دسته: شنیداری

An introduction to a lecture

 

قبل از گوش کردن به فایل صوتی، تمرین زیر را انجام دهید و لغات آن را یاد بگیرید:

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حالا به فایل صوتی زیر گوش دهید و تمرینات زیر را انجام دهید:

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Transcript

Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome to the first lecture of our new course in Positive Psychology. While some people may associate psychology with looking at what’s wrong with us, and at what problems we have, there is much more to psychology than that. Positive psychology, for example, looks at how to help people become happier.

This lecture begins with a question: what makes a happy life?

Now, I’m going to give you one possible answer. A happy life is a life in which you are completely absorbed in what you do. Now, how does this compare with what you and your partner said?

This answer comes from the work of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and the theory of flow. Csikszentmihalyi is a psychologist who has spent much of his professional life on the study of what makes people happy and how we can find happiness.

Csikszentmihalyi suggests the theory that happiness is not caused by external events or things that happen to us. Our perception of these things and how we see these events either makes us happy or sad. In other words, if we want happiness, we have to actively look for it. However, this does not mean that we should always look for happiness! Csikszentmihalyi believed that our happiest moments happen when we are in a state of flow.

The theory of flow can be summarised like this: when we are totally involved in, or focused on, what we are doing, we are in a state of flow.

Csikszentmihalyi got the inspiration for this theory when he noticed how artists worked in a studio. They completely lost track of time, they didn’t notice they were hungry or tired, and they could work for hours, even days, without stopping. Anyone I have spoken to who has experienced this state of concentration has said it’s difficult to explain. The best way to explain it is that it is like being in a river and the flow of the water carries you away.

For the rest of this lecture, I will explore this theory of flow in more detail. First we will look at Csikszentmihalyi’s life, and how it influenced his ideas. Then we will look at the conditions that go with a state of flow. What creates flow, exactly? Finally, we will look at activities that can help us achieve flow in our everyday lives. Will this course make you happy for life? Well, maybe. Maybe.

Right, let’s get started. If you look at the next slide …

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[su_note style=”3″ type=”danger” icon=”yes”]حالا شما برایمان به انگلیسی بگویید:

Have you ever been in a ‘state of flow’ while doing an activity?

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Arriving late to class

 

قبل از گوش کردن به فایل صوتی، تمرین زیر را انجام دهید و لغات آن را یاد بگیرید:

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حالا به فایل صوتی زیر گوش دهید و تمرینات زیر را انجام دهید:

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Transcript

Student 1: Sorry. Sorry, excuse me. I’m just … just coming to sit over here. Phew. Hey. How’s it going? So, what have I missed?

Student 2: Nothing. He just started around five minutes ago.

Student 1: Did he say anything about the mid-term?

Student 2: What?

Student 1: About the mid-term tests. Did he say anything about when he was going to hand them back?

Student 2: He’s almost finished marking them, he said. We get them next Tuesday.

Student 1: I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that. When do we get them?

Student 2: Tuesday. Next Tuesday.

Student 1: OK. Got it. Sorry. What page are we meant to be on?

Student 2: Page 34.

Student 1: Page … 34. Oh, wait. I don’t have my textbook. Can I … share with you? Wow. This is hard stuff.

Student 2: Mmm.

Student 1: What does SEO mean?

Student 2: What?

Student 1: SEO. This is all about SEO but he hasn’t said what it means.

Student 2: Search engine optimisation. How to appear on internet searches.

Student 1: Internet searches. Right. Right. OK.

Student 2: He said what it meant.

Student 1: What?

Student 2: He explained it before you got here.

Student 1: Oh. Right. OK.

Student 2: Can you be quiet? I’m trying to listen to the lecture.

Student 1: So am I. Sorry. Sorry, one more question. What does this have to do with the American Revolution?

Student 2: What?

Student 1: I don’t get it. Why is he talking about search engines in a course on the American Revolution?

Student 2: What are you talking about? This is a class on software engineering.

Student 1: You mean, it’s not Early American History?

Student 2: You’re in the wrong class.

Student 1: Oh, wow. Now it all makes sense. I’m so sorry.

Student 2: It’s fine.

Student 1: Here, I’ll just … excuse me. I’m in the wrong class. Excuse me. Thanks. Sorry.

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[su_note style=”3″ type=”danger” icon=”yes”]حالا شما برایمان به انگلیسی بگویید:

When you don’t understand something in class, what do you do?

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At the chemist

 

قبل از گوش کردن به فایل صوتی، تمرین زیر را انجام دهید و لغات آن را یاد بگیرید:

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حالا به فایل صوتی زیر گوش دهید و تمرینات زیر را انجام دهید:

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Transcript

Chemist: Hello, can I help?

