10个让你快乐起来的科研发现

1. 尝试「重启」锻炼

Britons with mental health conditions could face delays of up to a year before accessing professional help, according to new research. But studies show that many enjoyable leisure activities are just as effective as psychotherapy or medication, especially if they involve exercise. This generates a surge of new neurons in the hippocampus, the area of the brain responsible for emotion, say researchers at King’s College London.

一项最新研究显示，具有精神健康问题的英国人在获得专业帮助之前，可能会拖延长达一年时间。但该研究表明，许多愉快的休闲活动也可以与心理治疗或药物治疗一样有效，特别是当这些活动涉及锻炼时。伦敦大学国王学院的研究人员表示，锻炼会促使海马体中生成一波新的神经元，而人脑中的这一区域负责掌控情绪。

2 COMPETITION IS THERAPY

2. 竞争就是治疗

Playing football boosts self-confidence and happiness. A 2017 Scottish study found that playing the beautiful game boosted mood and self-confidence in psychiatric patients due to the competitive element which, researchers say, encourages confidence.

踢足球可以提升自信与幸福感。2017年，苏格兰的一项研究发现，由于竞争要素的存在，这种美好的运动可以提升精神病患者的情绪与自信。

3 KNITTING BEATS DEPRESSION

3. 编织战胜抑郁

Knitting twice weekly eases stress, low mood and anxiety, according to a review of 15,000 people. It distracts us from mental or physical pain, evoking a state of relaxation that also lowers blood pressure.

根据15000人的反馈，每周展开两次编织活动可以减少压力、低沉与焦虑。编织会分散我们的精神或身体疼痛，唤醒人体的放松状态，同时降低血压。

4 YOU’RE HEALTHIER AMONG THE WEEDS

4. 你在草丛中会更健康

Studies show that gardening reduces suicidal thoughts in those with depression by up to 20 per cent.

一项研究表明，园艺可以减少抑郁症患者高达20%的自杀念头。

5 FOREST THERAPY REDUCES ANXIETY

5. 森林疗法可减少焦虑

Exploring nearby greenery, a pastime known as ‘forest bathing’, encourages calm. National University of Taiwan researchers found just 48 hours in a forest reduced anxiety, exhaustion and hostility in 16 middle-aged women.

探索附近的绿地，去享受一种被称为「森林浴」的消遣，这样有助于回归平静。台湾大学的研究人员发现，只需在森林中待上48小时，就能减少16名中年妇女的焦虑、疲惫与敌意。

6 BOOST BODY CONFIDENCE IN AN ART CLASS

6. 艺术课提升身体自信

Life-drawing classes featuring nude models could improve amateur artists’ confidence by increasing body appreciation and decreasing body dissatisfaction. An Anglia Ruskin University study of 138 art students showed that life-drawing sessions helped them offset media depictions of ‘idealised’ bodies.

以裸体模特为主题的人体素描课程可以通过提高自我身体欣赏与减少自我身体不满来提升业余艺术家的自信心。安格利亚鲁斯金大学一项针对138名艺术生的研究表明，人体素描课程帮助这些学生抵消了媒体对于「理想化」身体的描绘。

7 WALKING TO WORK STOPS YOU OVER-THINKING

7. 走路上班以免想太多

Walking to work instead of driving lowers depression risk, say Stanford University researchers, whose study concluded that drivers regularly stuck in traffic for 90 minutes or more had greater incidence of worrying and rumination than pedestrians.

斯坦福大学的研究人员表示，步行上班而非驾驶可降低抑郁风险。他们在研究后得出的结论是：经常堵车90分钟或更长时间的驾驶者会比行人更容易烦躁与​反刍(译者注：反刍是指经历负性事件后，对事件、自身消极情绪状态及其可能产生的原因和后果进行反复而被动的思考)。

8 BAKING SOOTHES STRESS

8. 烘烤舒缓压力

Baking a cake or preparing dinner for a loved one increases happiness, a study of 650 people in Australia discovered. Baking is thought to be beneficial due to the ‘mindful’ actions involved, such as measuring ingredients, that distract from troubling thoughts.

澳大利亚一项针对650人的研究发现，为喜欢的人烘焙蛋糕或准备晚餐可以提升幸福感。烘焙之所以被视为有益，是因为其所涉及的「谨慎」行为，例如测量配料，这些行为会分散令人不安的想法。

9 A FURRY FRIEND MAKES YOU HAPPY

9. 毛茸茸的伙伴会令你快乐

People who live alone have a better quality of life if they have a pet. A review of 17 studies in BMC Psychiatry found a surge in neural activity related to happiness in pet owners’ brains when they stroked or talked to the animals. It’s all down to oxytocin, the so-called ‘love hormone’ that promotes bonding.

如果有宠物的话，独居者的生活质量会更高。《BMC Psychiatry》期刊上一项针对17项研究的回顾发现，当宠物主人抚摸宠物或与其交谈时，宠物主人大脑中与快乐相关的神经活动就会激增。其本质则取决于催产素，即所谓促进结合的「爱情激素」。

10 MUSIC EQUALS PLEASURE

10. 音乐等于愉悦

Joining a choir or listening to live music can arouse feelings of euphoria as it triggers the release of a ‘reward’ hormone in the brain known as dopamine. Young music fans who frequently listened to music they enjoyed were less likely than non-music fans to be diagnosed with a mental health condition, according to an Australian study.

加入合唱团或倾听现场音乐都可以引发愉悦感，因为这样会触发大脑中称为多巴胺的「奖励」激素。澳大利亚一项研究表明，相比于对音乐不感冒的人，经常听喜欢音乐的年轻乐迷更不太可能被诊断出心理健康问题。