想要身心健康：从改变情绪做起！

 　　Our emotional world has a remarkable¹ power to determine not only our mental health, but also how our physical well-being².

　　我们的情感世界有一种强大的力量，不仅决定我们的精神健康，还决定我们的身体健康。

　　Here are five positive emotions that have been shown to improve physical health and prevent disease.

　　以下这5种积极的情绪都表明能改善身体健康，预防疾病。

　　Optimism may protect the heart.

　　乐观能保护心脏。

　　想要身心健康：从改变情绪做起！

　　A growing body of research has suggested that cultivating this quality can have a protective effect on the heart. According to a 2012 review of literature, a number of studies have shown that people with optimistic personalities³ are at a reduced risk of cardiovascular events. Optimism's benefits for physical health also extend beyond heart health. Here are a few other ways that a sunny disposition⁴ may improve health outcomes, including improved immune system function and increased longevity⁵.

　　越来越多的身体方面的研究表明，培养乐观的心态对心脏有保护作用。回顾2012年的文献，很多研究都表明具有乐观性格的人患心血管疾病的风险降低了。乐观对身体健康的好处也不仅限于心脏健康，开朗的性情能改善几种健康状况，包括提高免疫机能，延长寿命。

　　Experiencing awe⁶ reduces inflammatory markers associated with autoimmune disease.

　　敬畏的心态能有助于减少与自身免疫疾病有关的炎症因子。

　　Research has shown that experiences of art, religion and philosophy are the most common experiences that evoke⁷ a sense of awe -- that sense of wonder and connection to something larger than ourselves.

　　研究表明，艺术、宗教和哲学的体验是最常见的能唤起敬畏感的体验——也就是惊奇感和与比自己更强大的事物的联系。

　　According to new research from the University of California at Berkeley, awe is not only pleasurable but also enormously beneficial for one's physical and mental health. The Berkeley study found that those who had recently experienced awe had lower levels of cytokines, inflammatory markers that, in chronically⁹ high levels, have been implicated¹⁰ in the development of autoimmune diseases, as well as other health problems including heart disease, Alzheimer's and depression. This suggests that awe promotes healthier levels of cytokines and may prevent disease.

　　根据加利福尼亚大学伯克利分校的新研究，敬畏不仅使人身心舒畅，而且对人的身心健康大有裨益。伯克利的这项研究发现，近期产生过敬畏心理的人细胞生长抑制素，也就是炎症因子的水平更低，炎症因子水平长期较高的话，就会造成自身免疫疾病和其他健康问题，包括心脏病、阿兹海默症和抑郁症。这表明敬畏可以促使细胞生长抑制素达到更健康的水平，以及预防疾病。

　　Compassion¹¹ and care for others can improve vagus nerve function.

　　同情关心别人能改善迷走神经功能。

　　Positive psychologist Barbara Frederickson has conducted research on the effects of lovingkindness meditation¹² (LKM), a traditional Buddhist¹³ practice that involves meditating¹⁴ on love and extending compassion to oneself and a progressively large group of others. Frederickson found just six weeks of LKM training to have a positive impact on the vagus nerve, which extends from the brain stem to the heart, helping¹⁵ to regulate emotions as well as bodily systems including the cardiovascular and digestive systems.

　　积极心理学家巴巴拉?弗雷德里克森研究了仁爱冥想（LKM）的效果,这是一种传统的佛教练习，是对爱的冥想，把同情延伸到自己身上，再逐渐扩展到更多其他人身上。弗雷德里克森发现仅6周的仁爱冥想训练就对迷走神经有积极影响，能从脑干传到心脏，有助于调节情绪和包括心血管和消化系统在内的身体系统。

　　Gratitude¹⁶ may also benefit heart health and immune system function.

　　感恩也有利于心脏健康和免疫系统功能。

　　Like optimism, an "attitude of gratitude" -- an appreciation¹⁷ and feeling of thankfulness for the blessings¹⁸ one has in life -- carries significant mental and physical health benefits. Gratefulness, like optimism, has been linked with improved immune health, and has also been shown to improve sleep quality. Gratitude may also improve health and well-being in a variety of ways insofar as it lowers stress levels -- stress being one of the main contributing factors to many chronic⁸ diseases.

　　像乐观的心态一样，“感恩的态度”——对生活中所拥有的眷顾的欣赏和感谢——对身心健康大有好处。感恩像乐观一样，可以改善免疫系统健康，也表明能提高睡眠质量。感恩还能在很多方面改善健康和幸福，因为它能帮助减压——压力是导致很多慢性病的主要因素之一。

　　Self-compassion improves health-related behaviors.

　　自我怜悯有助于改善与健康有关的行为。

　　People who cultivate kindness towards themselves are also kinder to their bodies, potentially helping them to prevent or manage a range of negative physical and mental health outcomes. A 2013 study published in the Personality and Social Psychology¹⁹ Bulletin examined the relationship between self-compassion, reactions to illness, and a range of health-related behaviors, finding that self-compassionate people sought medical attention sooner for symptoms that they were experiencing than people who were lacking in self-compassion. Self-compassionate people also tended to be less depressed²⁰ about health problems they were experiencing, and also to take a more proactive approach towards their own health.

