How to Calm Your Anxiety, From a Neuroscientist | The Way We Work, a TED series

You know when you get that ambiguous email from your boss

翻译人员: Yip Yan Yeung 校对人员: Yanyan Hong

你知道老板 给你发了一封模棱两可的邮件，

and you start to feel sweaty palms

然后你的掌心开始出汗，

and that empty, freaked out sensation in your stomach?

身体里泛起空虚、 惊恐的那种感觉吗？

Welcome back, anxiety.

欢迎回来，焦虑。

Most of us think of anxiety as a bad thing,

很多人认为焦虑是个坏东西，

something to be avoided at all costs.

要不惜一切代价避免的东西。

But what if it weren't?

但如果它不是个坏东西呢？

What if you could take all of that energy racing around your brain and your body

如果你可以把驰骋于 你脑海和身体里的这些能量

and transform it into something helpful?

变成有用的东西，怎么样？

[The Way We Work]

[我们工作的方式]

Global anxiety levels,

全球焦虑水平，

both the clinical kind and what I call the everyday kind,

无论是临床诊断的那种， 还是我称之为“日常”的那种，

have increased tremendously in recent years.

近年来都在暴涨。

And many of us are noticing this at work.

很多人都在工作上发现了这一点。

We might think of anxiety as something

我们把焦虑看作

that we'd rather just leave on the side of the road if we could.

尽可能弃如敝履的东西。

But anxiety is an important tool that arose during our evolution

但是，焦虑是在我们的 进化过程中产生的重要工具，

that we use to avoid danger.

我们利用它来避免危险,

It's essential for our survival.

它对我们的生存至关重要。

So how come we don't even feel vaguely protected by it?

那我们为什么丝毫没有感觉到 它在保护我们呢？

It's because the volume of our individual and collective anxiety levels

这是因为我们个人和集体的焦虑水平

has been turned way up too high,

太高了，

and too much of even a potentially good thing like anxiety is bad.

高到像焦虑这样 可能有益的东西都有害了。

So I would like to share two powerful, science-based tools

我想分享两个基于科学的强大工具，

for turning down the volume on our anxiety

可以减少我们的焦虑，

and helping us get anxiety back to its helpful, protective state.

把焦虑调整到有益、 保护我们自己的状态。

And both of these tools begin by connecting with our bodies.

这两个工具都始于 与我们的身体产生联结。

Tool number one is breath work.

第一个工具：呼吸。

It's just simple, deep breathing.

就是很简单的深呼吸。

Slowly inhale and exhale.

缓缓吸气、呼气。

This can be one of the most immediate ways to calm anxiety,

这是缓和焦虑 最立竿见影的方法之一，

because deep breath directly activates

因为深呼吸直接激活了

the natural de-stressing part of our nervous systems

我们神经系统中自带的解压部位，

called the parasympathetic nervous system.

即“副交感神经系统”。

I recommend a boxed breathing approach,

我想推荐一种呼吸方法组合：

which is: inhale deeply on four counts,

深吸一口气，从一数到四，

hold at the top for four counts,

屏气四个数，

exhale deeply on four counts

深呼一口气，从一数到四，

and hold at the bottom for four counts.

屏气四个数。

You can even do this in the middle of any anxiety-provoking conversation,

你甚至可以在任何引发焦虑的 谈话中做这套动作，

and no one will even know.

没有人会发现的。

Lots of people,

很多人，

from ancient monks to modern meditators,

从古代的僧侣，到现代的冥想者，

have figured this tool out and use it all the time.

都想到了这个工具，且一直在使用它。

Tool number two: moving your body.

第二个工具：动起来。

This one also has immediate positive effects on your mood state,

这也会对你的心情 产生立竿见影的积极效果，

but for a different reason.

但原因不同。

Every time you move your body,

每运动一次，

you're releasing a whole bunch of beneficial neurochemicals

你的大脑都会释放 大量的有益神经化学物质。

in your brain.

These neurochemicals include dopamine,

这些神经化学物质包括多巴胺、

serotonin, noradrenaline and endorphins,

血清素、去甲肾上腺素和内啡肽，

mood and reward-boosting neurochemicals

这些都是增强情绪 和奖励的神经物质，

that work to both increase positive mood states

功效既能提升正面的情绪状态，

and decrease negative ones.

也可以降低负面的情绪。

I like to say that every single time you move your body,

我可以说你运动的每一下，

it's like giving yourself a wonderful bubble bath of neurochemicals

都可以让你的大脑沉浸在 美妙的神经物质泡泡浴中。

for your brain.

So when your boss's email comes in and your heart starts to race,

那当你收到老板的邮件， 心跳开始加速时，

what exactly can you do?

到底应该做些什么呢？

If you're in an office,

如果你在办公室里，

try taking a short walk around the block

绕着工区散散步，

or even to the supply closet for some sticky notes.

