Depending on the root cause, some stressful situations unfold over long periods of time–a few days, a couple weeks, even the better part of a year.

根据根本原因的不同，有些压力情景是在很长一段时间内慢慢变严重的——几天、几周，甚至大半年。

If you work for a company that’s struggling to survive, you may see no end in sight to the high-pressure environment you’re working within.

如果你所在的公司正在挣扎求存，那么你眼前这种充满压力的工作环境可能是看不到尽头的。

In cases like these, you need to find ways to escape at least for a while.

在这种情况之中，你需要想想办法逃离现实，即使只是暂时的。

Unfortunately, many people’s first reaction is to do the reverse–cutting back on personal time in order to slog through a tough situation.

但不幸的是，很多人首先选择做的却恰恰相反——牺牲个人时间，试图改变眼前的棘手局面。

Remember, stress isn’t just a response to what’s already going on around you–it’s also your reaction to negative things that might happen but haven’t yet.

要记住，压力不光是你对已经发生过的事情的反映，它也是你对那些可能发生却还没有发生的事情的反映。

So it’s important not to sacrifice the habits and routines that sustain you over the long haul.

所以，不要去牺牲那些从长期看对你有好处的习惯，这是很重要的。

And somewhat counterintuitively , one solution is to do things that lessen¹ work-related stress in the near-term.

而且，与我们的直觉正好相反，解决方案应该是在短期内去做那些能够够消解工作压力的事情。

Yoga and mindfulness exercises are common ways to create a sense of peace and serenity².

瑜伽和精神集中训练都是常见的用于创造平和心境的活动。

No, they won’t eliminate your dread³ of what might still be on the horizon, but they can dampen the arousal that’s getting the best of you right now.

虽然它们并不能消除那些你实际要面对的隐患，但它们却能环节当下这些让你抓狂的杂乱思绪。

The other alternative is just to find something truly enjoyable to do, whether or not it induces calm or mindfulness.

另一个可行的方案是，去找一些真的能让人预约的事情做做，不管他们是不是能让你冷静下来。

Go to a movie or concert. Play a game. Do some exercise.

看场电影，玩玩游戏，做做运动。

In this case, you’re focusing your motivation on something desirable, rather than something stressful.

这么一来，你就能把你的动机转移到那些诱人的事情上，而不用去想那些让人有压力的事情。

The motivation to do pleasant things competes with the motivation to avoid negative ones.

追寻美好事物的动机，是能够和回避负面东西的动机相竞争的。

So if you can immerse yourself in positive activities, you’ll shift your motivation away from the focus on the stressors for a while.

所以，如果你能将自己沉静在积极的活动之中，你就能把自己的动机暂时从那些带来压力的事情上面转移开来了。

This can at lest help you keep stress that you can’t totally eliminate at manageable levels over long periods.

这样，你虽然不能从根本上消除那些压力，但至少可以把它们控制在可控范围内。