是放松，还是拖延

译者 走向冬天

It’s 6pm. You haven’t really accomplished anything today … but hey, you needed some time to relax. You took a long lunch and re-watched a couple of episodes of a TV show. You spent an hour or two in a coffee shop, flicking through a few newspapers. You updated Facebook and Twitter and Google+ …

晚上6点了，你一整天什么正事都没干...因为你需要些时间放松嘛。你慢悠悠地吃了顿午餐，重温了几集电视节目；你在咖啡店里泡了一两个小时，翻翻报纸；你还更新了Facebook,Twitter和Google+...

… so why do you feel stressed?

...但你心里怎么总感觉有事儿似的呢？

Chances are, you weren’t really relaxing. You were procrastinating: putting off what you wanted to get done because you felt some resistance to it.

因为你极有可能不是在放松，而是拖延：本来要做的事不想做，于是推啊推啊的

Here’s the difference:

二者的区别在这：

Procrastination is unfulfilling. It’s a displacement activity – and you’ve constantly got a nagging voice at the back of your mind reminding you of all those tasks on your to-do list. Procrastination might make you feel a bit better temporarily, but you’ll end the day feeling frustrated with yourself.

拖延不能带给你满足感，它是一种心理学上的替代活动——你要完成的工作会不断地萦绕在脑中。拖延可能令你暂时好受一点，但这一天过去，你心里会很失落。

Relaxing is restorative. It’s a deliberate choice – not something that you seem to fall into. You relax during scheduled breaks, or when your work is done for the day, rather than whenever you start to lose focus on a task. You’ll not only feel good while you’re relaxing, you’ll feel good afterwards, too.

放松则是有助于恢复的。它是一种有意识的选择，不是一不小心。放松可以是计划好的中途休息，或者是等你这一天的事都做完了，而不是你做着做着走神了。放松当时感觉好，事后感觉也好。

How to Procrastinate Less …

怎样减少拖延呢？

1. Block any websites that tempt you to procrastinate. (You might even want to shut off your internet connection entirely for an hour or two.)

1. 不上你可能耗时间的网站（甚至可以断网一两个小时）

2. Remind yourself that if you get all your tasks done, you’ll be able to relax sooner. It’s easier to stay on-track when you’ve got something to look forward to.

2. 告诉自己，活早干完早轻松。人要是有个盼头就更容易坚持。

3. Pick one task to focus on at a time. It’s very easy to end up procrastinating by constantly switching between tasks. (“I’ll just check my emails…”) If you find your attention slipping, remind yourself “I’m working on X right now.”

3. 一次只忙一件事。频繁的换来换去很容易最后就拖延上了（"我就看一下邮件..."）如果你发现自己注意力有些分散，就提醒自己“我现在的任务是要...”

4. Take regular breaks. No-one can stay focused for hours at a time. Aim to work for 20 – 45 minutes at a stretch, then give yourself 5-10 minutes to stretch, walk around or even meditate.

4. 定时休息。谁也不能一连专注好几个小时。干个20到45分钟就歇一歇，花5到10分钟活动一下，溜达一圈甚至冥想都行。

… And Relax More

怎么更好的放松

1. Schedule in time to relax. You might, for instance, plan to go to a movie on Saturday afternoon – which makes it easier to stay focused on chores in the morning.

1. 事先安排好放松的时间。比如你可能定好周六下午去看电影，那上午就更容易专注在事情上。

2. Make a deliberate choice about what to do. You don’t necessarily need to decide ahead of time – often it’s good to follow the whim of the moment. But do pause to consider what you’d really enjoy.

2. 斟酌一下怎么放松。你不需要事先就决定，通常看当时的心情就好。但一定要想想，怎么样最开心。

3. Fight any feelings of guilt. We all need time to rest and recharge. Don’t let other people tell you that you “should” relax in their way: if you want to spend Saturday catching up on TV, and you find that rejuvenating, then go ahead!

3. 克服负罪感。人都需要时间休息和恢复精神。别听别人告诉你该怎么放松，什么时候放松。如果你打算星期六就泡在电视上，而且还感觉挺让你精神的，那就看吧！

4. Set firm boundaries around your work. You might need to do some tasks outside 9am – 5pm (or whatever your hours are) – but try to set aside at least one full day every week when you don’t work at all.

4. 工作有度。可能你朝九晚五之外还要忙些工作，但至少保证每周有一整天的时间是完全空闲的。

So … will you find time to relax properly today? Let us know your thoughts and tips in the comments!

说到这，你今天该知道怎么放松了吧？欢迎留言表达你的想法和建议！