Sabotage mental health有好方法

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想经常开心可能不太容易,但想不开心、危害自己的精神健康,就非常简单。 Amanda Gardner就教大家一些必然奏效的方法。

文章的标题是”12 Ways We Sabotage Our Mental Health”。 Sabotage是动词,解deliberately destroy, damage, or obstruct (something), especially for political or military advantage,蓄意破坏;例如︰The government’s computer network was sabotaged.(政府的电脑系统遭到蓄意破坏。)

别做运动 心怀怨恨

Saboteur是名词,解刻意破坏者;例如︰The damage to the building was the work of saboteurs.(建筑物的损毁是破坏者做的好事。)”12 ways we sabotage our mental health”,就是“12个损害精神健康的方法”。这些方法很有效,持之以恒去实践,当中一、两个都足以造成很大影响。最容易的是“别做运动”。为什么有效?

In addition to keeping your body in shape, physical activity plays a key role in propping up(撑住) mood; it can even help ease the symptoms of depression(情绪低落) and anxiety(焦虑). Regular exercise appears to have a positive effect on brain chemicals and mood-related hormones, and it may confer psychological benefits (such as increased confidence) that foster better mental health.

但若你想开心,不妨多做运动。不用贪心,开始时每天brisk walk(急步行)15、20分钟就可以,”even modest(有限的、不多的)exercise routines are associated with improved mood(心情)”。

另一个简易的方法是“缺乏睡眠”︰

Anyone who’s missed out on sleep thanks to a deadline or bawling infant(放声大哭的婴儿) is familiar with the irritability(易发怒), stress, and gloom(天昏地暗) that can set in the next day. If sleep deprivation(睡眠不足) and disturbances become chronic, they increase a person’s risk of developing depression or anxiety disorders.

Obsessive thinking是精神健康的破坏王。 Obsessive解痴迷的、执着的、难以释怀的︰

Turning the same thoughts over and over again in your mind sends your body and brain into the stressed-out state(非常焦虑的) known as fight or flight. Your breathing and heart rate quicken, and your body releases the stress hormones adrenaline(肾上腺素) and cortisol(皮质醇), all of which takes a toll on both your physical and emotional health.

Bottling up anger也很有效。 Bottle up解掩盖(情绪)、抑制(感情)。经常心怀怨恨,保持愤愤不平的心态,包保对心理有害︰

Anger and frustration are completely normal reactions to life’s inevitable challenges. But when you suppress those feelings and let your grudges(积怨) and grievances fester(化脓、健康恶化), it can backfire.
Perfectionism,吹毛求疵,过量饮酒、过量工作、做宅男或宅女;或social isolation,拒绝社交,自我封闭,都是危害心理健康的好方法。这些都是自己可以控制的生活方式和习惯,但我们偏偏就自找麻烦。难怪Amanda Gardner说︰”when it comes to mental health, our daily habits and patterns of thinking can be our own worst enemy”。

做对自己有害的事,叫self-defeating,亦即弄巧成拙的、不利于自己的。 Mark Goulston和Philip Goldberg合着的Get Out of Your Own Way: Overcoming Self-Defeating Behavior,教大家改变40种最常见的self-defeating习惯,包括procrastination(拖延)、envy(嫉妒)、self-pity(自怨自艾)等等。