Customer: Yes, my wife sent me here. I, erm, need something for a sore throat … and I can’t stop coughing. It really hurts.

Chemist: Do you have a headache too?

Customer: Not really, no.

Chemist: Well, we have this syrup. And these lozenges.

Customer: Which is better?

Chemist: They’re both good. The syrup is more expensive.

Customer: Oh, well … I’ll take the lozenges, then. How many do I take?

Chemist: Just one.

Customer: Sorry, I’m sorry. Er, how often should I take it?

Chemist: Just one every four to six hours. Take it before mealtimes. Are you allergic to any medicine?

Customer: No.

Chemist: Then you’ll be fine with this.

Customer: Can I get some antibiotics too?

Chemist: I’m afraid you need a prescription for that.

Customer: Ah.

Chemist: You know, you should really see a doctor if that cough continues.

Customer: Thanks. I know.

Chemist: Anything else?

Customer: No, thanks.

Chemist: That’ll be £7.49 then, please.

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[su_note style=”3″ type=”danger” icon=”yes”]حالا شما برایمان به انگلیسی بگویید:

How often do you get a cough or a cold? What do you recommend?

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Chatting about a series

 

قبل از گوش کردن به فایل صوتی، تمرین زیر را انجام دهید و لغات آن را یاد بگیرید:

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حالا به فایل صوتی زیر گوش دهید و تمرینات زیر را انجام دهید:

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Transcript

Man: So, did you see the final episode last night?

Woman: Of course! As if I would miss that!

Man: And?

Woman: It was by far the best episode, definitely.

Man: Yeah, totally. The dragon at the end and all the special effects in that final scene were amazing.

Woman: I loved that part! But I still don’t think this series was as good as the others.

Man: Really? But you said you wouldn’t want to miss it?

Woman: I know, but still … it’s a lot more predictable than it used to be.

Man: But that’s because the story has been told so well that all the characters are reaching their destiny now.

Woman: I don’t know … before, anyone could die at any time so it was exciting! But, this series, no key characters died and we all knew they wouldn’t. When Jaime fell in the water after the dragon attacked him, we knew he would make it somehow. And … oh, surprise, Bronn jumps in and saves him.

Man: They did kill some characters in this series, though. What was that one’s name …?

Woman: Exactly, see! You can’t even remember who died!

Man: Hmm. The only thing I didn’t like about this series was that it was shorter than the others. Seven episodes instead of ten. Maybe they spent all their money on that dragon!

Woman: Right! I don’t understand why they did it, as all the fans would happily watch ten episodes.

Man: I reckon that now they’re not using the story in the books any more, they don’t have as many ideas.

Woman: That would explain why they’re not being as brave with the story too. It’s more like a Hollywood film than a TV show now.

Man: So, is Tyrion still your favourite character?

Woman: You know … surprisingly, I think my favourite might be Cersei.

Man: What?!

Woman: She’s so interesting! All the awful things she’s done and the way she’s just aiming for revenge, even though it won’t make her happy. She still surprises us because we’re expecting her to have a happy ending where she sees her mistakes and becomes a good person. But she never does, no matter what it costs her. She’s unpredictable because we just can’t believe anyone would be like her.

Man: I guess. You don’t have to like a character for them to be your favorite!

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[su_note style=”3″ type=”danger” icon=”yes”]حالا شما برایمان به انگلیسی بگویید:

What series do you think this chat is about? What’s your favorite TV show and why?

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Making a decision

 

قبل از گوش کردن به فایل صوتی، تمرین زیر را انجام دهید و لغات آن را یاد بگیرید:

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حالا به فایل صوتی زیر گوش دهید و تمرینات زیر را انجام دهید:

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Transcript

Jani: Thanks for coming, everyone. So, we’re here today to define the timeline for our new project.

Emiko: Yes, Jani, that’s a great idea.

Carolina: OK. What do you need from us?

Emiko: Hold on a moment. I think we need to decide between us what to do, to make sure it works for all departments.

Jani: Yes, exactly, don’t worry. We’re going to discuss this and make a decision together. Let’s first think about the scheduling of each project phase. What do you think, Emiko?

David: Can I interrupt? I think we should first be clear about the process we’ll use to make the decision. How are we going to do it?

Jani: Ah, yes. Good point. Well, I think the best way is for each of you to give your opinion and then we can discuss and make a decision.

David: OK. That sounds good.

Emiko: Yes, that works for me too. I know we’re still planning the structure of the later phases of the project, but I think we should begin phase one as soon as possible. We can work out the rest later, as we go along.

