The Little Book of Breaks

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

Contents Brainteasers

The Kit Kat quiz......................................2 The chocolate quiz..................................4

Jokes

Barmy blunders.......................................6 Global blunders.......................................8 Classroom blunders............................10 Chat-up lines and put downs....................12 You know you’re a cat lover when…......14 You know you’re a dog lover when…..16 You know you’re a mobile addict when…..18 You know you’re an e-mail addict when…..20 How to spend your lottery millions.............22 What those text messages really mean......24

Puzzles

Amazing Anagrams – the pop world...........26 Amazing Anagrams – sport.......................28 Amazing Anagrams – place names............30 Ridiculous Riddles.......................................32 Irritating Illusions........................................34

Amazing facts Triffic Trivia...................................................36 Hyper Human...........................................38 Super Science............................................40 15 minute expert

Internet expert........................................42 Flirt like an expert.....................................44 The think tank...........................................46

Relaxation techniques

How to chill-out .....................................48 Breathing ...............................................50 How to meditate.......................................52 Tips on getting to sleep...............................54

Brief exercises Yoga......................................................56 Chair-based workout..................................58

1

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

Think you know your Kit Kats? The answers can be found at the end of the quiz, as well as on the Kit Kat Web site: www.kitkat.co.uk.

BRAINTEASERS - THE KIT KAT QUIZ

1. The Rowntree’s Chocolate Crisp bar was renamed as ‘Kit Kat’ in which year? A – 1937 B – 1945 C – 1955

2

2. The Kit Kat name was inspired by? A – A stray cat adopted by a Rowntree employee B – London’s Kit Kat club C – The sound of snapping chocolate 3. Due to post-war milk shortages, Kit Kats were made for a time with plain chocolate. What colour were the wrappers changed to? A – Orange B – Blue C – Yellow 4. ‘Have A Break - Have A Kit Kat’ was first used in a TV advert when? A – 1957 B – 1962 C – 1967

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

6. At which position does Kit Kat rank in the UK confectionery market? A – Number one B – Number two C – Number three 7. Enough Kit Kats are produced to out-stack the Eiffel Tower every . . . A – Day B – Five minutes C – Week 8. How many Kit Kats are eaten in the UK every second? A–7 B – 27 C – 47

BRAINTEASERS - THE KIT KAT QUIZ

5. The single fingered Kit Kat Chunky was launched when? A – 1979 B – 1989 C – 1999

9. One day’s production of Kit Kats would stretch around? A – The world B – The London Underground C – Heathrow Airport Answers 1. A 2. B 3. B 4. A 5. C 6. A 7. B 8. C 9. B

3

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

Think you’re a true chocoholic? Let’s see how much you really know!

BRAINTEASERS - THE CHOCOLATE QUIZ

1. The original form of chocolate was? A – Powder B – Solid C – A drink

4

2. What is the approximate melting point of chocolate? A – 35oC B – 70oC C – 105oC 3. How should chocolate be melted when cooking? A – In a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water B – In a saucepan over a high heat C – Mixed with water in a saucepan 4. Christopher Columbus discovered chocolate in? A – Europe B – Central America C – Asia 5. The cocoa bean grows? A – On a tree B – In the ground C – In water

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

BRAINTEASERS - THE CHOCOLATE QUIZ

6. On a really hot day, where is the best place to store chocolate? A – In direct sunlight B – In your pocket C – In a cool place, like a fridge

7. Where does the word ‘chocolate’ come from? A – Switzerland B – Mexico C – Kenya

Answers 1. C 2. A 3. A 4. B 5. A 6. C 7. B

5

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

Need cheering up during your break? While enjoying a Kit Kat, treat yourself to a feast of mad blunders, cheesy chat-up lines and jokes on the next few pages.

JOKES - BARMY BLUNDERS

In 1876, the Post Office rejected the concept of the telephone on the grounds that most people had access to small boys who could deliver messages for them.

