緊緊抓住自己的快樂

抑郁往往源自于我們無法控制的因素，譬如痛失愛人、失業或者財務困境等。但你可能沒有意識到，你每天做的小選擇也可能影響你的情緒。你的社交媒體習慣、健身習慣甚至步行的方式，都可能在不知不覺中，影響你每天的快樂心情。幸運的是，這些行為是可以改變的。下文列出了破壞好心情的12種行為，以及如何做出改變。

走路的時候無精打采

《行為治療和實驗精神病學雜志》發表的一篇研究論文稱，我們的感受會影響走路的方式，但反之亦然。研究人員發現，當研究對象被要求走路時耷拉著肩，彎腰駝背，并最大程度減少胳膊移動時，他們的情緒會比那些以更有活力的姿勢行走的人要糟糕。而且走路時低頭垂肩的參與者，記住的負面信息多于正面信息，總是會說一些令人沮喪的話。

現在讓自己開心起來：抬起下巴，向后轉動肩膀，保持積極的態度。

任何東西都要拍照

Instagram上的網紅們要聽好了。《心理科學》發表的一篇研究論文認為，隨意地拍照片，會影響你對這些時刻的記憶。在研究中，參與者們參觀了博物館，觀察了一些展品，并拍攝了另外一些展品的照片。之后，相比觀察過的展品，他們很難記住拍攝過照片的那些物品。華盛頓州肯莫爾的巴斯帝爾大學心理咨詢與健康心理學系主任兼副教授、心理學博士迪亞德拉·L·克萊表示：“鏡頭是遮在我們眼前的一層面紗，但我們卻并沒有意識到它的存在。”

現在讓自己開心起來：在拍照時專注于拍攝對象，或者更好的選擇是坐回去，盡情享受美好時光。感受周圍的美，參與到活動當中。克萊認為，這些事情將讓你在精神上變得更加強大。

讓霸凌者占你的便宜

霸凌不會隨著你離開學校而結束。據職場霸凌協會統計，約有5,400萬名工作者或美國雇員的35%，在職業生涯中的某個時刻曾經成為霸凌的目標。心理治療師艾琳·K·萊納德博士表示，超過70%的人曾親眼見過職場霸凌。萊納德博士還是《情感恐怖主義：打破有毒的關系鏈》一書的作者。 “一個人的自豪感和自尊心持續遭到惡意攻擊，后果是毀滅性的。它讓令你的情緒變得反復無常，甚至很難讓自己起床去上班。”

現在讓自己開心起來：職場霸凌協會建議，首先去看醫生，談談自己的身體和精神健康。然后，在你認真記錄下盡可能多的交流內容后，遵照該組織建議的三步驟行動方案。

從不進行體育鍛煉

想想下面這種情況：據《美國醫學會雜志· 精神病學》中發表的一項最新研究顯示，如果每周有三次讓自己變得更加活躍，心情抑郁的風險就會降低19%。倫敦大學學院的研究人員對1958年之后出生的超過11,000人進行了持續跟蹤，直到他們50歲為止，并且按照固定的時間間隔記錄下他們的抑郁癥狀和體育活動水平，結果他們發現了體育活動與抑郁之間的相互關系。抑郁的人更不愿意進行體育活動，而熱愛運動的人出現抑郁癥狀的幾率更低。事實上，他們每次運動的時候，抑郁風險就會下降6%。

現在讓自己開心起來：走出家門，讓自己運動起來。不需要運動太長的時間，如果可以的話步行完成一些跑腿的工作或者走樓梯等，任何一種運動都能幫助你的大腦保持運轉。

你有拖延癥

想想你一直拖著不去做的一項任務。如果拖延的理由是因為它很無聊，或者你只是不想去做，對此我們無能為力。但如果你避免去做這項任務的原因，是它讓你感到緊張，或者因為你害怕失敗，這時候拖延只會讓這項任務變得更傷腦筋。

