放輕鬆！10個你想不到的減壓小妙招

I’ve always been known as someone who’s perma-stressed: for whatever reason, my body reacts to everything (even relaxing!) with a sense of urgency. The usual tips offered to reduce stress have never worked for me. It wasn’t until I started searching for unconventional methods that I struck gold: I’m now finally able to successfully reduce my stress level and enjoy guilt-free relaxation.
身邊的人都知道我這人總是緊張兮兮：反正，不管遇到什麼（哪怕是放鬆），我的身體總是不自覺地繃緊神經。那些常見減壓方法對我從來都不管用。直到我搜索到一些非主流方法才感到稱心如意：現在，我總算成功減壓，享受無憂無慮的放鬆了。

Here are 10 unconventional ways to reduce stress that work for me, and I hope you find they work for you too:
下面10個非主流減壓方法對我很管用，希望它們也能幫助到你吧。

1. Massage your ears.
按摩耳朵

Massaging your ears to reduce stress is simple, effective, and only takes a few minutes. Gently rub your earlobes with your thumb and index finger, then squeeze the outer edges of your ears from bottom to top. These parts of your ears have reflex points that relax specific areas of your body.
按摩耳朵減壓法簡單、有效且只需幾分鐘時間。用拇指和食指輕輕搓揉耳垂，再從下往上按捏耳廓。耳朵的這些部位有反射穴位，能刺激並放鬆身體的某些部位。

2. Up your intake of vitamin C.
增加維C攝入量

Studies have shown vitamin C reduces both the physical and psychological effects of stress. During uber-stressful times, increase your vitamin C intake.
研究表明，維C能同時緩解生理和心理壓力。在壓力特別大的時候，可以增加維C的攝入量。

3. Consider your mind a bus terminal.
想象大腦是汽車終點站

When your mind is feeling restless and you’re struggling to calm down, it’s important to find techniques that help you successfully disengage with your thoughts. One that works for me is pretending each thought I’m having is a bus with a sign showing a particular destination: do I really want my emotions to go where that bus is going to take them? If not, I watch it drive away.
當你的思緒亂如麻、必須得冷靜下來時，很有必要採取措施有效釋放各種想法。有個辦法對我很管用：假設每個想法都是有着特定目的地的公交車，那麼，我的情緒果真有必要搭乘這輛公交車麼？如果不是，那就讓這個想法走開吧。

4. Mask jarring sounds.
屏蔽嘈雜噪音

If you live in a noisy building or on a bustling street, the constant noise keeps your mind active and on guard, which also leads to physical stress. Put some soothing music on in the background, or try a white noise machine, which emits a consistent, soothing sound. Ear plugs work, too.
如果你住在鬧區或嘈雜街道，那麼，無休止的噪音會使神經一直緊繃，最終造成生理壓力。這時，你可以聽聽舒緩的音樂，或嘗試使用白噪音軟件，因爲白噪音能持續釋放柔和的聲音。另外，你也可以戴耳塞。

5. Surround yourself with calming colors and scents.
讓身邊充滿平靜的色彩與氣味

Colors such as white, blue, green, and other soft colors will help sooth your nervous system, whereas bright colors like orange and yellow will stimulate and energize you. Create a corner of your home specifically for relaxation. Surround yourself with colors, scents (such as lavender, jasmine, and rose), and items that trigger emotional harmony.
白色、藍色、綠色或其他柔和的顏色有助於舒緩神經系統，而橙色和黃色等明亮的顏色則會刺激並調動人的神經。在家裏專門佈置一個放鬆的角落，選用能使情緒平靜和諧的顏色和氣味（例如薰衣草香、茉莉香、玫瑰香）。6. Eat slower.
細嚼慢嚥

Not only does it aid healthy digestion, but eating slowly also encourages mindfulness. This is a very challenging habit to develop, especially in a society where we’re constantly bombarded with restless thoughts and feelings of urgency. If all else fails, pretend you’re a restaurant critic who has to review the quality of your meal.
慢點吃飯不僅有助於健康消化，還能保持注意力集中。這個習慣不容易養成，畢竟，當今社會無時無刻不充斥着各種思緒和緊迫感。如果實在做不到，可以假設自己是美食評論家，必須慢慢品嚐才能對飯菜作出評論。

7. Talk slower.
娓娓而談

How do you feel after going on a tangent and talking really fast? Likely, your heart’s racing, your body’s tense and your breathing’s shallow. The next time you’re having a conversation, practice mindfulness: focus on the moment-to-moment banter instead of rushing to the next topic. Once this becomes second nature, you’ll find your conversations much more rewarding, and you’ll feel physically and emotionally balanced.
每次經歷過一場喋喋不休而又話題不定的談話後，你會有什麼感覺？只怕是心跳加速、身體緊張、呼吸急促吧？下次跟人講話，請試着保持專注集中：只關注當下的說笑，不要急着扯到下個話題。一旦養成娓娓而談的習慣，你會發現對話越來越有意思，身心也越來越平衡。

8. Schedule unscheduled time.
留出計劃外的時間

Carve out mini-retreats for yourself at least twice a week: a few hours of unscheduled time where you can do what you’re compelled to do, not what you feel you have to do. It’s a great way to allow your body and mind to recover from a stressful work week or hectic social gathering. During this time, do whatever you feel like doing in the moment, guilt-free.
每週至少給自己留兩次調息時間：在這計劃外的幾個小時內，你可以暫時把計劃的事情放在一邊，去做自己內心渴望做的事情。這能使你的身心從壓力重重的工作或熱鬧繁華的聚會中得到恢復。在這段時間，你只需盡情做自己想做的任何事情，完全沒有任何憂慮。

9. Learn how to say no
學會拒絕

We’ve all been there: we automatically say yes to an invitation or request while our stomach screams, “No!” If in the moment you’re feeling overwhelmed and aren’t sure what to say, simply say, “I’ll have to get back to you.” This will give you time to make an informed decision that truly benefits your life. If you know you definitely don’t want to say yes, say no as quickly as you’d rip off a band-aid. Trust me: it gets easier, and the more you do it, the more others will respect your boundaries.
我們都有過這樣的經歷：每次遇到邀請或請求，嘴裏不自覺地應承，心裏卻不情願得要死。這種情況下，如果你感到不知所措，不確定該怎麼答覆，那就直接說：“我想想再答覆你。”這樣你可以作出恰當決定，以免影響到自己的生活。如果你當下就很不情願，那就乾脆找個藉口拒絕掉。相信我：拒絕並不難，只要你經常拒絕，人們也會越來越尊重你的立場的。

10. Cry your fool head off
放聲哭出來

Sometimes we want to cry, but the timing’s not right: either we’re at work or socializing, and by the time we’re alone the feeling has passed. I highly encourage you to watch a sad scene on a television show or in a movie to force your emotions back to the surface. When your manganese level is high, it causes anxiety, nervousness, irritability and aggression. When you cry, you lower your manganese level, elevating your mood and lowering stress.
有時我們明明想哭，但時機卻不允許：當時我們或許在上班或聚會，等到獨自一人時，想哭的衝動早已過去了。那我強烈建議你看場悲傷的劇情或電影，把情緒引誘出來。當身體錳含量過高，可能會引發焦慮、緊張、易怒和攻擊性情緒。而哭出來則能降低錳含量，釋放情緒、減輕壓力。

What methods do you use to reduce stress?
你是用什麼方法來減壓的呢？