6

When the young Paul McCartney tried to join his local cathedral choir, he was turned down on the basis that he was ‘tone deaf and couldn’t sing’. The first canned food was sold in 1812. The first can-opener, however, didn’t appear until 1860. Gloucester town council passed a housing law making it illegal for tenants in public housing to die without giving at least 30 days notice.

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

JOKES - BARMY BLUNDERS

A criminal suspect was interrogated by mischievous police by placing a metal colander on his head and connecting it with wires to a photocopier. The message ‘He’s lying’ was placed in the photocopier, and the police pressed the copy button each time they thought the suspect wasn’t telling the truth. Believing the ‘Lie Detector’ was working, the suspect confessed.

The Beatles were turned down by a number of record companies before they finally secured a deal. A representative from one of them explained his reasoning: he believed guitar-based groups were on their way out. 7

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

JOKES - GLOBAL BLUNDERS

A business consultant in Sweden worked for 13 years on a book about the Swedish economy. For safety, he took the 250 page manuscript to be copied. A worker confused the photocopier with the shredder, however, and reduced the manuscript to thousands of tiny strips of paper.

8

A City Council in California enacted a ban on nuclear weapons, and set a $500 fine for anyone who detonated one within city limits.

The Vauxhall Nova was not well suited to Spanish speaking countries. ‘No Va’ means ‘It Does Not Go’ in Spanish.

In Chinese, the Kentucky Fried Chicken slogan ‘finger-lickin’ good’ came out as ‘eat your fingers off.’

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

A man was arrested at a US airport hotel after he tried to pass two (counterfeit) $16 bills.

JOKES - GLOBAL BLUNDERS

In 1875, the Director of the United States Patent Office resigned, and recommended that the entire patent office be closed down. His reason for doing so was his belief that there was nothing left to be invented.

When a cola company first exported to Taiwan, their slogan ‘Come alive with the . . . Generation’ was translated into Chinese rather too literally as this drink ‘brings your ancestors back from the grave.’ 9

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

These are genuine examples of children’s writing, collected by a school teacher.

JOKES - CLASSROOM BLUNDERS

Two halves make a whale.

10

‘You are under a rest and you will be remembered in custard for the night,’ said the policeman.

If you are really naughty at the big school you will get exploded from school and you can’t go back then.

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

There was no transpot in Roman times. The soldiers had to walk everywhere and some other people came from Rome on their carrots.

JOKES - CLASSROOM BLUNDERS

Planets can grow in pots or in soil. Planets come from a blub or sid.

Last week it was Jack’s berthday. He brort a cak to school and we all had a pis. I had a pink pis.

11

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

I never forget a face.

JOKES - CHAT-UP LINES AND PUT DOWNS

Neither do I, but in your case I’ll try and make an exception.

12

Do you come here often? Not if you do.

Do you think it was fate that brought us together? No. It was just bad luck.

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

And you’ve got the face of a saint — a Saint Bernard.

Hi there. I’d like to ask you what’s your idea of a perfect evening? The one I was having before you came over.

Hi, I’m a magician. Perhaps I could perform a spell for you?

JOKES - CHAT-UP LINES AND PUT DOWNS

You’ve got the face of an angel.

OK, can you make yourself disappear? 13

JOKES - YOU KNOW YOU’RE A CAT LOVER WHEN . . .

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

14

You take the phrase ‘cat nap’ literally and can often be found enjoying a siesta curled up in a wicker basket.

You learned to miaow before you could talk.

You train as a cordon bleu cook just so you can prepare 5-star meals for your moggie. She occasionally throws you the scraps.

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

You don’t own a nail file any more, you simply join your cat in scratching trees.

You want your cat to travel in style so you buy him a Furrari.

JOKES - YOU KNOW YOU’RE A CAT LOVER WHEN . . .

In order to share a greater affinity with your Tom, you have a human flap installed.

15

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

JOKES - YOU KNOW YOU’RE A DOG LOVER WHEN . . .

You tape all series of Pet Rescue just in case it features one of your canine friends.

16

Your ideal holiday would be in Battersea Dogs’ Home

You talk to your dog… and it talks back.

Your postman won’t come near you in case you bite him.

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

You walk on all fours in order to see the world the way your dog does.

