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专家:不要在元旦做新年计划,坚持不到一个月就会放弃……

2019-12-28来源:和谐英语

年末突击检查,你2019年年初立下的flag都实现了么?

New Year's resolution(新年决心)是一项非常有仪式感的活动,不少人都会选择在年初暗暗立下新年决心,希望在接下来的日子里有所改变,成为更好的自己。

但是,一月份真的适合做新年计划吗?近日《每日邮报》的一篇文章就给出了新的看法。

文章写道,来自圣路易斯华盛顿大学的心理学家Tim Bono表示,其实一月份并不适合立下New Year's resolution,若想做一些改变,不妨等到春天。

With the New Year's Eve just around the corner, many are gearing up to start their resolutions — but a psychologist is now calling for a new tradition.
新年前夕将至,许多人都准备好开始立下心愿了,不过一位心理学家提倡创立一项新传统。

Deemed "Spring renewal", the idea is to start a change in spring rather in January, which 'can be a real downer'.
这一想法被称为“春日新生”,旨在让人们在春天而不是一月份做出改变,因为一月份“实在是沮丧时段”。

gear up:为……做准备
downer:someone or something depressing, disagreeable, or unsatisfactory(沮丧的、不快的或不满的人或物)

对于一月份不适合做计划的原因,Bono也给出了详细解释。下面一起来看看。

No.1一月份天气寒冷

因为寒冷的天气等原因,一月份甚至可能是最难做出改变的月份。

He said: "Maybe we need to disabuse ourselves of the idea that Jan 1 is the best time to make resolutions."
他说:“或许,我们应该纠正自己觉得元旦是新年立志最佳时机的想法。”

"January is probably the hardest month of the year to change behaviors," Bono added.
“一月份可能是一年中最难改变行为的月份。”

"If your goal is, say, to run five miles a day in Forest Park, well, there's going to be cold weather and snow to contend with."
“比如说,如果你的目标是一天在森林公园里跑五公里,你就得和寒冷天气、冰雪做斗争。”

contend with:对付;与…作斗争

No.2冬季更喜欢宅家里

在大门不出二门不迈的寒冷季节里,什么计划都得泡汤。

The winter months also has many people cooped up inside, keeping them separate from a support system that would help them achieve their new goals.
冬季,好多人都宅在室内,远离了会帮助人们达成目标的支持体系。

coop up:把……关起来,禁闭

No.3 节后消沉,缺乏动力

另外还有一大因素就是节后消沉(post-holiday slump),Bono说,大量心理研究表明假日乐趣的一半来自对假期的期盼(anticipation),而节后就缺少了这样的动力。

There's usually not that much planned in the early months of the year. When there's not as much to look forward to, our spirits are usually lower.
在年初,人们一般没有太多规划。因此,当没什么值得期待时,我们的情绪也就不高。

That can translate to less motivation to stay on task toward new initiatives.
这也可以理解为,缺乏对新计划的动力。

stay on:继续下去、保持

No.4 日光少,影响整体健康

对于住在相对温暖地区的人们而言,一月份适合做新计划嘛?

Bono给出的答案是否定的,因为一月份昼短夜长,而阳光少会影响我们的整体健康状态。

"We know that when sunlight enters the visual system, it activates neural circuits that are associated with a number of psychological states,' Bono said.
“我们都知道,阳光进入视觉系统会激活与心理状态相关联的神经网络。”

'For some people, when they leave home for work it's dark, and when they get home at the end of the day it's dark. Such limited exposure to direct sunlight this time of year can take a heavy toll on our overall well-being and energy levels."
“对于一些人来说,他们早上去上班时天是黑的,而晚上回家的时候,天还是黑的。这段时间接受到的日光照射如此常有限,会对我们的整体健康及活力带来不少影响。”

take a toll:产生负面影响;造成损失

不过,Bono表示,也不是所有人都不适合在一月份立下New Year's resolution。

对于那些能够利用空闲时间专注于自身的人来说,一月份还是很适合做改变计划的。

For some people, January is their preferred time to make resolutions because they find that having fewer events or social engagements provides the time and space they need to focus on themselves. If that's you, there's no reason to hold off.
对一些人来说,他们更喜欢在一月份做决定。因为这段时间社交活动更少,让他们有时间和空间专注于自身。如果你属于这一类,那没什么理由推迟。

hold off:拖延,推迟

对于新年计划这件事来说,总是计划容易,行动难。

《每日邮报》另一篇文章及非常扎心地指出,只有8%的人能完成自己新年目标。

A study from the University of Scranton shows just eight percent of people achieve their New Year's Goals.
美国斯克兰顿的一项研究显示,只有8%的人能达成新年目标。

而超过一半人的新年计划与健康有关,还债也是一大流行目标。

Each year, roughly 55 percent of resolutions are health related, including exercising more and eating healthier, while eliminating financial debt is also a top priority.
特别有意思的一点是,健康APP Strava还通过大量网络用户数据,分析出今年澳大利亚人很可能在1月19日放弃他们的新年目标。这个日子又被成为“放弃者日”(Quitter's Day)。

Data collected by social media fitness app Strava suggests people across the nation will give up their goals on Sunday January 19.

毕竟年年都要立flag,如何才能让年初的愿望顺利实现呢?

《每日电讯报》文章建议,在执行新年计划的时候,可以经常问自己五个问题。

❶ Why do you want to make the change?
你为什么想做出这一改变?

❷ Is your goal concrete and measurable?
你的目标是否具体可衡量?

❸ What is your plan?
你的计划是什么?

❹ Who can support you as you work toward change?
在你采取行动的时候,谁能支持你?

❺ How will you celebrate your victories?
你会如何庆祝自己的胜利?

说了这么多,2019年新年目标你还记得么?实现了多少呢?

你打算在2020年元旦做新年计划,还是等到春天再做?欢迎留言区讨论。