雙語閱讀：平息怒氣簡單的四招

摘要：你可能從來沒有坐在懶人沙發上發飆過，這是有原因的。“我們的大腦逐漸習慣於將坐臥的姿勢和放鬆的感覺聯繫在一起。”

Don't be an angry bird: Find out how a chair, a pairof sunglasses and other items can hold unexpectedpromise for taming your temper.

A Seat -- Right Now

別做憤怒的小鳥：看看一把椅子、一副太陽眼鏡和別的東西對於平息怒氣有什麼意想不到的效果吧。

坐下來——就現在

平息怒氣簡單的四招

There's a reason you've probably never gotten into a screaming match from a beanbag chair. "Over time, our brains become conditioned to associate sitting and lying down with feelingrelaxed," says W. Robert Nay, PhD, a clinical associate professor of psychiatry atGeorgetown Medical School. That's why it's so easy to pass out on an airplane, even when youdidn't think you were tired. From an evolutionary perspective, the brain is hardwired toassociate an upright position with threat: When you're standing and arguing, adrenaline andthe stress hormone cortisol start coursing in an effort to help you flee and the next thing youknow, your heart is racing, your voice is rising, and you're suddenly a crazy angry ing down, Nay says, sends a message of safety and security to your brain. "No organismon earth sits back when threatened," he explains. So the next time a conversation starts tomake your blood boil, pull up a chair and take a load off.

你可能從來沒有坐在懶人沙發上發飆過，這是有原因的。“我們的大腦逐漸習慣於將坐臥的姿勢和放鬆的感覺聯繫在一起。”喬治敦醫學院精神病學臨牀副教授W. Robert Nay如是說。這就是爲什麼即使不覺得累，在飛機上還是那麼容易睡過去。從進化的角度看，大腦必然將直立的姿態同威脅聯繫在一起：站着和別人爭論的時候，腎上腺素和應激激素皮質醇就開始想辦法讓你逃離，然後，你懂的，心跳加速，嗓音拔高，你一下子就變得瘋狂暴躁。坐下來，W. Robert Nay說，告訴大腦你很安全。“世界上沒有任何一種生物受到威脅的時候會坐回去。”他解釋道。所以下次聊着聊着心頭火氣的時候就拉過一把椅子，坐下來卸載怒氣吧。

't Get Mad, Get Organized

凡事預則立，不預則抓狂

A study of nearly 11,000 subjects in 42 countries about to be presented at the WesternPsychological Association in Portland, Oregon, found that the key to reining in anger ispreventing it in the first place. The research, conducted at the University of the South Pacific onlaidback Fiji, surprised us. But the study's authors say simple steps like maintaining an updatedto-do list or spending a few minutes every morning to map out your day will go far in loweringanger and anxiety levels. The theory: Effective time management keeps you on track,circumventing stress.

俄勒岡州波特蘭市的西方心理學協會即將發表一項研究，採訪了42個國家11000人，發現抑制怒氣最的關鍵在於事先防禦。這項在悠閒從容的斐濟的南太平洋大學進行的研究結果出乎我們的意料。論文作者說，一些很簡單的事情，像是時時更新待辦事項列表，或是每天早上花很短的時間來制定一天的計劃就能夠非常有效地降低憤怒和焦慮的水平。研究認爲，有效的時間管理使你井井有條，遠離壓力。

Your Cool With A Pair Of Shades

戴上墨鏡，保持冷靜

Research published this year in the journal Cognition& Emotion found that when peoplewalk in direct sun sans sunglasses, the light-induced frowning actually causes them to feelP.O.'d. Although most beachcombers reported being unaffected by all that squinting, thosewho were asked to walk unshaded against the rays (as opposed to with the sun at their backs)had increased aggressiveness scores on subsequent tests. Simply looking angry translates intofeeling that way, too. Study co-author Daniele Marzoli, PhD, suggests seeking shade duringheated exchanges: "Compared to indoor conversations, outdoor conversations could lead tomore hostile interactions because of the anger-intensifying effects of the sun's glare." Or useit as an excuse to don your new pair of aviators -- you might just ground an altercation beforeit takes off.