You hate cats.

You often sleep on the floor because you don’t like to disturb the dog who is snoring happily on your bed.

JOKES - YOU KNOW YOU’RE A DOG LOVER WHEN . . .

Your favourite film is 101 Dalmatians.

17

JOKES - YOU KNOW YOU’RE A MOBILE ADDICT WHEN . . .

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

18

Your mobile phone provider no longer sends you itemised bills… it costs them too much man-time (and trees) to print them out.

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

A toddler asks for a mobile for Christmas, and is upset when you buy a phone to hang above the cot.

JOKES - YOU KNOW YOU’RE A MOBILE ADDICT WHEN . . .

You’d rather ruin someone’s wedding vows than miss a call.

19

JOKES - YOU KNOW YOU’RE AN E-MAIL ADDICT WHEN . . .

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

20

You suffer from a bad case of cold turkey when your Internet connection fails for a whole day.

You are the life and soul of the party…as long as it’s being held in a chat room.

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

You count new messages, not sheep.

You’re not in contact with your parents…because they can’t get the hang of e-mail.

JOKES - YOU KNOW YOU’RE AN E-MAIL ADDICT WHEN . . .

You are always flattered when people refer to you as a nerd.

21

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

JOKES - HOW TO SPEND YOUR LOTTERY MILLIONS

A break is a good time to check your lottery numbers. But what will you spend the money on if you win?

22

Why not buy your very own island? A haven of tranquillity and beauty in any ocean can be yours for anything between £50,000 to £10 million. You’ll want to buy a flash new car, so you’ll need to sell the old one. Why not advertise it on the side of a European Space Agency rocket? Yours for just £1 million o.n.o. How about buying a million lottery tickets with your winnings? With a million combinations, you could probably win a couple of hundred tenners, maybe make up to a million without even winning the jackpot. Your entries alone would put up the jackpot considerably. Of course, you’d need to employ hundreds of people just to check the tickets. That could put you back a fortune in wages!

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

Buy your way into a major movie. If the price is right you could buy your way into a scene with your favourite actor or actress. Want to tell someone you love them? Do it in style by spending your money on hiring the Red Arrows to perform a personal routine, finishing with a coloured smoke ‘I love you’ to be seen for miles around. For a really cool way to waste your wealth, hire a fleet of tug boats and tow a huge iceberg down from the Arctic into the English Channel. Then let the world’s best ice sculptors loose on it to create a massive bust of yourself. Once completed, tow it all around the country until it melts.

JOKES - HOW TO SPEND YOUR LOTTERY MILLIONS

Buy a football team. £1 million doesn’t buy much in the soccer world these days, but it’s a fun way to lose money!

Treat yourself to a lifetime’s supply of Kit Kat. 23

JOKES - WHAT THOSE TEXT MESSAGES REALLY MEAN

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

24

Sending text is slick, fast, efficient, concise and very minimalist - perfect for catching up with friends during a short break. But when someone texts you, what do those abbreviations really mean?

****** It’s snowing. “ “ “ “ “ “ It’s raining. IlBRdyIn5Mins Have to have a shower, choose an outfit, phone my best friend and put on my makeup – shouldn’t take too long! Hlp!EmrgncyHuryHomeQck Aaaaaargh! There’s a spider in the bath! IvStrtedDecor8ngThHouse I’ve done the hard bit – buying the wallpaper and paint – you can do the rest.

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

UCnBoroMyClthsNEtimeULke I need to borrow your new dress for a party next week. IvGtAScret2TelU-PromisNt2TelASoul Here’s a juicy bit of gossip but don’t pass it on until I’ve finished telling all my friends.

.... .- ...- . .- -... .-. . .- -.I’m a conventionalist so I much prefer to send text in the old-fashioned way. IDotADold I seem to have suddenly come down with a very bad cold. SryCntCalU-Im@MprtntMtng I have taken the afternoon off and am currently undertaking an important putt at the sixteenth.

JOKES - WHAT THOSE TEXT MESSAGES REALLY MEAN

I4GiveU Now that I’ve cut all your clothes in half I’m willing to consider reconciliation.