現在讓自己開心起來：在你最終決定義無反顧地解決問題之前，首先做一些能夠緩解壓力的事情：萊納德建議參加一些能夠緩解緊張情緒的活動，比如聽聽音樂，跑跑步等。這樣一來，你可以為這件事增添一些樂趣，而不是壓力。

處在有害的關系當中

萊納德說道：“有許多客戶飽受焦慮和抑郁的折磨，卻并沒有意識到這種痛苦源自于他們所處的有害的關系。這種關系在不斷侵蝕他們的自尊。他們的配偶讓他們相信自己是無能的，或者是自私的。有時候，人們要用幾年的時間才會發現，他們的抑郁和焦慮來自于他們的人際關系，這種關系已經讓他們的內心變得支離破碎。”

現在讓自己開心起來：這方面，你可能需要尋求幫助。首先，仔細尋找有哪些跡象表明你的配偶正在虐待你。然后咨詢專業人士、家庭成員或好朋友，請求他們來辨認這些跡象。

你的人生過于嚴肅

你走在人行道上，被地上的裂縫絆了一跤，但你并沒有聳聳肩一笑而過，而是尷尬地想要退縮。如果你屬于這種情況，你應該想辦法讓自己多笑笑。萊納德表示：“許多研究表明，笑聲對健康很有好處，包括精神健康。笑聲是快速治愈焦慮和抑郁的良藥。”

現在讓自己開心起來：每天尋找幽默。看一部搞笑的電視劇，聽聽天狼星廣播電臺Laugh USA頻道的節目，或者與能讓你開心的朋友共度時光。你還可以參加照顧孩子的志愿者活動，他們真的是童言無忌，會說出一些令人難以置信的話。

不睡覺。

克萊表示：“睡眠會帶來各方面的影響。比如情緒和精神能力，以及身體的機能等等。睡眠是人體充電的一種方式，沒有了睡眠，人體就會出現問題。”確定你到底需要多少睡眠。

現在讓自己開心起來：搞清楚你為什么不睡覺，然后按部就班地創造一種安靜的環境。

你從不獨處

在孩子、工作、婚姻和其他活動的包圍下，你找不到獨處的時間（把自己鎖在衛生間里可不算數）。萊納德強調了找時間獨處的重要性，不論是10分鐘，一個小時還是一天。萊納德表示，如果不拿出時間來為自己做一些事情，抑郁和焦慮的情緒就會慢慢滋生。

現在讓自己開心起來：預約一段屬于你自己的時間。更重要的是，要遵守約定。

不與他人進行真正的對話

如果你主要用短信、Facebook或其他社交媒體與朋友們保持聯系，你們之間并沒有進行有意義的接觸 — 每天早上跟星巴克的咖啡師聊天可不算。克萊認為：“Facebook頁面是娛樂性的工具。但它們并不是真正的對話，不能讓我們去了解一個人。相反，它會減弱我們的體驗和感受。”加州圣地亞哥的行為科學導師米歇爾·曼特爾博士也認同這種觀點。曼特爾表示：“個人電子產品（如智能手機）也會影響專注力和對即時滿足感的需求，讓我們產生按下一個按鍵即可瞬間取得聯系的預期。我們還學會了不再進行面對面的交流，而是只在虛擬世界中保持聯系。而這會讓我們與其他人坐在同一個房間里，進行面對面對話的能力和興趣都受到影響。”

現在讓自己開心起來：克萊表示：“在生命終結的那一刻，粉絲數量多少并不重要。重要的是你的朋友們。”保證每周至少安排一次與朋友、家人或伴侶的約會。

沒有手機無法生活

上一次完全遠離電子設備是什么時候？不記得了？這不是好現象。克萊表示：“我們使用的所有設備，似乎在給我們帶來過度的刺激。如果我們總是不斷接受刺激，就永遠得不到真正地休息，無法給身體和精神充電。”最終便會形成抑郁或焦慮。