David: I’m sorry, I don’t think so. How can we start phase one if we’re not fully clear on where the rest of the project will take us? We might make a wrong decision and waste time.

Jani: I agree with you on that point, David. However, we’ll waste too much time if we wait until everything is planned before we actually start working on the project. I think we should take an agile approach.

David: Agile approach?

Jani: Well, it means that we start quickly and then adapt as we go along.

Emiko: That’s right.

Jani: Carolina, you’ve been very quiet.

Carolina: Um … I’m sorry. I didn’t want to interrupt. I’m listening … and thinking.

David: Do you agree we should get the plan right first, and then start with phase one?

Carolina: I’m sorry, David. I don’t think I agree with you. It’s important to have a good plan. But plans can change, even the good ones – and business changes often. We need to be flexible, and we also need to move quickly.

Jani: OK. So should we take a vote?

Emiko: Well, you’re the project leader. Let’s go with your decision.

Carolina: Yes, I’ll follow your lead, Jani.

David: Well, I guess that’s decided then. We’ll follow your agile approach, Jani. Start quickly and keep planning the later stages of the project.

Jani: Yes, that’s right.

David: I still don’t think this is the right decision, but I’m happy to go with the majority. We should add some space into the schedule later for additional work this ‘flexibility’ will need.

Jani: Don’t worry, David, we will. OK, so it’s decided then. We’ll start phase one as soon as possible, and in the background we’ll continue planning the later phases and adapt them as we go along.

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[su_note style=”3″ type=”danger” icon=”yes”]حالا شما برایمان به انگلیسی بگویید:

How are decisions usually made where you work?

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Meeting an old friend

 

قبل از گوش کردن به فایل صوتی، تمرین زیر را انجام دهید و لغات آن را یاد بگیرید:

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حالا به فایل صوتی زیر گوش دهید و تمرینات زیر را انجام دهید:

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Transcript

Selina: Patrick? Is that you?

Patrick: Selina! Hello!

Selina: Well, well. Patrick Eastwood. How have you been?

Patrick: Good. Great, actually. How are you? I haven’t seen you for … how long?

Selina: It’s been ages. At least fifteen years. Wow.

Patrick: Yeah. Wow.

Patrick and Selina: So, what are you doing here?

Selina: Sorry, you go first.

Patrick: OK. What are you doing here? I thought you’d moved to London.

Selina: I was in London for a couple of years. But it didn’t work out.

Patrick: Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. Are you … OK?

Selina: I’m fine! The dream job wasn’t really a dream, you know? Um … and London is great but it’s so expensive. I mean, just the rent on a flat is … uh … crazy expensive.

Patrick: I see.

Selina: So, I came back. I’ve been back now for almost five months. Living back home with Mum and Dad. Which is err … interesting. Um … but anyway, what about you?

Patrick: Me? Oh, nothing new. You know me – ‘Patrick the predictable’. I never left here.

Selina: Oh. And is that …?

Patrick: Oh, I’m very happy. I’m married now. We’ve just celebrated our tenth anniversary.

Selina: No way! You? Married? To …?

Patrick: I don’t think you know her. Her name’s Marigold. And we’ve got two kids. They’re five and eight years old.

Selina: Married and with two kids? Wow!

Patrick: Don’t look so surprised!

Selina: No, no … I’m just amazed how time flies! I’m happy for you. I really am.

Patrick: Thanks. You should really come round to the house one day.

Selina: That would be great. Let’s swap numbers and …

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[su_note style=”3″ type=”danger” icon=”yes”]حالا شما برایمان به انگلیسی بگویید:

Do you keep in touch with old friends?

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Work–life balance

 

قبل از گوش کردن به فایل صوتی، تمرین زیر را انجام دهید و لغات آن را یاد بگیرید:

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حالا به فایل صوتی زیر گوش دهید و تمرینات زیر را انجام دهید:

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Transcript

Presenter: Good morning, everyone. On today’s show, we’ve got Chris Svensson with us, the author of No more nine to five, the new best- selling book about work–life balance in the current working world. Good morning, Chris. Thanks for coming.

Chris: Thanks for having me, Anna.

Presenter: So, Chris, tell us about your book and how the concept of a work–life balance has been changing?

Chris: Well, in the more traditional workplaces, people’s working lives and their private lives are, or were, clearly divided. People often work from nine in the morning until five or six in the evening. People sometimes stay late in the office and work in the evenings. This is called working overtime.

Presenter: OK, and what else?

