读者文摘:今天如何感到更快乐(1)

How to Feel Happier Today

今天如何感到更快乐

Written by Lisa Fields

丽莎·菲尔兹撰稿

When I learned that the most popular course in the history of Yale University-a psychology¹ class designed to teach students how to become happier—

当我得知耶鲁大学历史上最受欢迎的课程，即一门旨在教学生如何变得更快乐的心理学课程，

was available online to anyone who wanted to take it, I decided² I had to see what it was all about.

任何人都能在网上学习时，我决定要看看这门课教授些什么。

After all, I've been writing about happiness for years,

毕竟，多年来我一直撰写关于幸福的文章，

offering techniques and advice from researchers who found that this idea or that habit can boost well-being³.

把我从研究人员那里获得的技术和建议告诉大家，研究人员发现这种想法或习惯可以促进幸福感。

I was curious to see what Yale professor Laurie Santos was recommending, but I assumed I'd already be familiar with many of the concepts.

我很想看看耶鲁大学教授劳里·桑托斯会建议哪些内容，但我想我已经对很多概念都很熟悉。

So I invited my boyfriend, Ian, to take the course with me.

所以，我邀请男友伊恩和我一起上这门课。

I wanted to see how someone who hadn't heard it all before reacted.

我想看看一个没有听说过这方面内容的人会作何反应。

Santos's online course consists of 19 hours of video lectures and is supposed to take ten weeks to complete,

桑托斯的在线课程包括19个小时的视频讲座，预计要用10周完成，

but Ian and I spent three months soaking up what she had to offer.

但我和伊恩花了三个月的时间学习她所提供的内容。

We learned that the things we tend to think will make us happier—

我们了解到，那些我们倾向于认为会让我们更快乐的事情，

bigger paychecks, nicer homes, trimmer bodies—don't actually add joy to our lives.

比如更高的薪水、更好的房子、更苗条的身材，实际上并不能给我们的生活增添快乐。

But practices such as exercising more, socializing, getting enough sleep, and prioritizing free time over making money do.

但是，诸如多运动、社交、充足的睡眠、留些空闲时间而不是只想着赚钱等做法确实有效。

"These constant practices are really what's required to boost your happiness," Santos told me after Ian and I completed her course.

我和伊恩完成她的课程后，桑托斯告诉我：“这些不断的练习确实是提高幸福感的必要条件。

"It's like a tire that you put air into.

就像一个轮胎，你把空气打进去。

Occasionally it leaks, and you have to put more air into it.

它偶尔会漏气，你得多打些空气进去。

It's not a one-time thing where you learn it and you're good.

这不是一锤子买卖，你学完后就万事大吉了。

You actually have to put the work in.

实际上，你得去努力实践。

Although part of the course focuses on the desire to get good grades and land the perfect job,

虽然这门课的部分重点是希望取得好成绩、找到完美的工作，

we realized that these lessons aren't helpful just for college students;

但我们意识到，这些课程不仅对大学生有帮助；

Ian and I are both middle-aged⁴, with six children between us, and most of what Santos said was relevant to us.

我和伊恩都是中年人，我们养育了六个孩子，桑托斯所说的大部分内容都与我们有关。

"What the science suggests is that these tips apply cross-culturally, across ages, and no matter what job you have," Santos says.

“科学表明，这些技巧跨越文化和年龄，而且无论你从事什么工作都适用，”桑托斯说。

After taking the course, I'm convinced that anyone who adopts and practices the strategies

学习完这门课程后，我确信，任何人只要采纳并实践桑托斯建议的策略，

that Santos suggests can truly become happier.

就能真正变得更快乐。

Here are our favorite takeaways.

下面就是我们最喜欢的一些技巧。

1 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。

2 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

3 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。

4 middle-aged   

adj.中年的

参考例句：

• I noticed two middle-aged passengers.我注意到两个中年乘客。
• The new skin balm was welcome by middle-aged women.这种新护肤香膏受到了中年妇女的欢迎。