haven't evolved socially to the point where we can bear much separation. So much of our well-being and work productivity is decided on how close we are physically. The removal of that for any period of time can be severely damaging. One surprising victim of social distancing is laughter.
Normally people laugh about 18 times per day. And 97% of that time we're laughing with others—we are 30 times more likely to laugh with others than to laugh alone. Think about it: how often when you and your friends laugh at something that is actually funny? Research shows that 80% of what people laugh at is really not that funny.
So why do people laugh? They laugh in order to laugh with others. Just as everyone starts yawning when just one person yawns, most people can't help but laugh when those around them do. This is why TV comedy shows often use prerecorded laugh tracks.
Laughing in response to other people's laughing is not just a behavioral phenomenon. When we laugh, our body produces two key chemicals: endorphin which helps relieve pain and sets off feelings of pleasure, and dopamine which can improve learning, motivation and attention. In fact, studies show that people can stand 15% more pain simply by laughing for a few minutes beforehand. Laughter is also associated with higher motivation and productivity at work.
In today's home-alone, virtual-team world, this is exactly what you as a team leader should be doing: for your team members to stay healthy and productive, you need to get them to laugh more and stress less.
Scientists recently discovered that pictures on cave walls at Creswell Crags are the oldest known in Great Britain. But they didn't find out in the usual way.
Archaeologists (考古学家) often date cave art with a process called radiocarbon dating. The technique can measure the age of carbon found in charcoal (木炭) drawings or painted pictures. Carbon is an element found in many things, including charcoal and even people. But in this case, there was no paint or charcoal to test. People carved the pictures of animals and figures into the rock using stone tools. The scientists had an "aha!" moment when they noticed small rocks stuck to the top of the drawings. The small rocks must have formed after the drawings were made.
"It is rare to be able to scientifically date rock art," said Alistair Pike, an archaeological scientist at Britain's University of Bristol. "We were very fortunate that some of the engravings (雕刻) were covered by stalagmites (石笋)."
When a test proved that the stalagmites formed 12,800 years ago, the scientists knew the art underneath them had to be at least that old. And some of the animals shown are now extinct — another clue that the art is quite old.
The artists came to Creswell Crags. This place is one of the farthest points north reached by our ancient ancestors during the Ice Age. At that time, much of the North Sea was dry, so people could move about more easily.
Some tools and bones found there are 13,000 to 15,000 years old. They show that the travelers hunted horses, reindeer, and arctic hares. Their artwork is similar to art in France and Germany. It tells scientists that the Creswell Crags artists must have had a close connection to peoples several thousand kilometers away — another important evidence of understanding how humans spread out across the world.
The Royal Edinburgh Pass
Explore the royal splendors of Edinburgh with a single ticket, valid for 48 hours and including fast-track admission (进入权) to three wonderful attractions in Scotland's capital: Edinburgh Castle, Royal Yacht Britannia and Holyrood Palace. Your ticket allows the use of all of Edinburgh Hop-On, Hop-Off (随上随下) buses for an unlimited amount of times.
At Edinburgh Castle, enjoy fast-track entry and unlimited time within the walls to explore this historic site. On the Queen's former floating palace, Royal Yacht Britannia, you will have a tour of the ship including all of her personal rooms and learn about the history of the ship with an audio tour available in 30 languages. The Queen's official residence (住所) in Scotland, the Palace of Holyrood house, offers an audio tour in nine languages and original artworks and furniture taken from Edinburgh Castle when the royal family moved.
Departure point
Waverley Bridge, Edinburgh. EH1 1BQ
Time: 9:00 AM—6:00 PM (10:00 AM—6:30 PM on Wednesday)
Tours begin at Waverley Bridge, just off Princes Street where you can get back the tickets for the sites. You can join at any stop and hop on and off during the time when your ticket is valid.
What You Need to Know
◆ During periods when the Palace of Holyrood house is closed, entry to The Queen's Gallery and a "Palace of Holyrood house Guidebook" will be provided instead. In 2022 the Palace of Holyrood house is closed: 14-25 May, 24 June-5 July and during Royal visits.
◆ Both the Palace and the Queen's Gallery will be closed on 25-26 December.
◆ Children under five years old travel for free (at most two per paying adult).
◆ Bookings for this attraction are non-refundable.
What is said about the experience
Paul (Australia):
This was a great combination of 3 amazing features of Scottish history in Edinburgh. The 2 castles and Britannia, plus the 3 tourist bus options for hopping on and off when you need to. Great value. Remember not to go alo
