Have you ever noticed that when you are focused on something that is exciting, you can get by with less sleep and feel great? 你有没有留心过这种情况--当你集中精力于一件激动人心的事时，一天都不需要怎么睡觉也会感觉神清气爽？

At the same time, have you noticed that when you are discouraged and depressed, you feel worn out and can sleep forever? 同时，你有没有注意过下面这种情况呢：当你情绪低落或很沮丧的时候，你会感觉非常疲惫，可以睡上一整天？

It’s real simple. When you think about positive things, your energy levels rise and your attitude improves. 其实很简单--当你想一些正面的东西时，你的能量级会上升，你的心态也会改善；

When you think about negative things, your energy levels drop and your attitude deteriorates. 而当你脑中充斥着消极的事情时，你的能量级就下降，你的心态也会变糟。

As if your energy levels and attitude aren’t enough of a reason to focus on positive things,  因为如果你能力级和心态的改变还不足以说服你往好的方面想，那么这些好处应该够了吧--

there are many other benefits including being happier, experiencing less stress and anxiety, enjoying greater success, being more enjoyable to be around and living a longer, healthier life. 往积极方面想会让你变得更开心，能帮你减轻压力和焦虑，让你更有成就感，更愉快的人际关系以及更健康长寿。

While there will be times when bad things happen and controlling our emotions will be difficult,  然而，事情并不会总尽如人意，而当不如意之事发生时想要控制情绪可就没那么简单了。

99% of the negative things we experience on a daily basis are trivial and not worth the emotional drain that we allow ourselves to feel. 我们每天经历的负面事情中有99%都是鸡毛蒜皮的小事，并没必要大发雷霆，大动干戈。

As an example, how do you feel when these types of things happen 例如，你会怎么看待下面这些情况呢？

When you open the refrigerator door and something falls out and dumps all over the ground? 你打开冰箱时里面的东西掉出来洒了一地你会怎么办？

When you call a company with a problem and none of their voicemail options address your problem and you can’t get to an operator? 你向某公司投诉，他们的语音提示没有一条能帮上忙而你又无法接通话务员时，你怎么办？

When a car behind you gets right up on your butt? 你后面的车开得离你很近时，你怎么想？

When the child sitting at the table next to you won’t stop whining? 你邻桌的孩子不停在吵闹时，你怎么办？

When animals get into your trash and spread it all over the floor? 你的宠物钻到垃圾桶里然后弄得满地都是垃圾时，你怎么办？

When someone does not respond to your important email or text? 别人不回你重要的邮件或短信时，你有什么感觉？

When the airport security line is 45 minutes long? 在机场过安检要排队45分钟时，你怎么办？

When the car in front of you suddenly puts on the brakes to turn and never uses its turn signal? 你前面的车突然减速而且没有打转向灯就转弯时，你有什么感觉？

When the shopper in front of you is laughing and talking to the store clerk and no one seems to care that you are waiting? 购物付款排队时你前面的人和收银员谈笑风生，无视你的存在时，你会是什么心情？

When people throw trash out their car window? 人们往车窗外乱扔垃圾时，你怎么想？

When someone cuts you off while you are driving. 开车时被别人超车时，你什么心情？

When your food is delivered to your table cold and your waiter is nowhere to be found? 给你上的是冷菜，而又找不到给你上菜的人时，你心情会怎样？

When you notice a small tear in the new shirt you just purchased? 你发现新买的衬衣上有一个小洞时，你会是什么心情？

When people talk obnoxiously loud on their cell phone in public places? 公共场所有人旁若无人大声打电话时，你心情会怎样？

When you see parents screaming at their kids? 你看到父母向孩子大喊大叫时，你是什么心情？

Do I need to go on? 我还要往下说吗？

It’s inevitable. These types of things happen. When they do, we have a choice to make. We can either shrug them off or we can focus on them. 这些事情难免会发生。遇到这种情况时，我们是并非无计可施--可以选择无视，也可选择关注。

If you want to start taking control of your emotions, here are my top three tips. 如果你现在想开始控制自己的情绪，下面我给你推荐三大技巧。

1. Be aware of your emotions. For most of my life I would allow these types of things to aggravate me, and it all happened at the subconscious level. 1.留意你的情绪。在生活中，大部分时间我都会尽量避免上面那些事发生在我身上，但它们总是让人措不及防。

Now I am keenly aware of all the little things that impact my emotions throughout the day, and by being aware of them and understanding them, I am beginning to successfully control my emotional energy. 现在我强烈意识到了每天都是哪些鸡毛蒜皮小事在影响我，而且通过留意和理解这些事，我开始能够有效控制情绪能量。

2. Take control of how you respond. When things happen that frustrate or aggravate you, remind yourself that you, and you alone, are in control of your emotions. 2.控制好你处理这些事情得方式。当遇到让人沮丧或恼怒的情况，不要忘了只有你自己才是你情绪的主导。

You can choose to allow what’s happened to negatively impact you or you can choose not to. 你可以选择听之任之让负面影响在你身上蔓延，也可以反其道而行之。

When something starts to raise my blood pressure, I remind myself that how I feel is my choice. 每当遇到让人火冒三丈的事情，我就会提醒自己：你是自己情绪的主导。

While these types of things still affect me, the intensity of my reaction is far less severe. 而当我还是无法摆脱这些事的影响时，我的反应已经远远没有那么强烈了。

I find that within 15 seconds I can usually shrug off the things that use to aggravate me. 我发现现在我只需要十五秒就能摆脱以前那些让我受到百般折磨的事。

Often, I will say to myself, “Don’t let this upset you. What’s the right solution?” 我常对自己说：“不要为这种事心烦，什么是合适的解决方法？”

If the solution is just cleaning up the glass of juice I just spilled on the floor, then I just clean it up without any negative self-talk. 如果解决方法只是要清理掉刚刚洒在地上的果汁，我会毫无怨言地照做。

3. Change what you think about. One of the most important things to remember as you go through life is, where your attention goes, so goes your emotional energy. 3.改变你的想法。生活中最重要的事情之一就是要记住：你关注什么，你的情绪能量就会受到什么影响。

If I’m behind a car going 10 MPH under the speed limit, I will say,  当我前面的车被限速10英里/时，我会对自己说：

“Todd there is nothing you can do to change the driver in front of you, so back off, relax, take a deep breathe and wait patiently.” “你没法让前面的车加速，所以，倒车吧。放松，深呼吸，耐心等待。”

I will then immediately change my thoughts to something productive like a call I need to make or a project that needs my attention. 然后我会马上想到一些实际的事情，比如说，我有一个电话要打，或者有一项工程需要留心。

The next time you start to get frustrated about your co-worker who has a bad attitude, be grateful that it is not you that has the bad attitude and then, turn your attention to something more useful. 下次你再因为同事态度差而感到不爽，你要庆幸态度差的不是你，然后转移注意力，做一些更有用的东西。

I realize I just touched the tip of the iceberg on this important subject. 我知道对这个重要的话题，上面提到的只是冰山一角。

What types of things have worked for you in controlling your attitude and emotional energy? 在控制心态和情绪能量的时候，哪些方法对你有用呢？

Please share your insights in the comments section below this post on littlethingsmatter.com. 请在文章后面的评论框留言。

And in conclusion, remember, oftentimes it’s the small trivial things that we can’t do anything about that kills our attitude and zaps our emotional energy. 我们经常对一些鸡毛蒜皮的小事无能为力，就是这些事情让我的心态和情绪能量一团糟。

Take control of how you feel, by taking control of what you think about.. 改变想法，你就能控制好你的情绪...