25

PUZZLES - AMAZING ANAGRAMS – THE POP WORLD

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

26

Anagrams can reveal hidden meanings within words simply by re-arranging the letters. The following pages contain some surprising anagram revelations for you to enjoy while munching your Kit Kat. Rearranging the letters of ‘Noel and Liam Gallagher’ gives:

HELL! ALL GRAND EGOMANIA. Rearranging the letters of ‘Sir Paul McCartney, ex-Beatle bass guitarist’ gives:

NATURAL BABY! CREATES GREAT SIXTIES LP MUSIC Rearranging the letters of ‘Rod Stewart’ gives:

WORST DATER Rearranging the letters of ‘The Rolling Stones’ gives:

HELL! SING SO ROTTEN!

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

AGHAST, GET EARPLUGS IN THERE!

Rearranging the letters of ‘Singer Charlotte Church’ gives:

SCREECHING CHORAL TRUTH

Rearranging the letters of ‘The Brit Awards’ gives:

PUZZLES - AMAZING ANAGRAMS – THE POP WORLD

Rearranging the letters of ‘The singer Gareth Paul Gates’ gives:

WHAT DIRE BRATS 27

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

Rearranging the letters of ‘Monsieur Eric Cantona’ gives:

PUZZLES - AMAZING ANAGRAMS – SPORT

I RUIN A SOCCER TEAM? NON!

28

Rearranging the letters of ‘Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean’ gives:

JOINTLY DANCE TO RAVEL. SPIN HER HARD!

Rearranging the letters of ‘George Best’ gives:

GO GET BEERS!

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

AMENABLE FELLOW ... RICH TOO!

Rearranging the letters of ‘The England football team’ gives:

DEFT BALL-GAME TALENT? OH NO!

Rearranging the letters of ‘The English cricket team’ gives:

LIKE CHEERING TEST MATCH?

PUZZLES - AMAZING ANAGRAMS – SPORT

Rearranging the letters of ‘Footballer Michael Owen’ gives

Rearranging the letters of ‘The Wimbledon Championships’ gives:

POSH TIM HENMAN CHIPS LOB WIDE.

29

PUZZLES - AMAZING ANAGRAMS – PLACE NAMES

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

30

Rearranging the letters of ‘London Victoria Station’ gives:

TRAIN CONDITION: VAST LOO

Rearranging the letters of ‘Windsor Castle’ gives:

ENTAILS CROWDS.

Rearranging the letters of ‘London Bridge’ gives:

OLD OR BENDING.

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

OLE! TRAINSPOTTERS LOVE IT!

Rearranging the letters of ‘The Isle of Man’ gives:

FINE HOTELS, MA!

Rearranging the letters of ‘United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland’ gives:

DARK MINED-OUT LAND OF REIGNING THRONE AND BITTER RAIN.

Rearranging the letters of ‘Cambridge University’ gives:

PUZZLES - AMAZING ANAGRAMS – PLACE NAMES

Rearranging the letters of ‘Liverpool Street Station’ gives:

I’M STUDYING BEER, VICAR.

31

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

Take a tour of some riddles and illusions to accompany your Kit Kat on the next few pages . . .

What driver doesn’t have a licence? A Screwdriver

PUZZLES - RIDICULOUS RIDDLES

What has a neck, but no head? A Bottle

32

What kind of can never needs a can opener? A Pelican How do you avoid falling hair? Move out the way Why did the doctor switch jobs? He lost his patients Why did the tree see the dentist? To get a root canal What kind of jokes did Einstein make? Wisecracks

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

What is the first thing you do every morning? Wake up

PUZZLES - RIDICULOUS RIDDLES

What always goes to bed with shoes on? A Horse

What kind of clothes do lawyers wear? Lawsuits What animal breaks the law? A Cheetah

33

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

PUZZLES - IRRITATING ILLUSIONS

Can you see a diamond shape?

34

Are the dots black or white?

Are the horizontal lines parallel or curved?

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

Two faces or a chalice?

