Life Style: Boost Your Feeling by Eight Strategies　30分钟迅速快乐法则

◎ Gretchen Rubin

Maybe you’re feeling down because of the financial crisis. Maybe you’re feeling overwhelmed by holiday tasks. Or maybe you are just having a lousy day.
If so, you can make yourself happier—right now. In the next thirty minutes, check off as many of the following items as possible. Each one will lift your mood, as will the mere fact that you’ve tackled and achieved some concrete goals; by doing so, you boost your feelings of self-efficacy, which can boost happiness.
1. Boost your energy
Stand up and pace while you talk on the phone or, even better, take a brisk ten-minute walk outside. Research shows that when people move faster, their metabolism speeds up, and the activity and sunlight are good for your focus, your mood, and the retention of information. Plus, because of “emotional contagion”, if you act energetic, you’ll help the people around you feel energetic, too.
2. Count your blessings
Take ten minutes to think about all the things in your life that are going right, about all the things that other people do to help you, about all the things that you’re thankful for. In the tumult of everyday life, it’s very easy to focus on the negative and to lose sight of what really matters.
3. Reach out to friends
Make a lunch date or send an email to a friend you haven’t seen in a while. Having warm, close bonds with other people is the key to happiness, so take the time to stay in touch. Somewhat surprisingly, socializing boosts the moods not only of extroverts, but also of introverts.
4. Perform an action that reflects your values
Do you think organ donation is a good idea? Sign up online to be one yourself; it takes less than a minute. Worried about climate change? Refill your water bottle from the tap instead of buying a couple of bottles throughout the day. The first splendid truth holds that to work on happiness, we should think about feeling good, feeling bad, and feeling right, in an atmosphere of growth. Living up to your values will help you “feel right”.
5. Rid yourself of a nagging task
Answer a difficult email, do an errand you’ve been putting off, or call to make that dentist’s appointment. Crossing an irksome chore off your to-do list will give you a big rush of energy and relief.
6. Create a calmer environment
Clear some physical and mental space around yourself by sorting papers, pitching junk, cleaning a closet, answering a few emails, filing, or even just making your piles neater. A large stack of little tasks can feel overwhelming, but often just a few minutes of work can make a sizeable dent. Try to get in the habit of using the “one minute rule”—i.e., never postpone any task that can be completed in less than one minute. And always make your bed in the morning!
7. Lay the groundwork for some future fun
Order a book you’ve wanted to read (not something you think you should read) or plan an excursion to a museum, hiking trail, sporting event, gardening store, movie theater—whatever sounds like fun. Studies show that having fun on a regular basis is a pillar of happiness, and anticipation is an important part of that pleasure. Try to involve friends or family, as well; people enjoy almost all activities more when they’re with other people than when they’re alone.
8. Do a good deed
Make an email introduction of two people who could help each other, or set up a blind date, or shoot someone a piece of useful information or gratifying praise. Do well, feel good—this really works. Also, although we often believe that we act because of the way we feel, in fact, we often feel because of the way we act. When you act in a friendly way, you’ll strengthen your feelings of friendliness for other people.
What other strategies have you tried to give yourself a happiness boost?


也许你正因为金融危机而情绪低落。也许你正因为假期的工作而感觉压力太大。或者也许你今天恰恰诸事不顺。
如果真是如此的话，你应该让自己快乐起来——马上。在接下来的30分钟里，尽可能按照下列几项中说的去做。每一项都会让你的心情好一点，就好像你真的解决了具体问题，完成了具体目标似的。这种做法可以提高你的自我效能感，提升你的幸福指数。
1．打起精神
煲电话粥时站起来走动走动，能到户外轻快地散步10分钟则更好。研究表明，当人快速运动时，新陈代谢会加快。而且，户外活动和阳光有助于你精力集中，情绪变好，记忆力增强。另外，由于“情绪感染”，如果你表现得精力充沛，那么你周围的人也会感到精力充沛。
2．数数你的幸福
花10分钟想想生活中所有顺当的事，想想别人对你的所有帮助，想想所有让你心存感激的事。在日常生活的纷扰中，人很容易想到消极的事情，看不见真正重要的东西。
3．联络朋友
如果有段日子没见某个朋友，不妨约个饭局或发封电子邮件。与他人保持温馨紧密的联络是幸福的关键，所以，要花时间保持联系。多多少少令人惊讶的是，社交活动不仅能提高外向型人的情绪，对内向型人同样有效。
4．实施一件能体现自我价值的事
你支持器官捐献吗？那就在网上报名成为一名捐献者吧，这要不了一分钟的时间。担心气候改变吗？那就用直接喝自来水来代替一天买好几瓶瓶装水吧。人生第一个辉煌的真理是：为了幸福，我们应该把感觉良好、感觉不好、感觉舒服都当成是成长过程中必不可少的组成部分。按自己的价值观生活会让你“感觉舒服”。
5．解决一件棘手的事
回一封困难的电子邮件，处理一件你一直拖延的事情，或打电话给牙医进行预约。解决掉很多烦心事中的一件，就会让你突然浑身是劲，心情轻松。
6．创造更加平静的环境
把文件分门别类，倒倒垃圾，清理一下储物间，回几封电邮，整理整理档案，甚至只是让文件堆放得更整洁一些。很多繁琐的小事情加在一起会让人没了头绪，感到困难，但是，常常只需几分钟，就可能解决掉很大一部分。要努力养成利用“一分钟规则”的习惯，即决不把任何不到一分钟就可以解决的事情拖后。还有，每天早上要整理床铺！
7．为未来的快乐作铺垫
订购一本你想读的书（不是那种你认为你应该阅读的书）或者计划去游览博物馆，去徒步旅行，去看体育比赛、去园艺店，去电影院——只要听着很有趣，去哪儿都行。研究显示：定期娱乐一下是幸福的基础，而期待是这种快乐感的一个重要组成部分。还有，要尽量邀上朋友或家人一起去。任何的活动，只要跟其他人在一起，感觉都会比自己单独一人时更好。
8．做一件好事
用电邮介绍两个互相能帮上忙的人认识，或者安排一次相亲，或给某人提供一条有用的信息或动听的夸赞。做好事会让人心情好——绝对有效。而且，虽然我们常常认为行为是随着感觉走的，但事实上，我们的感觉常常是受行为影响的。当你行为友善时，你对别人的友善感就会增强。
你还尝试过其他让自己快乐的方法吗？