Chris: Well, in these environments it isn’t common for people to work at the weekend or while they’re on holiday. They can clearly separate their working lives and their private lives. And the evenings, weekends and holidays are free to focus on non-work areas of life, such as hobbies, interests, sports, spending time with the family and friends, and so on. It’s important and healthy not to spend all your time just working, right?

Presenter: Right! So what has changed? How are things different now?

Chris: Well, for a start, most people can now access their work emails from their mobile phones. So they are more likely to quickly reply to an important mail in the evening or at the weekend. The same goes for laptops. It’s easier to access your work in the evenings from home or even from your hotel when you’re on holiday.

Presenter: That doesn’t sound like much of a work–life balance. It sounds like all work.

Chris: Exactly, but this new mobility brings a lot of advantages with it. More people are now able to work flexibly, so if they need to leave the office early one afternoon to be with their family, they can catch up on work that evening from home or somewhere else.

Presenter: That sounds good. So, what you’re saying is that although traditional divisions between work and life are fading, many employees now have more freedom to do their work from different locations and at different times.

Chris: Yes, that’s it.

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[su_note style=”3″ type=”danger” icon=”yes”]حالا شما برایمان به انگلیسی بگویید:

How do you manage your work–life balance?

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A business interview

 

قبل از گوش کردن به فایل صوتی، تمرین زیر را انجام دهید و لغات آن را یاد بگیرید:

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حالا به فایل صوتی زیر گوش دهید و تمرینات زیر را انجام دهید:

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Transcript

Presenter: Welcome to today’s show. We’re very happy to have Anna Oliveira as our guest today. Anna is the creator and founder of HomeworX – spelled with an ‘x’ we should note – an app which helps teenagers with their homework. Thanks for coming in, Anna.

Anna: Thanks for having me.

Presenter: So, tell us about your app. How does it work?

Anna: Well, teenagers and their parents have numerous challenges when it comes to homework these days. In many families both parents work and don’t have much available time to help their kids with their homework. And even if they do have time to help, they may not be able to offer support with the content. What I mean is, they may not know, or at least remember, enough in any given subject to support.

Presenter: You mean they might not be able to remember complex maths or might have never studied certain subjects, such as biology or economics, themselves?

Anna: Exactly. So they might want to support their children with their homework, but have neither the time nor the knowledge to do so.

Presenter: I see. So the app helps solve this problem?

Anna: Yes, and more. The next issue is that tutors can be expensive, and there may be long waiting lists for specialist tutors in the town or region you live in. Our HomeworX app brings students and tutors together online. Students can search a database of pre -approved tutors and sign up for live online support. They don’t need to be in the same town or city.

Presenter: That sounds really great.

Anna: It is. And this approach also enables us to offer the tutoring services at lower prices because there’s no travelling time involved for the tutor to get to the student’s home. And tutors who live in remote areas are happy to get access to more students, and be able to work from home, even at lower rates.

Presenter: This all sounds great. So, how did you come up with the idea?

Anna: Well, as you might guess, I was one of those parents I described earlier. I really wanted to help my son with his homework, but I was either too busy with work or I didn’t actually know anything about the subjects he was having difficulty with. Also, we live in an area where there aren’t many tutors and the ones that are there are either very expensive or have long waiting lists.

Presenter: Yes. I can understand your predicament. Well, it sounds like a very useful app that is clearly meeting a need. And its popularity obviously speaks for itself.

Anna: Thank you.

Presenter: So, do you have plans for the future?

Anna: We’ve just secured some funding and hope to expand the range of services we offer using the app.

Presenter : We wish you the best of luck. Thanks again for coming in. That was Anna Oliveira, founder of the tutoring app HomeworX (with an ‘x’, don’t forget!), which is available for both Apple and Android devices. Join us again next week for another business interview. Have a great week, everyone.

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[su_note style=”3″ type=”danger” icon=”yes”]حالا شما برایمان به انگلیسی بگویید:

What’s your favorite app for learning and why?

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A design presentation

 

قبل از گوش کردن به فایل صوتی، تمرین زیر را انجام دهید و لغات آن را یاد بگیرید:

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حالا به فایل صوتی زیر گوش دهید و تمرینات زیر را انجام دهید:

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Transcript

Hi, everyone. Thanks for coming to this short presentation on our new product design. As you know, we’ve already redeveloped our ‘Adventure’ shampoo to make it more modern and appealing. And we’ve renamed it ‘Adventure Tech’. Our market research established the target market as men in the 18–40 age range who like to be outdoors and also like technical gadgets, such as smartwatches, drones and things like that. We needed to create a bottle which appeals to that market.

So, today, I’m happy to unveil our new bottle design. As you can see, it’s designed to look like a black metal drinking flask, with some digital features printed on it.