PUZZLES - IRRITATING ILLUSIONS

Do you see shapes or a word?

Are these lines the same length?

35

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

You’ll wonder how you ever got along without these facts!

‘I am.’ is the shortest complete sentence in the English language. The longest recorded flight of a chicken is thirteen seconds.

AMAZING FACTS - TRIFFIC TRIVIA

The Hawaiian alphabet has 12 letters.

36

A broken clock is right twice a day. The shortest war in history was between Zanzibar and England in 1896. Zanzibar surrendered after 38 minutes.

A piece of paper can’t be folded in half more than seven times, regardless of its size.

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

A jumbo jet’s wingspan is longer than the Wright brothers’ first flight.

AMAZING FACTS - TRIFFIC TRIVIA

You burn more calories sleeping than you do watching TV.

The electric chair was invented by a dentist. Most dust particles consist of dead skin. The phrase ‘rule of thumb’ comes from an old English law that you couldn’t beat your wife with anything wider than your thumb.

37

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

A human being is an amazing machine (well – it invented the Kit Kat, after all!). Here are some surprising facts about us:

Our brains have about 100 billion nerve cells.

AMAZING FACTS - HYPER HUMAN

Blood travels 60,000 miles (96,540 km) per day through our bodies.

38

It’s impossible to sneeze with your eyes open. We use 72 different muscles to speak. A cough comes out of your mouth at 60 miles (96.5 km) per hour. We blink about 6,205,000 times each year. Our ears and nose continue to grow throughout our lives.

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

Our hearts, on average, pump 48 million gallons of blood during our lifetime. Each square inch (2.5 cm) of our skin consists of 20 feet (6 m) of blood vessels. We breathe more than 20,000 times a day. We walk, on average, the equivalent of five times around the equator during our lifetime.

AMAZING FACTS - HYPER HUMAN

15 million blood cells are destroyed in our bodies every second.

39

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

When you’ve finished chewing on your Kit Kat, chew on these amazing facts!

AMAZING FACTS - SUPER SCIENCE

IBM’s ASCI White supercomputer, the fastest computer in the world, weighs as much as 17 elephants and can do in one second what a calculator would take 10 million years to do.

40

The energy in one hurricane is equal to about 500,000 atomic bombs. There are more than 50,000 earthquakes throughout the world every year. The opposite sides of a dice cube always add up to seven. An average size iceberg weighs 20,000 tons. The largest icebergs weigh millions of tons.

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

The world’s termites outweigh the world’s humans 10 to 1.

Mercury is the only metal that is liquid at room temperature.

AMAZING FACTS - SUPER SCIENCE

A lump of pure gold the size of a matchbox can be flattened into a sheet the size of a tennis court.

A jiffy is an actual unit of time for 1/100th of a second. Thus the saying, I will be there in a jiffy.

The microwave was invented after a researcher walked by a radar tube and a chocolate bar melted in his pocket.

41

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

Why not spend your break surfing the net? When you’ve checked out the fun at www.kitkat.co.uk, here’s a selection of sites to visit while enjoying your Kit Kat.

www.anagramgenius.com

15 MINUTE EXPERT - INTERNET EXPERT

Contains a fun and free service that will generate anagrams from someone’s name and e-mail them to that person.

42

www.jigsawland.com Hundreds of jigsaw puzzles you can do online.

www.classicgaming.com/vault This site is packed with all the old classic arcade and computer games. Turn back the clock a few years and have a game of Asteroids!

www.hsx.com The Hollywood Stock Exchange – a free virtual stock market where you buy and sell shares of your favourite movies, rock groups and Hollywood stars. As their popularity increases, so does the value of your portfolio.

www.mensa.org Feeling clever? If you have 30 minutes to spare, see how you get on with this brainy challenge.

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

www.empireonline.co.uk This site is perfect for finding out what films are being shown in the UK. There is also information on future releases.

www.howstuffworks.com

15 MINUTE EXPERT - INTERNET EXPERT

www.ichef.com If you fancy cooking up something exotic this site has recipes from around the world, as well as being an excellent reference source. Or create your own online cookbook.