或者去文具柜里拿点便利贴。

If you're working from home,

如果你在家办公，

put on two of your favorite songs

播放两首你最喜欢的歌，

and dance around the living room like no one is watching.

在客厅里旁若无人地舞动一下吧。

Studies have shown that all it takes is ten minutes of walking

研究表明你只需要行走十分钟

to get those mood-boosting effects.

就能产生这种提升心情的效果。

But be creative with your movement session.

但是选择什么运动， 请你发挥创意。

Whether that's a quick session of power vacuuming a la Mrs. Doubtfire

无论是被截止日期搞得焦头烂额时，

像《窈窕奶爸》里的道特菲太太那样 用吸尘器猛吸一通，

when you’re stressed about a deadline

or doing a set of jumping jacks

或者做一组开合跳，

or getting off the elevator one floor early

还是在重要会议前 提前一层下电梯，

to do a power walk up that last flight of stairs

在最后几节台阶上暴走一下。

before an important meeting.

All of these possibilities will all help your anxiety levels come down.

这些操作都能降低你的焦虑水平。

In fact, I tested this effect on my own NYU students.

我其实在我纽约大学的学生身上 试了一下效果。

First, I had them take an anxiety assessment

首先，我让他们接受了焦虑测试，

before leading them in a movement session

然后带他们进行了一场运动，

that included movements from kickbox and dance

其中包括自由搏击、跳舞、

and yoga and martial arts

瑜伽、武术，

together with positive spoken affirmations.

再加上积极的肯定话语。

Then I had them retake that same anxiety assessment again.

然后我让他们再次接受了焦虑测试。

What happened?

结果如何？

After our movement session,

在运动之后，

their anxiety scores had decreased to normal levels.

他们的焦虑分数降低到了正常水平。

Now that's powerful, real-world example that you can use in your life today.

这可是个你能应用到眼前生活中的、 强有力的真实案例。

So make sure to incorporate these bursts of activity in your day,

一定要把时不时运动一下 融入你的生活日程，

and try one out next time you're feeling stress.

下次感到压力的时候试一试吧。

It can really make your anxiety feel less all-consuming.

这真的能让你不会因为焦虑 而感到身体被掏空。

Once you connect with your body

等你与身体产生了联结，

and turn the volume down on your anxiety,

减少了焦虑，

two important things will happen.

会发生两件重要的事。

First, when that email comes in,

第一，收到邮件的时候，

you'll be in a better position to evaluate

你就更能清晰地评估

what about it makes you anxious.

焦虑的来源。

Is it that you've taken on too much

是你看得太重了，

or that you feel insecure about a particular skill set?

还是对于某项技能缺少信心？

In other words,

换句话说，

you'll be able to use this emotion, anxiety,

你能利用这种情绪，即焦虑，

for exactly what it was evolved to do:

达成它在进化过程中 本该肩负的使命：

warn you about potential dangers so you can become aware of them

警告你可能会遇到的危险， 这样你知道了这件事，

and find ways to effectively and creatively address them

就能在日常生活中 寻找高效、有创意的

in your everyday life.

解决方式。

Second, once you find the warning signals in your anxiety,

第二，一旦你在焦虑中 识别出了警告的讯息，

you'll be able to communicate with others.

就能与其他人交流了。

You might seek out advice from a trusted colleague

真正遇到这个困难时， 你可以向信任的同事寻求建议。

when that difficult issue arises.

Or you might even have a conversation with your boss

你甚至可以和老板谈谈，

about how to prioritize projects.

聊一聊如何为项目的优先级排序。

Because you're no longer in fight-or-flight mode,

由于你不再处于 “战斗或逃跑”的状态，

asking for that support won't feel nearly as threatening.

寻求这样的支持 根本不会让你感觉受到了威胁。

And one of the best gifts of approaching your anxiety in this way

如此应对焦虑的一个好处是

is that you will be able to notice those telltale signs of anxiety

你可以从身边人身上

in everyone else around you,

看出焦虑的迹象，

especially those forms of anxiety you're most familiar with.

尤其是你最熟悉的 那几种焦虑的表现形式。

And what will that do?

这有什么作用呢？

That will allow you to give that person a smile or a kind word

这样你就能向那个人投以 一个微笑或者友善之辞，

to help them through that moment.

帮他们度过这个瞬间。

In other words,

换句话说，

your own form of anxiety can boost your personal super power of empathy.

你自己的焦虑能增强 你同理心的超级能力。

And I can't think of anything we need in this world today

我想不到如今世上有任何一样东西

more than higher levels of empathy for one another.

比互相共情更有必要。

Your take-home in all of this?

你学会了吗？

If you breathe,

当你呼吸、

move and take note of what your anxiety is signaling,

运动、记录下 焦虑在传达什么信息时，

you'll feel more fulfilled,

你就会更有满足感、

more creative, more connected

更有创意、更容易产生共鸣，

and less stressed overall.

整个人也会更放松。

And that's my wish for every one of us.

这就是我对每个人的祝愿。