你幸福嗎?

It’s a question we might ask ourselves here and there when something great (or awful) happens to us. But think about it in a general sense: When was the last time you evaluated your overall happiness and satisfaction with life?

當(dāng)我們遇上什么開心事(或傷心事)的時候，我們會時不時地問自己這個問題。但從大的方向想想：你上一次評估自己總體上對生活的快樂和滿意程度，是什么時候?

There are so many factors to consider when answering that question that it can feel overwhelming or, even worse, become yet another stressor weighing on your happiness. But it’s a topic that’s ripe for introspection, so we’ve put together the official New York Times guide on how to be happy. In it you’ll find guidance ranging from tips for conquering negative thinking to assessing the effect of marriage on your happiness.

要回答這個問題，有太多的因素需要考慮，或許會讓人感到喘不過氣，或更糟糕——變成阻礙幸福的又一個壓力源。但這是一個適合拿來反思的話題。因此，我們總結(jié)出了《紐約時報》官方幸福指南。在此，不論你是想得到如何克服消極想法的小建議，還是想評估婚姻對你的幸福有何影響，都能找到指導(dǎo)。

But today we’re going to focus on the four things you can do right now(ish) to improve your happiness. Because you deserve it, friends.

但我們今天的重點在你(大概)現(xiàn)在就能做的四件可以提高幸福感的事。因為，朋友們，你們受之無愧。

Conquer your negative thinking

攻克消極想法

Humans have evolved to focus on the negative. If we overlearn a bad situation, we’re more inclined to avoid those situations in the future or react more quickly, writes Tara Parker-Pope in our happiness guide.

人類在演化中形成了對負(fù)面的關(guān)注。如果我們對一個糟糕的情況進行了過度學(xué)習(xí)，那么以后會更傾向于避開這類情況，或是更快地作出反應(yīng)，塔拉·帕克-波普(Tara Parker-Pope)在我們的幸福指南中這樣寫道。

But, as we all know, that isn’t always helpful in a modern world. When something bad happens, we tend to overanalyze and have trouble getting our mind off it.

但正如我們所知，在現(xiàn)代社會，這樣做并不總是好的。當(dāng)壞事發(fā)生時，我們往往過度分析，很難不去想它。

The trick to avoiding those spirals and rabbit holes of misery is to acknowledge and challenge our negative thoughts. Rather than try to bury them, we should own those thoughts and ask ourselves a few questions, like, “What is the evidence for this thought?” or “Am I basing this on facts or on feelings?” A little self-investigation can help us get over the thoughts that just won’t leave our heads otherwise.

要避開這些讓人不斷下落、痛苦難過的“兔子洞”，竅門在于去認(rèn)識并挑戰(zhàn)我們的消極思想。與其將其埋藏，我們更應(yīng)掌控這些念頭，問自己一些問題，比如，“這個想法的證據(jù)在哪?”或“我是憑事實說話，還是光憑感情?”一些自我審查可以幫助我們克服這些想法，否則它們也不會自己消散。

Forgive yourself

原諒自己

This one is really simple: Go easy on yourself. If you’re compassionate and supportive of other people, why shouldn’t you give yourself the same luxury?

這一點非常好辦：對自己好一些。如果你能對他人懷有同理心，能給予他人支持，為什么不給自己同等的待遇呢?

This can be a difficult concept for those of us who tend to beat ourselves up over perceived failures, so our guide has an exercise you can use to practice. Write yourself a letter of compassion just as you would to a neighbor or friend who had experienced a hardship. The concept is the same, only the recipient is you.

這個概念，對我們這樣喜歡在面對失敗時對自己狠一些的人來說，或許有些難以理解。因此，我們的指南里有一個可以用來練習(xí)的活動。給自己寫一封寬慰信吧，就像你會給一位經(jīng)歷困難的鄰居或朋友寫的那樣。主旨是一樣的，只不過收信人是你自己。

Money helps, but only to a point

錢，有用，但作用有限

An often-cited study from a few years ago boldly named the amount of money at which happiness peaks: $75,000 per year. Another recent (but less rigorous) examination put that number at $100 million. Still another study said lottery winners are no happier than the rest of us.

幾年前一個常被引用的研究大膽地提出了能使幸福感到達巔峰的金額：75000美元/年。最近又有一項(沒那么嚴(yán)格的)調(diào)查把這個數(shù)字推到了1億美元。還有一項研究指出，中了大獎的人并不比普通人更幸福。

Mmm … what?

呃……什么?

The truth is, we’re plagued by the constant craving for the next thing. Tara calls this the “hedonic treadmill” in the happiness guide and, essentially, we’re stuck on it.

事實是，我們?yōu)樾男哪钅畹摹跋乱粋€”東西所困。在幸福指南里，塔拉稱其為“快樂跑步機”?？梢哉f，我們正被困在這座跑步機之上。

A more helpful way to look at this idea is to find purpose and meaning at work. Rather than focusing on work as a means to earn money, try to find genuine satisfaction and purpose in the work you do. Studies have shown this is possible in every type of job.

去找到工作的目的和意義是一個比較有用的方法。與其只把工作看做掙錢的途徑，不妨試著在工作中找到真正的滿足和目標(biāo)。研究表明，這一點在各個類型的工作中都可以做到。

Buy more time

買回更多的時間

If given the choice between buying material things and buying services that save you time, you might want to think about the timesavers.

如果讓你在買更多物質(zhì)上的東西和買能節(jié)省時間的服務(wù)之間選擇，你或許可以考慮能節(jié)省時間的。

In two surveys cited in our guide to happiness, researchers found that people who spent money on conveniences like ordering takeout for dinner or getting a cab were happier than those who didn’t.

在幸福指南引用的兩個調(diào)查中，研究人員發(fā)現(xiàn)，把錢花在便利服務(wù)上的人——比如晚餐會定外賣、會打車的人，比不這么做的人更幸福，

So what does that mean for you? If you can afford it, buy yourself some extra time. (Yes, this is permission to order a pizza for dinner tonight.)

那么，這對你來說意味著什么呢?如果負(fù)擔(dān)得起，給自己買回更多的時間吧。(是的，意思就是你今晚可以點披薩吃了。)

What’s your key to happiness? Do you have any tricks for staying positive? I want to hear ’em! Email me at tim@nytimes.com or tweet me @timherrera.

你的幸福秘訣是什么?你有沒有保持積極的小竅門?我都想知道!請通過我的郵箱tim@nytimes.com或在Twitter上@timherrera告訴我吧!

Have a great week!

祝你一周愉快!

—Tim 提姆