如何在寒冬时节调整心态。

冬天是否会让你郁郁寡欢？由于缺少阳光，很多人的心情都因此受到了影响。什么是 “季节性情绪失调”？有哪些方法能帮助我们熬过寒冷阴郁的冬季？

词汇：mental health 心理健康

• It’s the middle of winter, and the prospect of warm sunny days is a long way off. For some of us, it’s the most depressing time of year, where daylight is limited and the weather is often miserable – this is when the winter blues set in. So what can be done to lift our spirits?

  现在是隆冬时节，温暖的阳光还遥遥无期。对于我们中的一些人来说，这是一年中最令人沮丧的时候，日光有限，天气通常很糟糕，这是冬季忧郁开始的时候。所以我们可以做什么来提升我们的精神?

  ⭐ prospect [ˈprɑːspekt] n. 预期，展望；depressing 令人消沉的，压抑的; the winter blues 冬季忧郁; lift someone’s spirits 提高兴致，振奋精神

• The shorter days and longer nights can make us feel down, and that can cause us to eat more and exercise less. Some fear loneliness and isolation during the long dark months. Those people who suffer this seasonal mood swing more seriously are described as having seasonal affective disorder – or SAD for short. It’s a type of depression with a seasonal pattern caused by a lack of light and is thought to affect the part of the brain that rules sleep, appetite, mood and activity levels.

  白天变短，夜晚变长会让我们情绪低落，导致我们吃得更多，锻炼(运动)得更少。有些人害怕在漫长而黑暗的几个月里感到孤独和寂寞。那些遭受这种季节性情绪波动更/比较严重的人被描述为患有季节性情感障碍(简称SAD)。这是一种因光线不足而产生的季节性抑郁症，被认为会影响支配睡眠、食欲、情绪、活动水平的大脑区域。

  ⭐ down 情绪低落的; loneliness 孤独; mood swing 情绪波动; seasonal affective disorder 季节性情绪失调，俗称 “冬季忧郁症”; affective [əˈfektɪv] adj. 情感的；表达感情的; depression 抑郁症

• Jenny Scott-Thompson is one person who was diagnosed with SAD. She told the BBC: “I struggled with periods of exhaustion and misery that seemed out of proportion to what was going on in my life.” She was prescribed light therapy, which involved sitting in front of a light box. As well as going outside during daylight hours, this is believed to help anyone who is affected by the winter gloom.

  珍妮·斯科特-汤普森就是一个被诊断为SAD的人。她告诉英国广播公司:我在疲惫和痛苦中挣扎，这似乎与我生活中发生的事情不成比例(不相称)。她接受了光疗法，(这涉及到)坐在一个灯箱前。和在白天外出一样，这被认为对任何受到冬季阴霾影响的人都有帮助。

  ⭐ diagnosed 被诊断; exhaustion 筋疲力尽; misery [ˈmɪzəri] n. 痛苦，苦难；穷困，悲惨境遇; prescribe [prɪˈskraɪb] v. 给……开（药），让……采用（疗法）；开处方; light therapy 光照疗法; therapy [ˈθerəpi] n. 治疗，疗法；心理治疗；gloom [ɡluːm] n. 忧郁，绝望；昏暗，幽暗

• Although having more light is an obvious cure, antidepressants can help those with more severe depression by artificially elevating the amount of serotonin in the brain. But this isn’t suitable for everyone, and many of us can try to just alter our mindset. Clinical psychologist Laura Keyes says, “it can be helpful to think about how to adapt your eating and exercise patterns to the change of season, just as this happens in nature with plants and animals adapting.”

  虽然光线充足是一种明显的治疗方法，但抗抑郁药可以通过人为地提高大脑中血清素的含量来帮助那些更严重的抑郁症患者。但这并不适合每个人，我们中的许多人可以试着改变我们的心态。临床心理学家劳拉·凯斯说，思考如何让你的饮食和锻炼模式适应季节的变化是有帮助的，就像自然界中的植物和动物适应季节一样。

  ⭐ antidepressant [ˌæntidɪˈpresnt]抗抑郁药; serotonin 血清素; mindset 心态，思维模式; adapt 改变以适应变化

• It might sound easier said than done, but accepting winter and thinking positively may energise us. Writing for the BBC Social website, Esther De La Ford asks “What if we explored what this phase of winter has to offer us, instead of grieving those things that it is taking away?” She suggests we use this time for rest, reflection, slowing down, stillness and renewal. Maybe this might stop us longing for summer?

  这听起来可能说起来容易做起来难，但接受冬天并积极思考可能会让我们精力充沛。Esther De La Ford在为BBC社交网站撰写的文章中问道，如果我们探究这一阶段的冬天给我们带来了什么，而不是悲伤那些被它夺走的东西，会怎么样?她建议我们利用这段时间来休息、反思、放慢脚步、静止和恢复精力。也许这能让我们不再渴望夏天

  ⭐ easier said than done 说时容易做时难; energise [ˈenəˌdʒaɪz] 使精力充沛; grieve [ɡriːv] 伤心，难过; reflection 反思; renewal 恢复精力

词汇表

depressing 令人消沉的，压抑的

the winter blues 冬季忧郁

lift someone’s spirits 提高兴致，振奋精神

down 情绪低落的

loneliness 孤独

mood swing 情绪波动

seasonal affective disorder 季节性情绪失调，俗称 “冬季忧郁症”

depression 抑郁症

diagnosed 被诊断

exhaustion 筋疲力尽

light therapy 光照疗法

antidepressant 抗抑郁药

serotonin 血清素

mindset 心态，思维模式

adapt 改变以适应变化

easier said than done 说时容易做时难

energise 使精力充沛

grieve 伤心，难过

测验与练习

1.  阅读课文并回答问题。

1. What is it a lack of that affects the part of the brain that rules sleep, appetite, mood and activity levels?

2. How is it possible to get more light during winter?

3. How do antidepressants help cure depression?

4. What kind of mindset might help get us through the winter?

5. True or false? The short winter days can cause us to eat less.

2. 选择意思恰当的单词或词组来完成下列句子。

1. Since my boyfriend dumped me, I’ve felt very _______.

depression                  down                         grieving                  loneliness

1. I’ve got to get into the _______ that I will pass my exams.

adapt                          mood swing               energise                 mindset

1. Getting to the cafe after our long walk in the rain, really _______.

lifted our spirits           lifts our spirits            lifted a spirit            lifting our spirits

1. My dad has been _______ with an ingrown toenail.

energised                   diagnosed                  exhausted               grieving

1. Trying to build this wardrobe is _______ – the instructions made it look easy!

said easier than done                                   easy said than done

easier said than done                                   easier said than do

答案

1. 阅读课文并回答问题。

2.  选择意思恰当的单词或词组来完成下列句子。

1. Since my boyfriend dumped me, I’ve felt very down.

2. I’ve got to get into the mindset that I will pass my exams.

3. Getting to the cafe after our long walk in the rain, really lifted our spirits.

4. My dad has been diagnosed with an ingrown toenail.

5. Trying to build this wardrobe is easier said than done – the instructions made it look easy!