今年《認知與情感》雜誌發表的研究發現，人們不戴墨鏡走在直射的陽光下時，因爲強光而皺起眉頭感覺其實挺不爽的。儘管沙灘上大多數人表示眯着眼睛也沒什麼影響，但是叫他們直接走在大太陽下(而不是背朝着太陽)，在隨後的測試中表現出了更強的攻擊性。做出不高興的樣子真的會讓人不高興。論文的共同作者DanieleMarzoli博士建議在高溫下交換意見時儘量找點蔭頭：“和室內交談相比，室外交談可能導致更多帶有敵意的互動，因爲陽光會使怒氣更盛。”你也可以趁着這個機會戴上你新買的飛行員墨鏡——可別還沒起飛就吵起來了。

4. Tame PMS Fury With A Paella Recipe

常備肉菜飯食譜，專治經前暴躁

When women struggling with the tension, irritability and mood swings of PMS were givencapsules containing either saffron or a placebo twice a day for two menstrual cycles, those inthe saffron group saw their symptoms drop significantly, even within the first cycle. The carrot-hued spice -- a key ingredient in Spanish paella -- has been used since ancient times to treateverything from depression to upset bellies. Schedule a weekly tapas night for a potentialsubtle boost or talk to your doctor about trying a supplement. Más delicioso: One of paella'sstar ingredients is seafood, and omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to slash PMS symptoms-- not just the mental effects, like anxiety and poor concentration, but bloating, headacheand breast tenderness, too.

如果一個女人連續兩個月經週期飽受經前綜合徵的折磨，緊張、煩躁、情緒不穩，每天吃兩次含藏紅花或安慰劑的膠囊，發現紅花類的藥物能夠明顯緩和症狀，其實在第一個週期就能見效。胡蘿蔔色調的香料是西班牙肉菜飯不可缺少的成分，自古以來就包治百病，無論是抑鬱煩悶低落沮喪還是肚子不舒服都可以治。每週安排一次小吃之夜，說不定不知不覺間就會有所改善，或是讓醫生給你開一點也行。美味小貼士：肉菜飯裏最受歡迎的食材是海鮮，ω-3脂肪酸也能減輕經前綜合徵的症狀——不只是心理方面的症狀，像焦慮、思想不集中，還能緩解腹脹、頭痛、乳房腫脹。

　　解壓--輕鬆過好每一天

While explaining stress management to an audience, the lecturer raised a glass of water and asked ‘How heavy is this glass of water?’ Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g.

The lecturer replied, “The absolute weight doesn’t matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you’ll have to call an ambulance. In each case, it’s the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.”

He continued, “And that’s the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won’t be able to carry on.”

“As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we’re refreshed, we can carry on with the burden.”

“So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down. Don’t carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow. Whatever burdens you’re carrying now, let them down for a moment if you can.”

Here are 5 simple ways to increase your peace of mind:

1. Do your most daunting task first thing in the morning

It’s tempting to start your day with easy tasks. Don’t. Pushing a daunting task back is like holding a glass of water in an outstretched arm. At first nothing happens, but if you do it for hours or even days, you will soon feel the stress. Do the most annoying task first thing in the morning, and enjoy increased productivity and peace of mind for the rest of the day.

2. Let go of things you don’t control

You make plans to go outside with friends. But at the last minute, it starts raining. What’s your reaction?

Some people upset and angry, and find the nearest person and start complaining to them. “It’s not FAIR that it’s raining. This _always_ happens to me!…”

That’s not going to accomplish anything - the rain won’t stop just because you throw a tantrum. *The rain doesn’t care.* So make the best of the situation. What I do in such situation is go for a quick walk in the park (because rain has its own awesomeness), or just lie in bed reading a good Terry Pratchett book, listening to the rain beating on my window.

Make the most of what you do control, and don’t worry about what you don’t.

3. Don’t worry about what others are thinking

I used to be very self-conscious about my dancing. I would rarely go out with my friends, and even if I did, I wouldn’t dance, instead just standing awkwardly by the side, because I was worried of what others would think.

Then, one day in high school, I decided that enough was enough. So the next time I went out with my friends, I just went to the dance floor, and danced like nobody was watching. And the funny thing was - nobody cared. In fact, people only liked me MORE, because I was having fun.

Don’t worry about what others are thinking of you - most likely they’re too busy wondering what others are thinking of them.

4. List 3 things you love about your situation right now

I first shared this technique with the Positivity Blog readers in my post The Plague of Happiness Ever After (it’s got a dragon and everything in it, read it!)

Just list 3 simple things about any part of your life that you love. Like “3 simple things I love about the room I’m in right now”, or “3 simple things I love about this week”, or anything else.

This is a great technique if you’re ever bored while stuck in traffic, or waiting in the grocery store checkout lane. You can immediately transform boredom into happiness and peace of mind!

5. Walk to a window, look outside, and take a single deep breath

I got this technique from the Zen master Mary Jaksch. Just walk to a window, look outside, and then take a single deep breath, focusing only on that breath and nothing else in the whole world. This technique sounds extremely simple, but you won’t believe how much it can instantaneously increase your peace of mind.

And because this is the last tip, you can try it immediately when you finish reading this blog post. Just walk to a window, look outside, and take a single deep breath, focusing on the air going in and out of your lungs, and nothing else.