实战口语情景对话 第1379期:Breaking Bad Habits 改掉坏习惯(1)

Todd: So I'm here with Olga, who's a health coach and a life coach. You've talked a lot about things we should do, but what about stopping doing things or breaking bad habits? That's the hardest thing, right? What's your advice for giving up sugar or alcohol or obsessive behavior, things like that?
托德：奥尔加是健康教练和人生教练。你之前提到过很多我们应该做的事情，那有什么是我们应该停止做的事或是有哪些应该改掉的坏习惯？这是最难的，是吧？你对戒掉糖、戒酒或戒掉上瘾行为有哪些建议？

Olga: Well, actually, I am not suggesting that people fight with themselves, and they avoid or break anything, because that would constitute violence against yourself. I am a student of Marshall Rosenberg, who developed a nonviolent communication system. Instead of taking away the bad, you add something good. You find exciting, fun, new habits that will naturally substitute.
奥尔加：实际上，我不建议人们和自己斗争或是避免或戒掉任何事，因为这是针对自身的暴力行为。我是马歇尔·罗森伯格的学生，他开发了一种非暴力沟通系统。不要去掉坏事物，而是要增加好事物。你会发现令人激动又有趣的新习惯会自然而然地取代坏习惯。

Todd: Okay, so for example, let's say you watch too much TV, or you're addicted to your smartphone. You would try to maybe play outside or do something like that.
托德：好，比如，看电视时间太长，或是对智能手机上瘾。你要尽量去外面玩或是做类似于出去玩的事情。

Olga: Well, you can develop a lot of new habits and see what works for you. One of the things that I discovered for myself is that willpower is a very finite resource. We don't have infinite amounts of willpower, so we need to use it very sparingly on short distances. It's not for marathons. What I suggest, when you're establishing a new habit that you feel that is the right habit for you, you need to use a little bit of willpower to repeat it enough times. Usually magic number is 21 days.
奥尔加：你可以发展许多新习惯，看看哪些习惯适合你。我的其中一个发现是，意志力是极为有限的资源。我们没有无限的意志力，因此我们要在短距离中谨慎使用。那不适用于马拉松。我的建议是，当你建立一个新习惯并认为这个习惯适合你时，你要用一些意志力重复足够多次。一般来说，这需要21天。

Todd: Really? 21 days, why 21?
托德：真的吗？21天，为什么是21天？

Olga: I have no idea, but this number keeps popping up from different traditions in East and West and also psychology. I saw it in my own practice that it works.
奥尔加：我也不清楚，不过这个数字在东西方的不同传统以及心理学中反复出现。我自己实践过，这很有用。