　　对自己仁慈的人对自己的身体更仁慈，对预防或控制一系列消极的身心健康状况有潜在的帮助。2013年刊登在《个性与社会心理学公报》的一项研究测试了自我怜悯、对疾病的反应和一系列与健康有关的行为之间的关系，发现自我怜悯的人出现病症时会比缺乏自我怜悯的人更早地去看医生。自我怜悯的人对正遭受的健康问题也不那么沮丧，也会更积极地面对自己的健康。

1 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

2 well-being   

n.安康，安乐，幸福

参考例句：

• He always has the well-being of the masses at heart.他总是把群众的疾苦挂在心上。
• My concern for their well-being was misunderstood as interference.我关心他们的幸福，却被误解为多管闲事。

3 personalities   

n. 诽谤，（对某人容貌、性格等所进行的）人身攻击； 人身攻击；人格, 个性, 名人( personality的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There seemed to be a degree of personalities in her remarks.她话里有些人身攻击的成分。
• Personalities are not in good taste in general conversation.在一般的谈话中诽谤他人是不高尚的。

4 disposition   

n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署

参考例句：

• He has made a good disposition of his property.他已对财产作了妥善处理。
• He has a cheerful disposition.他性情开朗。

5 longevity   

n.长命；长寿

参考例句：

• Good habits promote longevity.良好的习惯能增长寿命。
• Human longevity runs in families.人类的长寿具有家族遗传性。

6 awe   

n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧

参考例句：

• The sight filled us with awe.这景色使我们大为惊叹。
• The approaching tornado struck awe in our hearts.正在逼近的龙卷风使我们惊恐万分。

7 evoke   

vt.唤起，引起，使人想起

参考例句：

• These images are likely to evoke a strong response in the viewer.这些图像可能会在观众中产生强烈反响。
• Her only resource was the sympathy she could evoke.她以凭借的唯一力量就是她能从人们心底里激起的同情。

8 chronic   

adj.(疾病)长期未愈的，慢性的；极坏的

参考例句：

• Famine differs from chronic malnutrition.饥荒不同于慢性营养不良。
• Chronic poisoning may lead to death from inanition.慢性中毒也可能由虚弱导致死亡。

9 chronically   

ad.长期地

参考例句：

• Similarly, any pigment nevus that is chronically irritated should be excised. 同样，凡是经常受慢性刺激的各种色素痣切勿予以切除。
• People chronically exposed to chlorine develop some degree of tolerance. 人长期接触氯气可以产生某种程度的耐受性。

10 implicated   

adj.密切关联的；牵涉其中的

参考例句：

• These groups are very strongly implicated in the violence. 这些组织与这起暴力事件有着极大的关联。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Having the stolen goods in his possession implicated him in the robbery. 因藏有赃物使他涉有偷盗的嫌疑。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

11 compassion   

n.同情，怜悯

参考例句：

• He could not help having compassion for the poor creature.他情不自禁地怜悯起那个可怜的人来。
• Her heart was filled with compassion for the motherless children.她对于没有母亲的孩子们充满了怜悯心。

12 meditation   

n.熟虑，（尤指宗教的）默想，沉思，（pl.）冥想录

参考例句：

• This peaceful garden lends itself to meditation.这个恬静的花园适于冥想。
• I'm sorry to interrupt your meditation.很抱歉，我打断了你的沉思。

13 Buddhist   

adj./n.佛教的，佛教徒

参考例句：

• The old lady fell down in adoration before Buddhist images.那老太太在佛像面前顶礼膜拜。
• In the eye of the Buddhist,every worldly affair is vain.在佛教徒的眼里，人世上一切事情都是空的。

14 meditating   

a.沉思的，冥想的

参考例句：

• They were meditating revenge. 他们在谋划进行报复。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics. 这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

15 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

16 gratitude   

adj.感激，感谢

参考例句：

• I have expressed the depth of my gratitude to him.我向他表示了深切的谢意。
• She could not help her tears of gratitude rolling down her face.她感激的泪珠禁不住沿着面颊流了下来。

17 appreciation   

n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨

参考例句：

• I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。
• I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。

18 blessings   

n.（上帝的）祝福( blessing的名词复数 )；好事；福分；因祸得福

参考例句：

• Afflictions are sometimes blessings in disguise. 塞翁失马，焉知非福。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We don't rely on blessings from Heaven. 我们不靠老天保佑。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

19 psychology   

n.心理，心理学，心理状态

参考例句：

• She has a background in child psychology.她受过儿童心理学的教育。
• He studied philosophy and psychology at Cambridge.他在剑桥大学学习哲学和心理学。

20 depressed   

adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的

参考例句：

• When he was depressed,he felt utterly divorced from reality.他心情沮丧时就感到完全脱离了现实。
• His mother was depressed by the sad news.这个坏消息使他的母亲意志消沉。