When you were a kid, your mother gave you lots of good advice. And like most kids, you probably ignored a lot of it. But whether you’re sixteen or sixty now, try revisiting some of those wise things that mom said: they’ll help in all areas of your life. Here are just a few examples:
“If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.”
Sure, there are times when you just want to blurt out what’s on your mind. Maybe your friend’s done something stupid – or maybe your partner’s bad habits are driving you nuts. But how many times have you lost a friend or hurt your partner because you spoke in anger and said something cruel?
If you can’t trust yourself to say something nice, then it’s wise to keep your mouth shut. You might have to tackle someone’s behavior – but do this gently, when you’re feeling calm.
“Wash your hands before eating.”
How many of us make a point of always washing our hands before eating? When you were a kid, prone to grubbing around in the mud, picking up snails and worms, and following it up with a spot of finger-painting … mom almost certainly made you wash your hands before a meal.
Now you work in an office, or have a nice clean home, you don’t need to bother, right?
A number of experts suggest that you might be very wrong there. For example:
- “Work stations contain nearly 400 times as many microbes than lavatories.” (Lifting the lid on computer filth)
- “The phone comes out as the germiest object in the office, followed by the desktop, keyboard, mouse, fax machine, and photocopier.” (Dr. Germ)
- “It's very easy for hands to spread bacteria all round the kitchen, because we touch so many things, from food to fridge handles, towels to can openers.” (Eat Well, Be Well – Cleaning)
Finish your dinner before you eat dessert.”
Could you do with losing a few pounds? If so, going back to some of the rules that mom had when you were a kid can help. Eating a healthy entrée is better for you than filling up on chocolate fudge cake: only eat dessert foods when you’ve had a proper meal first, and you’ll be less likely to overindulge.
How about following some of these rules too?
- No snacks (except fruit or nuts) between meals.
- Soda as a special treat, not an every day drink.
- Candy limited to once or twice a week.
- Eat your vegetables.
"Brush your teeth at least twice a day.”
Do you brush your teeth twice a day, every day, for at least two minutes? Or do you find it too much of a hassle? Getting into the routine of regular tooth-brushing (after breakfast, and just before bed) will help prevent costly and painful visits to the dentist.
There is no better way to prevent bad teeth than brushing teeth. It’s such a basic oral hygiene procedure that everyone knows about it. (
Brushing Teeth)
In the UK, one in ten people don’t even brush their teeth
once a day. (
ShortNews article.)
“Tidy your room.”
Stop reading for a moment, and have a look around your room. How tidy is it? Is there more clutter than you’d like? Are you always “about to get around to tidying up”? Do you find yourself wasting time hunting for important files? Is your stapler never where it should be?
When mom nagged you to tidy your room, she knew what she was talking about. Can you enjoy your work when your mood is being dragged down by piles of clutter? How efficient are you if you have to regularly hunt through all the mess to lay your hands on the one thing that you need? Set aside some time this week – even just fifteen minutes will help – to tidy up. Too busy? Then you definitely need to do this, as the state of your desk is eating up time and energy which you can’t afford.
“Write thank you notes.”
When you were given birthday presents, I bet mom made you sit down and write a bunch of thank you notes. You might have grumbled (I know I did), but there were a couple of great reasons for it. Firstly, it’s plain old good manners. If someone gives you something or does you a favor, you should thank them.
If that’s not motivation enough for you, consider this:
"I will also grudgingly tell you the hidden secret of thank you notes: They improve the frequency and quality of the gifts you receive. People like being appreciated, and if they feel you actually notice the nice things they do for you, they’re more likely to give an encore performance." (How to Write a Thank You Note)
And if someone’s helped you out in a business context (perhaps they’ve interviewed you for a job), writing a thank you letter is an excellent way to make sure they feel appreciated.