Want to learn something useful in your break (such as how chocolate is made)? Look no further than this site.

www.rinkworks.com/dialect/ The Dialectizer – translates text or web pages into various funny dialects. Just type in the web address of your favourite site and see it presented in Cockney or other dialects! 43

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

These are the top 10 do’s and don’ts for flirting like an expert.

15 MINUTE EXPERT - FLIRT LIKE AN EXPERT

Do . . .

44

1.

Smile.

2.

Maintain eye contact.

3.

Use the person’s name.

4.

Be generous in your praise for their clothes, hair, opinions etc.

5.

Encourage them to tell you about themselves.

6.

Relax in their company; regard them as old friends.

7.

Find mutual connections in the people you know or the lives you lead.

8.

Gently tease the conversation towards romance without being direct.

9.

Read their body language.

10.

Show that you appreciate a Kit Kat.

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

1.

Let rejection get you down. Learn from it and move on.

2.

Give too much away about yourself immediately. Learn the attractiveness of being enigmatic.

3.

Cling or appear needy.

4.

Fidget or look awkward.

5.

Wait for things to happen. Make them happen.

6.

Think about how well you’re doing. Just be natural.

7.

Forget to be a good listener.

8.

Drink too much.

9.

Aim too high – go for people you think will be attracted to you.

10.

Eat your Kit Kat in front of someone you fancy without offering to share it!

15 MINUTE EXPERT - FLIRT LIKE AN EXPERT

Don’t . . .

45

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

15 MINUTE EXPERT - THE THINK TANK

There’s nothing more annoying than reaching into an empty pocket and realising you’ve forgotten to buy a Kit Kat on the way to work.

46

Our brains are like computers – we have a limited amount of short term memory (RAM) but the information will quickly vanish unless we save it to our long term memory (hard disk). The knack is to get the information onto that hard disk in the brain before we lose it. Here are some tips on improving your memory in 15 minutes so that this problem can be avoided in future. 1. Concentration. Half of the information coming into our brains is lost immediately due to distractions around you. Concentrating only on one thing will enable more of the information to be retained. 2. Repetition. Some people believe that a fact needs to be repeated seven times in order for it to enter long term memory. 3. Association. Try to relate information to other relevant facts. Grouping information together strengthens the memory process. 4. Pictures. Try to think in terms of pictures, rather than words. The brain remembers images more easily than language, so picture that red and white Kit Kat in your mind so that you don’t forget to buy it.

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

6. Music. We use a different part of the brain to remember music, so taking your favourite tune and singing the words to something you need to remember can be a fast way to get it into your long term memory. 7. Understanding. It’s hard to remember something you don’t understand. Concentrate on understanding it first, and the memorising will happen more easily. 8. Mnemonics. Some kinds of information are suited to this technique. The most popular method is to take the first letter of each word in a list of things to be learned and to create a new word or sentence from those letters. 9. Colour. Use colour to emphasise different kinds of information – e.g. when making revision notes.

15 MINUTE EXPERT - THE THINK TANK

5. Connections. If you need to remember lists of things, e.g. the sequence of roads to your destination, try to visualise the way in which each road connects to the next one.

10. Summarize. You don’t need to learn a whole page of information word for word. Extract the basic facts and learn just those.

47

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

RELAXATION TECHNIQUES - HOW TO CHILL-OUT

Don’t panic when things go wrong! Things will work out fine in the end if you use these top ten chill-out tips.

48

1. Sit down and treat yourself to a Kit Kat. 2. Smile. Force it if you have to. Moving the facial muscles into a smile makes you feel better. 3. Control your breathing (see next chapter). 4. Remind yourself that this day will pass. Tomorrow will be a fresh opportunity to make things go right. 5. Write a list of all that is good about your life. Concentrate on it. Think about it and nothing else for 15 minutes. 6. Share the burden of the stress with someone or visit a friend who makes you feel good. Talk it through, and suddenly it won’t weigh so heavily on your shoulders.

