2020年改善心理健康的五种方法

2020年改善心理健康的五种方法

The year 2020 kicks off under the shadow of international security threats, plus all the reasons we're stressed individually: work, health problems, life changes and more.

2020年在国际安全威胁的阴影下拉开帷幕，加上我们各自承受压力的所有原因:工作、健康问题、生活变化等等。

No wonder so many of us are anxious or depressed.

我们中的许多人会感到焦虑或沮丧也不足为奇。

But you can take scientifically validated steps to improve your mental outlook, and -- because the mind and body are entwined -- these behaviors also will improve your overall health.

但是，你可以采取一些经过科学验证的步骤来改善你的精神面貌，而且——因为精神和身体是交织在一起的——这些行为也会改善你的整体健康。

1. Practice optimism

积极乐观

Looking on the bright side of life really is good for you. Optimists have a35% less chance of having a heart attack or stroke, are more likely to eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly, have stronger immune systems; and even live longer. In fact, a 2019 studyfound people with the most positive outlook had the greatest odds of living to 85 or beyond.

看到生活光明的一面真的对你有好处。乐观主义者得心脏病或中风的几率低35%，更有可能吃健康的饮食和经常锻炼，免疫系统更强，甚至可以活得更久。事实上，2019年的一项研究发现，态度最积极的人活到85岁或85岁以上的几率最大。

Being an optimist doesn't mean you ignore the stress of daily life. Who can do that? It simply means that when crummy things happen, you don't blame yourself unnecessarily. If you face a challenge or obstacle, you're more likely to see it as temporary or even positive, allowing you to learn and grow.

做一个乐观主义者并不意味着你忽视日常生活的压力。谁能做到呢?它仅仅意味着当糟糕的事情发生时，你不必责备自己。如果你面临挑战或障碍，你更可能把它看作是暂时的，甚至是积极的，让你学习和成长。

2. Start volunteering

开始志愿服务

A prayer attributed to St. Francis of Assisi tell us, "It is in giving that we receive."

阿西西圣方济各的一段祷文告诉我们:“我们在给予中获得。”

Turns out he was scientifically right. Studies have shown that putting the well-being of others before our own without expecting anything in return, or what is called being altruistic, stimulates the reward centers of the brain. Those feel-good chemicals flood our system, producing a sort of "helper's high."

事实证明他在科学上是正确的。研究表明，将他人的幸福置于自己的幸福之上而不期望任何回报，或者称为利他主义，会刺激大脑的奖励中心。那些感觉良好的化学物质充斥着我们的系统，产生一种“帮助者的快感”。

There are physical benefits, too: Studies show volunteering minimizes stress and improves depression. It can reduce the risk for cognitive impairment. It can even help us live longer.

这对身体也有好处:研究表明，志愿活动可以将压力降至最低，改善抑郁。它可以降低认知障碍的风险。它甚至可以帮助我们活得更久。

3. Be grateful

心存感激

We heard a lot about the benefits of thankfulness in the last decade, and that is backed by science: Counting our blessings protects us against anxiety and depression and boosts optimism.

在过去的十年里，我们听到了很多关于感恩的好处，这是由科学所支持的：计算我们的祝福可以保护我们免受焦虑和抑郁的影响，并能促进乐观。

One of the best ways to make thankfulness a part of your life, say experts, is to keep a daily journal. Before you go to bed, jot down any positive experience you had that day, no matter how small.

专家说，让感恩成为你生活的一部分的最好方法之一就是每天写日记。在你上床睡觉之前，记下你当天的积极经历，无论多小。

4. Bolster your social connections

加强你的社会联系

"People who are more socially connected to family, to friends, to community, are happier, they're physically healthier, and they live longer than people who are less well connected," said Harvard psychiatrist Robert Waldinger in his popular TEDx talk.

哈佛大学精神病学家罗伯特·瓦尔丁格在他著名的TEDx演讲中说:“与家庭、朋友和社区有更多社会联系的人更快乐，身体更健康，也更长寿。”

5. Find your purpose

找到你的目标

Finding a sense of purpose contributes greatly to well-being and a longer, happier life, experts tell CNN.

专家告诉CNN，找到目标感对幸福感和更长久、更幸福的生活有很大的帮助。

If your sole duty is to achieve the best for yourself, life becomes just too stressful, too lonely -- you are set up to fail. Instead, you need to feel you exist for something larger, and that very thought takes off some of the pressure.

如果你唯一的责任就是让自己做到最好，生活就会变得压力太大、太孤独——你注定会失败。”相反，你需要感觉到你是为了某种更大的东西而存在的，而这种想法会减轻一些压力。