美文选刊｜减压六招（上）

6 Things Anyone Can Do to Greatly Lower Their Stress Levels (I)

快速减缓压力的六种方法（上）

文/加雷思·劳埃德

译/许效礼

By Gareth Lloyd

The feeling is one of sickening familiarity. A tightening in your chest. Beads of sweat spilling off your skin. An aggressive buzzing in your brain that feels like someone has stuffed a disturbed hornets' nest inside your head. It's one of the most overwhelming emotions that every single human is forced to contend with almost on a daily basis. Panic, anxiety, and helplessness all violently crammed into one unpleasant little parcel: the sensation of stress.

那感觉是熟悉的，很难受：胸部发紧，汗珠渗出皮肤，大脑嗡嗡响得厉害，觉得就像有人把捅了的蜂窝塞进了脑袋。这是每个人几乎每天都要被迫与之抗争、又最难以抗拒的情绪之一。惊惧、焦虑、无助，都被疯狂塞进了这个烦人的小包裹：压力感。

No one is exempt or safe from this exhausting emotion. Not even that happy-go-lucky chap you see strolling down the street whistling “Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life”. Even he will succumb to the overpowering thud of stress from time to time. Whilst it may be of no solace to hear that you're not the only one who occasionally feels like their head may explode, the fact that everyone has stressful episodes remains a valid point. Stress, whichever way you look at it, is part of the human condition. If there's one thing humans are good at, it's finding ways to deal with the issues the body can create, and make life easier for ourselves as a result.

面对这种让人心力交瘁的情绪，无人可以幸免或安然无恙。甚至你眼中那些无忧无虑的人也概莫能外，别看他们悠闲地走在街上，嘴里吹着《乐观生活》的口哨。偶感头痛欲裂不止你一人，也许这不能让你宽心，不过每个人都尝过压力发作的滋味却是不争的事实。无论从哪方面看，压力都是人体状态之一。如果说人在某件事上可以有所作为的话，那就是为身体会出现的问题寻找应对之策，从而让自己活得轻松。

Stress is so common that many people choose to ignore it, knowing it will ease up by the time they hit the hay. Without apposite management, stress can manifest itself into something much more serious. Listed here are 6 proven ways to cope with stress, allowing you to continue living your life in a healthy, happy manner.

许多人对压力司空见惯，以至于选择不予理睬，觉得睡着了自然就轻松了。如果处置不当，压力导致的后果会严重得多。下面列举了六种已经得到验证的应对压力的方法，可以让你健康愉快地生活下去。

1

Breathe

呼吸

The stress-relief technique that pretty much everyone's heard of, the act of breathing nonetheless remains an important point as any when it comes to cooling down the angry blood that's raging around your body. Taking a long, deep breath to calm yourself in stressful situations isn't just one of those old wives' tales6 that your grandmother used to swear by—it's medically proven to be beneficial.

说到由怒火中烧转为冷静如常，深呼吸这种减压方法的重要性几乎尽人皆知，其效果依然不亚于任何方法。压力大时深深吸一口气能让自己平静下来，这绝不是奶奶迷信过的无稽之谈——它的裨益医学上已经证明。

Slow, deep breathing distracts the mind from whatever else might be going on, and actively lowers the bubbling blood that's brought on by stress. What's more, cortisol—a hormone released in the body in response to stress—is significantly lowered after taking long inhalations of fresh air, allowing your brain and body to return to their normal functions. It may sound strange, but practicing breathing can help you to build up a tolerance towards the impact that stress has on your life. By partaking in yoga sessions, engaging in frequent breathing exercises, and meditating, you can train your body to become one big relaxation machine—counteracting the horrid effects when Mr Stress comes a-calling.

不管眼下发生什么事，缓缓深吸一口气都能转移注意力，有效缓解压力导致的情绪亢奋。此外，皮质醇是人体为应对压力释放的一种荷尔蒙，其水平在深吸新鲜空气后会显著降低，使身心恢复正常功能。听来可能奇怪，但是呼吸确实有助于增强人应对压力对自身生活影响的耐受力。学习瑜伽课程，多进行呼吸练习、冥想，就能把自己的身体训练成一台大的放松机器—— 抵消“压力先生”造访的可怕影响。

2

Write

写作

Stress can build up in anyone who is left to their own thoughts for too long. Without a frequent source of release, the mind can become clouded with concern, panic, and extreme frustration. Humans weren't meant to be left to their own imaginations.

任何人，长时间听任内心杂念摆布，压力便会在体内积聚起来。如果经常不得释放，心灵便会为忧虑、惊恐和极度的挫败感所笼罩。人不应该被自己的杂念控制。

Instead of allowing a bewildering jumble of thoughts and ideas to bump around inside your head, let them tumble out onto your computer keyboard or note-pad instead. Type away at your desk and channel your emotions into your hard-drive. Scribble your feelings onto a piece of paper. They don't even have to make sense. Just punch away at your computer on a day-to-day basis for five or ten minutes, and you might be surprised at how light, airy and carefree you feel afterwards.

与其任由一堆乱七八糟、莫名其妙的念头在自己脑海中七上八下，不如将其倾注到电脑键盘或笔记本上。伏案码字吧，将情感传输到硬盘上， 将自己的感觉草草写在一页纸上。写的内容甚至不必有什么意义。每天在电脑前敲击五到十分钟，或许你会惊异于自己此后的感觉竟如此轻松愉快、无忧无虑。

（选自《英语世界》2017年第12期）

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