When one is the depths of depression it is sometimes difficult to imagine you could feel any better. Your brain becomes conditioned to think thoughts like, “It doesn’t matter anyway” “Nobody cares how I feel” or “I’ll never be able to get this right”. Of course, on one level, this is all true. In the large scheme of things it probably doesn’t matter; people tend to care only about that they personally think and feel and you probably can’t if you think you can’t. Yet, a positive attitude is not about pretending a rosy future for yourself. It’s about living and enjoying life in the present.
If you allow yourself to think only of the negative and stressful aspects of life, your brain actually releases stress hormones into the bloodstream. If this is an infrequent occurrence, it’s normal and natural. But, if your body is trying to deal with a constant deluge of hormones telling it to get ready to run or fight, the heart will be affected. One of the risk factors for cardiovascular disease is constant or frequent stressful conditions.
Developing a positive mental attitude can be considered as a series of small steps toward a much happier and fulfilling lifestyle. Practice replacing negative thoughts and statements with positive ones. You can do this either by writing them down or by rephrasing them verbally. In other words, if you catch yourself thinking “I can’t get all this done by tonight” write down the negative words on the left column of a piece of paper, then on the right column write the words. “I can get quite a bit of this finished by tonight.” Then, cross out the negative thought. You may even want to black it out so you can no longer see the negative words. The final step is to say the positive words aloud.
By doing these steps repeatedly you are creating a new habit, one which looks on the positive side rather than the negative side.
If you want to brighten up your attitude, do something simple that you have enjoyed in the past. Take a child to the playground and it will recreate the delight you had in playing on the slide or monkey-bars. Ask an elderly friend or family member to tell you a story about their childhood. Listening to the story will give pleasure to both the listener and the storyteller.
Another way to find the positive is to laugh. Read a funny story, tell a joke or share a silly song with someone. Teach a child how to skip or turn a somersault. It’s a proven fact that laughing releases good hormones into the bloodstream in the same way that constant stress hormones hurt you.
You can also develop your positive attitude by helping someone else. There is always someone who is worse off than you, whether it’s financially, emotionally or physically. Even a helping hand to assist sick friend get a needed prescription will make you feel better about what you’ve accomplished.
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译文:
积极的态度对你是有帮助的
当一个人陷入绝望深渊时，有时是很难想象自己能感觉好一点的。你的大脑会不断告诉你像这样的话，“不管怎么样都无所谓了”“没有人在乎我的感受”或者是“我永远都做不好”。当然，在某种程度上，这些想法都是大实话。从大局上来看，有些事也许真的无所谓；人们也总是只关注自己的想法和感受，而如果你觉得自己做不好一件事，也许你就真的做不好了。但是，积极的态度并不是假装自己前途似锦，它是关于如何活在当下，享受人生。
当你只想到生活的消极面和压力时，你的大脑实际上会向血流中释放出应激激素。如果你只是偶尔为之，那么这是很正常很自然的。但是如果你的身体长期受这种荷尔蒙泛滥的影响，时刻处于准备好战斗的状态，那么你的心脏就会受到影响。要知道心血管疾病的诱因之一则是持续或经常处于压力状态。
若想拥有一个更快乐更有成就感的生活，培养一个积极的心态是计划的一部分。对于消极的想法，要练习以积极的易之。你可以把消极的想法写下来，或者口头改述。换句话说，如果你想到“我今晚是做不好这件事了”，你把这个消极的想法写在一张纸的左栏，然后在右边写下“我今晚可以完成一大部分呢”。然后，把消极的想法划掉，甚至你会想要把那句消极的想法给涂黑，这样你就可以再也不看到它了。最后一步就是把积极的话大声说出来。
通过反复练习这些步骤，你会培养出一个新的习惯，会让你从积极的方面看待事物，而非消极。
如果想要让你的生活态度散发光彩的话，做一些过去曾享受过的简简单单的乐事。带个孩子去操场玩，玩玩滑滑梯和游艺机，这都能激发你当初的灵感。请年长于你的朋友或家人告诉你关于他们的童年趣事。听故事会给讲故事的人和听众带来快乐。
另一种寻找积极态度的方法是欢笑。读一则有趣的故事，讲一个笑话或者和别人分享一首无厘头的歌。教孩子如何翻跟头。有证据显示，欢笑能够向血流释放健康的荷尔蒙，就像持续的应激激素会伤害你一样。
你也可以通过帮助别人来培养积极的态度。通常这个人的情况比你更糟，不管是在经济方面，情感方面还是身体方面。即使是帮助你生病的朋友拿处方也会让你感觉更好，因为你有所作为了。