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

8. Close your eyes and sit in silence for 15 minutes, imagining yourself on a warm beach with the water lapping at your toes. Or use the meditation techniques in this book. 9. Listen to music for 15 minutes, preferably through headphones so that nothing else can distract you. 10. Talk to yourself in a reassuring way.

RELAXATION TECHNIQUES - HOW TO CHILL-OUT

7. Laugh. Watch a comedy programme or treat yourself to a video of your favourite comedian. Laughter relaxes tense muscles.

49

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

RELAXATION TECHNIQUES - BREATHING

Breathing control is fundamental to achieving inner calm. It doesn’t take long and can be done anywhere. Learn these techniques whilst eating your Kit Kat, then practise them on your next break.

50

1. Sit or lie in a comfy position and practise complete stillness. Start to become aware of your natural incoming and outgoing breath. 2. Don’t interfere with the natural rhythm of your breathing, but become increasingly more conscious, letting yourself relax into its continual ebb and flow. 3. Come closer to your breath (better you than anyone else), keeping awareness of every inhalation and exhalation, and begin to say mentally ‘I am aware I am breathing in, I am aware I am breathing out.’ 4. Feel the breath flowing in and out of the nose – you’ll notice the breath is cool as it enters the nostrils and warm as it flows out.

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

6. Next bring the awareness to the chest and feel the breath flowing through the trachea and bronchial tubes. 7. Feel the breath flowing through the lungs, followed by the rib cage and then the abdomen, observing expansion and relaxation of each area. 8. Finally, become aware of the whole breathing process from the nostrils to the abdomen before opening your eyes.

RELAXATION TECHNIQUES - BREATHING

5. Bring awareness to the throat and feel the breath flowing down the throat.

51

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

RELAXATION TECHNIQUES - HOW TO MEDITATE

Meditation is known to have positive health benefits. It can improve energy levels, help promote sleep and can even slow down the aging process. Try these simple steps to get the best out of your break.

52

1. Find a quiet, comfy place. Sit in a chair or on the floor with your head, neck and back straight. Clear your mind of thoughts of the day (and chocolate) and try to stay in the present. 2. Become aware of your breathing and the air moving in and out of your body (from your mouth!) as you breathe. Feel your tummy rise and fall, and the air going in your nostrils and out of your mouth. 3. Watch every thought come and go. When thoughts enter your head, don’t suppress them, but note them, remain calm and concentrate on your breathing.

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

5. As you’re coming to the end of your meditation, sit for a minute or two, becoming aware of where you are, and then get up gradually.

RELAXATION TECHNIQUES - HOW TO MEDITATE

4. If you suddenly get carried away in your thoughts, think about where your mind wandered off to, without judging, then return to your breathing. Don’t be hard on yourself if your mind wanders.

53

RELAXATION TECHNIQUES - TIPS ON GETTING TO SLEEP

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

54

The biggest break of the day comes at bedtime. If you have trouble getting to sleep, try some of these common sense tips: 1. It’s essential that you allow time for your mind and body to wind down, so try a relaxing activity but not vigorous exercise before bedtime like taking a hot bath, having a massage or listening to some music. 2. If you’re having trouble sleeping, don’t thrash about in bed. Get up and do something until you’re fighting off sleep, then go back to bed. Repeat the process if necessary. 3. Sleep for as long as your body needs. To determine how much sleep your body needs, simply check to see how much you need to feel rested and alert the next day, and adjust accordingly. 4. Our bodies love routine, so try to follow a regular bed and wake up time. Even if you stay up late, try to drag yourself out of bed at the same time each morning, to help get back into a healthy sleep pattern. 5. Avoid or reduce your intake of caffeine, alcohol and cigarettes. A few glasses of your favourite tipple may help send you off into oblivion, but it contributes to poor quality sleep and frequent wake-ups.

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

7. Exercise regularly and at the right time. Late afternoon and early evening is better than morning or late evening, however, it’s said that some forms of late night exercise can aid relaxation and improve sleep! 8. Eliminate distracting noises. Close doors and windows if necessary (although a supply of fresh air can help improve the quality of sleep). 9. Don’t count sheep – count your breaths. Breathe slowly and deeply, and concentrate on counting these breaths. 10. Close your eyes. It sounds obvious, but not everyone does this and then they wonder why they’re not sleeping!

