理清思路獲得靈感的12個簡單措施
In life there are some days when it is difficult to concentrate on anything productive. Being a mom of eighteen-months-old twins does not give me a lot of opportunities for concentration because I constantly get distracted by dirty diapers, feeding routines, screaming, cleaning, cooking and a thousand of other things. In those moments my brain reminds me of an attic full of life-long-old stuff. And even though I know that there are some valuable things up there it gets completely impossible to find these things when I need them. This life has forced me to discover some ways that helped to clear my mind and find inspiration for essential tasks. I hope that these tips will be as useful to you as they are to me.
在生活中會有些時候很難專心做一些有成果的事情。作為一對18個月雙胞胎的媽媽，我并沒有多少機(jī)會來集中精力，因為我不斷地因弄臟的尿布、每日給孩子喂食、孩子的叫聲、清理衛(wèi)生、做飯和許許多多的其他事情而分心。每當(dāng)那些時候，我的大腦就提醒我閣樓上堆滿了可以用一輩子的東西。盡管我知道上面有一些有價值的東西，但是每當(dāng)我需要的時候卻完全找不到它們。這種生活迫使我去發(fā)現(xiàn)一些幫助自己為了重要的任務(wù)去理清思路獲得靈感的方法。我希望這些小貼士同樣對你們也有所幫助。
1. Get outside. Sunshine, fresh air and nature always do miracles for me. If you spend the whole day inside (and that’s exactly what most people do) then your body and your mind simply crave this freedom from the walls or cubicles, this unity with the outside world. Sitting on the porch, doing some yard work, sleeping in the hammock or going to the park – anything will work; just choose your favorite occupation.
1. 出去走走。陽光、新鮮空氣和大自然總是為我創(chuàng)造奇跡。如果你一整天都呆在屋里（大多數(shù)人正是如此），那么你的身體和內(nèi)心會非?？释麎ν獾淖杂?，渴望與外面的世界融在一起。坐在走廊上，在院子里干點(diǎn)活，在吊床上睡一覺或者逛逛公園，任何事都可以，選擇你最喜愛的消遣活動。2
2. Go for a walk. Walking provides benefits of being outside with physical activity. That’s the easiest way for me to be outside as I can always go for a walk with the babies and all three of us will have a great time together. Walking brings some magical piece and quiet into the mind and helps me to sort all my thoughts out.
2. 散步。出門活動一下身體，散步是非常有益的。這是對我來說在戶外最簡單的方法，因為我可以總是帶著孩子們散步，我們仨會玩得很愉快。散步可以給我的大腦帶來許多魔力和寧靜，幫助我清理思緒。
3. Go running. According to the latest research running has been proven to stimulate the growth of new brain cells, increase mental sharpness and concentration. For me running is the best time to think and that’s when I get most of my inspiration.
3. 跑步。最新研究表明，跑步被證實可以刺激新的腦細(xì)胞增長，使頭腦更靈敏，注意力更集中。對于我來說，跑步時是我思考的最佳時間，此時我獲得了大多數(shù)的靈感。
4. Listen to some inspirational music. While you sit outside, walk or run it’s important to have the right soundtrack that will help your mind unclutter itself and make room for new thoughts. I like music that does not make me think about the words of the song. Some of my favorites are classical music (Mozart, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Vivaldi), modern instrumentals like Apocaliptica or foreign singers like Mylene Farmer (a French singer).
4. 聆聽激發(fā)靈感的音樂。當(dāng)你坐在戶外、散步或者跑步的時候，聽著適合的原聲音樂是非常重要的，它會幫助你理清思緒，為新的想法騰出空間。我喜歡那種不會讓我思考歌詞的音樂。我最喜歡的有古典音樂（莫扎特、貝多芬、柴可夫斯基和維瓦爾第）、像啟示錄樂隊演奏的那種現(xiàn)代器樂曲，或者瑪麗安·法莫（法國歌手）那樣的外國歌手。
5. Exercise. It might seem that I am repeating myself but I just want to emphasize the importance of exercise in clearing your mind. If you cannot go for a walk or for a run then you can always workout for 10 or 15 minutes. All types of exercise stimulate blood circulation in your body and that is why it increases blood flow to your brain. Do sit-ups, push-ups, lunges, squats, whatever you like and whatever you can do at that moment. I personally like Yoga and Pilates because they promote mind and body balance and allow a person to concentrate on breathing and cleanse their mind through body movements.