I’d like to talk you through the following three points: the key features, sizing and our timeline for production.

Firstly, you’ll notice it has an ergonomic design. That means it fits smoothly into your hand and can be easily opened and squeezed using one hand. And, it looks like a flask you might use when hiking outdoors. The imitation digital displays are designed to remind the user of other tech devices they may have, such as a smartwatch or smart displays in their home.

I’d now like to tell you about the sizes. It comes in two sizes: the regular size and a small travel size. The travel size is the same type of design – a flask, also with imitation digital displays on the bottle. We were thinking of starting with one and following with the travel-size in a few months, but we’ve worked hard and both are ready now.

Finally, I’m going to talk to you about our timeline for production. You’ve probably heard that we’re launching in two months. In preparation for that, we’re starting the marketing campaign next month. You can see the complete overview of all phases in this Gantt chart.

In summary, the bottle’s been designed for men who like adventure and technology, and it comes in two sizes. The marketing campaign is starting next month and we’re launching the product in two months.

OK. So, any questions? Feel free to also email me for further information in case we run out of time.

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[su_note style=”3″ type=”danger” icon=”yes”]حالا شما برایمان به انگلیسی بگویید:

When was the last time you had to give a presentation? What was it about? How did it go?

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A digital detox podcast

 

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Transcript

Presenter: So, we’re back in the studio. Welcome back, everyone. My name’s Rick Walker. From our laptops to our televisions, from the displays on our smartphones to those on our satnavs, we are in front of screens all the time. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to disconnect completely? To choose not to have access to the internet? If you have, you may be in need of a digital detox – a total switch- off from all things digital. The idea of people taking a digital detox is becoming more and more popular, especially amongst young people

– and today we’re joined by someone who’s tried a number of digital detox activities and is here to give us some advice about it. Amanda Vince, welcome to the studio.

Amanda: Thank you very much.

Presenter: So, Amanda, you work for a fashion magazine in London, right? I guess your work means you need to be online a lot.

Amanda: Oh, yes. Apart from the hundreds of emails I get every day, I’m always browsing fashion websites, as well as online videos. I also need to be very active online, especially on Twitter and Instagram – sharing what we’re doing in the magazine, interacting with designers, photographers, influencers … it never stops, literally. Then of course there’s my friends and family to keep in touch with online too, and for me, my work grew out of my passion, so friends and work colleagues aren’t two totally separate groups of people and it all gets a bit messy online sometimes. I think I’m online for at least 12 hours a day.

Presenter: So, how did you get the idea for a digital detox?

Amanda: I read a book about it, called Log Off: How to Stay Connected after Disconnecting. The author’s name is Blake Snow. That book gave me some really good advice and made me think about trying to change some of my digital habits. I started with removing distraction.

Presenter: What do you mean by that?

Amanda: That means turning off alerts, buzzes, alarms or notifications of any kind. I had notifications set up for everything, and it meant I was always being forced to look at my phone. Removing all of them except for important contacts helped me focus immediately. The book also made a really good point, that we should ask ourselves ‘Why?’ every time we take out our phone. I realised that most of the times I looked at my phone were because I was trying to avoid or ignore something else happening right in front of me. It was an automatic habit.

Presenter: I have to confess, that happens to me too. But what else are you going to do when you’re standing in line at the bank or waiting for your train?

Amanda: OK, yes, I’m the first to admit that it’s great for helping time go by. But speaking personally, I found I wasn’t just checking my phone to kill time when I was alone. I was also doing it with friends or family around.

Presenter: Hmmm … right. Well, so far, this doesn’t sound too drastic. Turning off notifications and becoming aware of when we use our devices. That sounds easy.

Amanda: Yes, it’s the first step. Once we begin to realise just how much of a grip our devices have on us, then we’re ready to really take the next step. First, my partner and I did a

weekend with absolutely no screens. She found it easier than I did. For me, it was a little bit scary at first but it turned out to be a pretty rewarding experience.

Presenter: A whole weekend, huh? I don’t know if I could …

Amanda: I think everyone has to do this at their own pace. If a weekend feels too much, maybe just try for an evening. Then work your way up to more. I guarantee, once you’ve tried it, you’ll want to try it again. We’re going to try for a whole week in the summer.

Presenter: OK, let’s pause there then and see what our listeners have to say. You can call us here directly, or send us a message on any of our social media channels … oops, should I be saying that? Anyway, more after the break.

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[su_note style=”3″ type=”danger” icon=”yes”]حالا شما برایمان به انگلیسی بگویید:

Would you like to do a digital detox?

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