RELAXATION TECHNIQUES - TIPS ON GETTING TO SLEEP

6. Eat light, and include protein in your meal to avoid night time hunger pangs. If you have a Kit Kat before going to bed, try doing so an hour or two before you turn in.

55

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

The Basics of Yoga Unify your mind, body and breath with this simple, popular movement, The Tree (Vrksasana). (It may be a good idea to find a quiet spot, away from prying eyes, or they may think you’ve gone mad!)

BRIEF EXERCISES - YOGA

1. Start by fixing your gaze at a point in the room or on the wall ahead of you at eye height, and continue to fix your gaze at that point.

56

2. Bring your hands together into the prayer position, keeping the position at chest height. 3. Keeping your gaze fixed and your hands in prayer, slowly lift one foot off the ground and rest it on the opposite calf. If this isn’t comfy or you find you’re losing your balance, then move your foot down to the ankle. This movement helps strengthen the whole leg.

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

5. Hold the position for as long as possible (usually for as long as you can keep your balance). 6. Repeat the sequence by balancing on the other leg for as long as you can without overdoing it or toppling over.

BRIEF EXERCISES - YOGA

4. Notice your mind coming right into the present – this really helps with the balance.

57

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

BRIEF EXERCISES - A CHAIR-BASED WORKOUT

Exercises don’t all involve running around and sweating into a brightly coloured tracksuit. There is much you can do to tone your body from the comfort of your chair whilst watching television or sitting at your desk at work (but use a static rather than a swivel chair).

58

Never exercise without warming up and stretching first. If you suffer from any medical conditions, consult your doctor before beginning an exercise programme. 1. Seated leg extension. Repeatedly raise and lower your legs slowly, keeping them as straight as you can. Repeat 5 times. As your strength builds over time, try adding weights to your feet to increase the effort level required. If you don’t have proper ankle weights available, try just balancing a book or two. 2. Inner thigh squeeze. Place a large ball between your knees (a football or beachball is ideal). Gently squeeze your knees together, then release. Repeat five times. 3. Outer thigh. Wrap a stretchy band around both your legs at the knee and gently pull your legs apart and

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S

4. Bicep curls. Using hand weights (or books), raise your hands to shoulder level and lower back to waist level again. Repeat five times. 5. Seated bench press. Crouch off the edge of your chair with your hands behind you on the seat. Keeping your back straight and close to the edge of the chair, lower yourself down, taking the weight on your arms, and then raise yourself back up again. Repeat five times.

BRIEF EXERCISES - A CHAIR-BASED WORKOUT

then back together (don’t let them snap back suddenly – keep it under control). Repeat five times.

59

T H E L I T T L E B O O K O F B R E A K S Copyright © Summersdale Publishers Ltd 2003 Illustrations by Kate Taylor All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any means, nor transmitted, nor translated into a machine language, without the written permission of the publisher. Summersdale Publishers Ltd 46 West Street Chichester West Sussex PO19 1RP UK www.summersdale.com ISBN 1 84024 151 9 Acknowledgements Emma Burgess, Peter Jeffcock, Alastair Williams, Olivia Edward, Rob Tobin, Stewart Ferris, Stuart McLean, Charlotte Williams, Amy Charter, Jenny Humphreys. For the anagrams: William Tunstall-Pedoe, Scott Clements, David A. Green, Steve Datson, Kevin Hale, David Bourke, Jaybur, Will Thomas, Ivor Hutchinson, Mick Tully, Mike Mesterton-Gibbons, Joe Fathallah, Nigel Hunton-Carsouls. Important Note Every effort has been made to make this book as accurate as possible. The authors and publishers shall have neither responsibility nor liability to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage arising from information contained in this book. Kit Kat is a registered trade mark of Société des Produits Nestlé S.A., 1800 Vevey, Switzerland. © 2003 Société des Produits Nestlé S.A. Vevey, Switzerland. Trade Mark Owners.

60