現在讓自己開心起來：設定一個電子產品“安息日”，每周一次戒掉所有電子設備，即使只有半天時間。

一心多用

我們都有一心多用的問題：我們在吃午飯的時候，一邊翻看著Facebook信息，一邊看電視，同時還在不斷發著短信。研究顯示，雖然許多人認為進行多任務處理的效率更高，但事實上并非如此 — 這樣做只會讓我們焦慮不安，忘掉周圍的環境，無法有效溝通。

現在讓自己開心起來：其實很簡單：放下手機，關上電視，專注于眼前的事情和周圍人或事。讓大腦處理實時發生在你身上的事情（而且不要把事情告訴你的社交媒體粉絲們），或許是對精神健康最好的做法。（財富中文網）

譯者：劉進龍/汪皓

Hang on to your happiness

Depression is usually brought on by factors beyond our control—the death of a loved one, a job loss, or financial troubles. But the small choices you make every day may also affect your mood more than you may realize. Your social media habits, exercise routine, and even the way you walk may be sucking the happiness out of your day, and you may not even know it. Luckily, these behaviors can be changed. Read on for 12 ways you’re sabotaging your good moods, and what you can do to turn it around.

You slouch when you walk

How we feel can affect the way we walk, but the inverse is also true, finds a study published in the Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry. Researchers found that when subjects were asked to walk with shoulders slouched, hunched over, and with minimum arm movements, they experienced worse moods than those who had more pep in their steps. What’s more, participants who walked in the slouchy style remembered more negative things rather than positive things. Talk about depressing.

Get happy now: Lift your chin up and roll your shoulders back to keep your outlook on the positive side.

You take pictures of EVERYTHING

Instagram queens, listen up. Haphazardly snapping pictures may hamper how you remember those moments, according to a study published in Psychological Science. In the study, participants took a museum tour, observing some objects and snapping pics of others. Afterward, they had a harder time remembering the items they photographed compared with the ones they looked at. “The lens is a veil in front of your eyes and we don’t realize it’s there,” says Diedra L. Clay, PsyD, chair and associate professor of the counseling and health psychology department at Bastyr University in Kenmore, Wash.

Get happy now: Focus on your subjects when taking pictures—or, better yet, just sit back and enjoy yourself. Soak up the beauty and participate in the action. These are the things that will make you mentally stronger, says Clay.

You’re letting a bully get the best of you

Bullying doesn’t end when you leave school. Approximately 54 million workers, or 35% of U.S. employees, are targeted by a bully at some point in their careers, according to the Workplace Bullying Institute. More than 70% of people have witnessed a workplace bully, says Erin K. Leonard, PhD, a practicing psychotherapist and author of the book, Emotional Terrorism: Breaking the Chains of a Toxic Relationship. “Being attacked maliciously in the place of pride and self-esteem continuously, it can be devastating. It makes you emotional volatile so that it is even difficult to get up and go work.”

Get happy now: The Workplace Bullying Institute recommends you first make an appointment with your doctor to discuss your physical and mental health. Then, after you’ve carefully documented as many of your interactions as possible, follow the organization’s three-step action plan.

You don’t exercise

Consider this: If you become more active three times a week, your risk of being depressed decreases 19%, according to a new study in JAMA Psychiatry. After following more than 11,000 people born in 1958 up until the age of 50, and recording depressive symptoms and levels of physical activity at regular intervals, University College London researchers found a correlation between physical activity and depression. People who were depressed were less likely to be active, while those who were active were less likely to be depressed. In fact, for every time they were active, depression risk decreased 6%.

Get happy now: Just get out and move. It doesn’t need to be for long—walking to errands if possible, taking the stairs—but any activity will help keep your mind moving.

You procrastinate

Think about a task you’ve been putting off. If the reason is because it’s boring or you just don’t feel like doing it, well, we can’t help you there. But if you’re avoiding the task because it makes you anxious or because you’re afraid of failing, then procrastinating just makes completing it more nerve-wracking.