What other wisdom did your mom have that you know would help you out today? Share some of her great advice with us in the comments – and let us know what you’re doing to follow it!  | Written on 11/12/2008 by Ali Hale. Ali runs Alpha Student, a blog packed with academic, financial and practical tips to help students get the most out of their time at university. | Photo Credit: sir_scutter |
译文:
为什么妈妈总是对的
在你小的时候，妈妈经常会给你一些建议。你就像大多数的孩子一样不会听妈妈的话的。但当你到16或60岁的时候，回想一下妈妈说过的话，你会觉得它们是很有用的。以下就是几个例子：
“如果你没有什么好听的话，就不要说。”
当然，有时候你想说出你的想法。你的朋友可能会做些愚蠢的事——也许你的同伴的坏习惯会令你发疯。但是有多少次你的朋友离你而去是因为你一时冲动的言语。
如果你自己都不相信自己可以说出什么好听的话，那么最好还是不要说。或许你会想解决他们不当的行为——但含蓄一点，而且在你心情平静的时候。
“饭前洗手”
又有多少人还特意在饭前洗手呢？当你小的时候，你总是到处抓泥吧，抓蜗牛和虫子什么的，把手弄得很脏……妈妈总会让我们洗完手以后再吃饭。
现在你有办公室了，或一个干净的公寓，没人会在来烦你了吧？
许多的专家表示你的这种想法是不对的。例如：
“工作的环境中存在的微生物是换洗室的400多倍”
“电话是办公室里最多细菌的东西，接下来是电脑，键盘，鼠标，传真机，复印件”
“手是很容易传播细菌的，因为你会摸许多的东西，从食物到冰箱把手，从毛巾到瓶起子”
吃过正餐后再吃甜点。
你能减肥吗？如果你想减肥的话，试一试妈妈的建议。吃健康的开胃餐比吃巧克力酱蛋糕好的多；一定要在吃过正餐后再吃甜点，你就不大会暴饮暴食了。
试试下面的这些建议怎么样？
两餐之间不吃零食(水果和坚果除外)。
碳酸饮料不能天天喝。
一周只吃1至2次糖。
吃蔬菜。
“一天最少刷两次牙”
你是每天刷两次牙，每次最少2分钟吗？你是不是觉得这有些太烦人了？每天按时（早饭后，睡觉）刷牙会让你减少去看牙医的花费并且还可以减少你的痛苦。
在没有比刷牙更好的方法了。这是最简单的保持口腔卫生的方法了，每个人都知道如何去做。
在英国，只有十分之一的每天只刷一次牙。
“收拾你的屋子”
不要再读了，看看你的屋子吧。干净吗？是不是很乱啊？“你是不是老想要收拾一下？”你是不是发现你总是把时间浪费在找一些重要的文件啊？你的订书器是不是总不在它应该在的地方啊？
当你妈妈让你去收拾房间的时候，她知道她在说什么。你怎么能安心工作呢，，当你在一堆乱七八糟的东西中找你的东西呢？你的效率是不会高的，如果你总是从你不需要的东西中找你所需要的呢？整理一下吧——仅15分钟就可以帮助你——整理一下。太忙吗？如果是的话，你就更需要整理了，你的桌子正在占用你的时间和精力。
“说谢谢”
当有人给你生日礼物的时候，我打赌妈妈让你些了一大堆表示感谢的便条。你可能会不耐烦（我就是这样），但这样做是有很重要的原因的。第一，只是最简单的礼貌。如果有人给你什么东西或帮你忙，你就应该感谢他们。
如果这还不能给你足够的动力，考虑一下这个吧：
“我还可以不情愿的告诉你谢谢便条的秘密：它提高可以你受到礼物的次数和质量。人们总是喜欢不人欣赏，如果他们感觉到你意识到他们正在帮你，他们就会更愿意给你一个额外的惊喜”（如何写感谢便条呢）
如果有人帮你写了商务文件（可能是面试官），写个感谢信条并确保然他们再读过之后会感到被欣赏了。
你还有什么你妈妈教你的对我们有帮助的建议呢？和大家一起分享一下。