本文选自《北外网院》的博客，点击查看博客原文

　　Maybe you're feeling down because of the financial crisis. Maybe you're feeling overwhelmed by holiday tasks. Or maybe you're just having a lousy day。

　　也许你正因为金融危机而感到沮丧，也许你正被假期工作压得喘不过气来，也许你今天恰恰诸事不顺。

　　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。

　　果真如此的话，你应该让自己快乐起来——马上。在接下来的三十分钟时间里，尽可能多地清点下列几项。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。这种做法可以提升你的自我效能感，从而带给你快乐。

　　1. Boost your energy. 打起精神。

　　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。

　　打电话时站起来走动走动，能到户外轻快地散十分钟步则更好。研究证明，当人快速活动时，新陈代谢会加快。而且，户外活动和阳光有助于你精力集中，心情变好，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. Count your blessings. 数数摊在你身上的好事。

　　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。

　　花十分钟想想生活中所有顺当的事，想想别人对你的所有帮助，想想所有让你心怀感恩的事情。在日常生活的纷扰中，人很容易想到消极的事情，忽略掉真正重要的东西。

　　3. Reach out to friends. 联络朋友。

　　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。

　　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。与他人保持温馨亲密的联络是幸福的关键，所以，要花时间跟人联系。奇怪的是，社交不仅能让外向型人心情愉快，对内向型人同样有效。

　　4. Perform an action that reflects your values. 实施一件能体现自己价值的事。

　　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"。

　　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份。按自己的价值观生活会让你“感觉舒服”。

　　5. Rid yourself of a nagging task. 解决一件烦心事。

　　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。

　　回一封棘手的电子邮件；处理一件你一直在拖延的事情；打电话给牙医进行预约。解决掉很多烦心事中的一件会让你突然浑身是劲，心情轻松。

　　6. Create a calmer environment. 创造更加平静的环境。

　　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!

　　把文件分分类，倒倒垃圾，清理一下壁橱，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。做这些事情可以给自己的身心更多的空间。很多繁琐的事情加在一起会让人没了头绪，喘不过气。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——即绝不把任何不到一分钟就可以解决的事情押后。还有，每天早上要整理床铺！