Get happy now: Before you finally tackle your problem head-on, do something that helps you ease stress: listen to music, go for a run, Leonard suggests engaging in an activity that helps disintegrate the anxiety. This way you can insert a bit of fun into it, instead of stress.

You’re in a toxic relationship

“I have many clients suffering from anxiety and depression not realize it’s because of a toxic relationship,” Leonard says. “It eats away their self-esteem. Their partners have them believing that they are incompetent, or selfish. Sometimes it takes years for people to realize that their depression and their anxiety comes from their relationships and that they have been dismantled.”

Get happy now: You may need some help with this one. First, read up on the signs that your partner may be abusive. Then, consult either a professional, a family member, or a close friend to help you recognize the signs.

You take life too seriously

You trip on a crack in the sidewalk, and instead of shrugging it off, you cower with embarrassment. If that sounds like you, it’s time to find some ways to laugh more. “There are many studies showing the benefits of laughter on our health and this includes mental health,” Leonard says. “Laughter is the fast medicine for anxiety and depression.”

Get happy now: Seek out humor every day. Watch a funny TV show, listen to the Laugh USA channel on SiriusXM Radio, or spend time with friends who make you smile. You could even try volunteering with kids—they really do say the darndest things.

You don’t sleep

“Sleep affects everything,” says Diedra L. Clay, PsyD, chair and associate professor of the counseling and health psychology department at Bastyr University, “emotional and mental capabilities, as well as our bodies’ functioning. Sleep is our bodies way of regenerating and without it the system malfunctions.” Determine exactly how much sleep you need here.

Get happy now: Try to figure out why you aren’t sleeping and then take the steps to create a restful environment.

You’re never alone

Between kids, work, marriage, and other activities, you can’t find a moment to be alone (and locking yourself in the bathroom doesn’t count). Leonard stresses the importance of finding time for yourself, whether it is 10 minutes, an hour, or a day. Without taking the time to do things for yourself, depression and anxiety creep in, says Leonard.

Get happy now: Schedule an appointment for you time. And more importantly, keep it.

You don’t actually talk to anyone

If you primarily use texting, Facebook, and other social media to stay in touch with friends, you’re not having meaningful contact—and chatting up the Starbucks barista every morning doesn’t count. “Facebook pages are entertainment,” Clay says. “These are not true conversations that allow us to understand people. Instead, it lessens our experiences and feelings.” Michael Mantell, PhD, a behavioral sciences coach based in San Diego, Calif., agrees. “Personal electronics (like smartphones) have also impacted attention, demands for immediate gratification, and expectations that the press of a button can lead to instantaneous connection,” Mantell says. “We have also learned to not have face-to-face connections, only virtual. This impacts our ability and interest in sitting in the same room with someone, and actually talk with people face-to-face.”

Get happy now: “At the end of or lives, the number of followers we have doesn’t matter,” Clay says. “But friends do.” Make sure to schedule a date with a friend, family member, or partner at least once week.

You can’t live without your mobile phone

When was the last time that you were completely electronic-device free? Can’t remember? Not a good sign. “With all the devices we have, it tends to overstimulate us,” Clay says. “And if we are always on, then we never truly rest and regenerate our bodies and our minds.” Eventually, this can manifest itself as depression or anxiety.

Get happy now: Create an electronic Sabbath, where you abstain from all devices once a week, even if just for half a day.

You multitask

We’re all guilty of multitasking: we take lunch at our desks, scroll through Facebook while watching TV, and text pretty much constantly. Research shows that although many people believe they’re being more productive by multitasking, that’s not actually the case—it just leaves us stressed out, oblivious to our surroundings, and unable to communicate effectively.

Get happy now: It’s simple, really: put down the phone, turn off the television, and pay attention to what you are doing and what is going on around you. Allowing your brain to process everything that is happening to you in real time (and not broadcasting it to your social media followers) may be the best thing you can do for your mental health.

This article originally appeared on Health.com