5. 運(yùn)動?？赡芸雌饋砦沂窃谥貜?fù)自己說過的話，但我只是想強(qiáng)調(diào)運(yùn)動對于理清思路的重要性。如果你不能出去散散步跑跑步，那么你總可以鍛煉10或15分鐘。各種類型的運(yùn)動都可以刺激你身體里的血液循環(huán)，這就是增快血液流入大腦的原因。仰臥起坐、俯臥撐、弓箭步刺、蹲起，你可以做任何喜歡的運(yùn)動。我個人比較喜歡瑜伽和普拉提，因為這兩種運(yùn)動可以增強(qiáng)身心平衡，讓人集中精力呼吸，通過肢體運(yùn)動來凈化心靈。
6. Practice media detox. It’s always a good idea to live at least one or two days during the week without media clutter. Start with one evening without TV, social networking, web surfing, newspapers, email and even a cell phone. Enjoy some time with your family or give yourself some time to think without any interruptions and do nothing.
6. 練習(xí)戒除媒體。一周至少有一到兩天遠(yuǎn)離媒體帶來的混亂，這總是一個不錯的主意。從一個傍晚開始，不看電視，不上社交網(wǎng)絡(luò)，不網(wǎng)上沖浪，不看報紙、郵件，甚至不用手機(jī)。享受與家人在一起的時光，或者給自己一些時間去思考，不受任何打擾，不去做任何事情。
7. Change your diet. A lot of foods make your body and YOUR MIND lazy and it’s important to give your brain some foods that will stimulate its activity. Fatty fish like salmon, fresh berries, avocados, brightly colored vegetables and whole grains must be the base of the mind-friendly diet. Another factor is moderation as overeating often makes you tired, sleepy and slothful.
7. 改變飲食。許多食物會讓你的身體還有頭腦變懶，補(bǔ)充一些能夠刺激大腦活動的食物是很重要的。像三文魚那樣富含脂肪的魚類、新鮮漿果、鱷梨、顏色鮮艷的蔬菜以及全谷類食物肯定是有益大腦的飲食的基礎(chǔ)。另一個因素就是適度飲食，因為飲食過量通常會使你感覺疲勞、瞌睡還有懶散。
8. Take a bath or shower. If there is no time for anything else then a hot shower or bath can be a real life saver providing peace and quiet for the mind and body.
8. 洗個澡。如果沒時間做其他的事情，那么一個熱水澡可以真正地拯救你，它會給你的身心帶來安寧。
9. Get a massage. A massage releases tension in the muscles and brings your mind and body into balance. Getting a massage at a spa at least once a month is a good practice but if you do not have the time or money for it then you can always ask your significant other for a massage session. This session can grow into something further that would also be a good way to clear your mind and get inspired.
9. 做按摩。按摩可以釋放肌肉壓力，促進(jìn)身心平衡。一個月至少一次在溫泉浴場享受按摩是很好的一個方法，但如果你沒有時間或金錢來做這個，那么你可以要求你的另一半給你來次按摩。這具有的意義可以更深遠(yuǎn)，也是幫你理清思路獲得靈感的一個好方法。
10. Watch your favorite inspirational movie or read your inspirational book. When I feel exhausted and completely out of balance I always watch my favorite movie Legally Blonde. Some people might think that it’s silly but they are not here to judge me and the most important is that it always helps.
10. 看你最喜歡的能激發(fā)靈感的一部電影或者一本書。每當(dāng)我感到精疲力盡、完全失衡的時候，我總是會看我最喜歡的電影《律政俏佳人》。有些人可能認(rèn)為這很傻，但是他們不是在這里審判我的，最重要的是，這總是很有幫助。3
11. Write it down (expressive writing). Whatever there is on your mind just write it down in any way that will be convenient for you. I personally prefer the old-fashioned notebook and my own hand writing. As soon as I write my thoughts or worries down they leave my mind and give me room for my next thought. You can start with a simple question like ‘What should I do?’ and keep writing down all the thoughts that come to your mind.
11. 寫下來（表現(xiàn)思想的文字）。不管你腦子里有什么，以任何方便的方式寫下來。我個人更喜歡用老式的筆記本，自己手寫。一旦我寫下我的想法或者擔(dān)憂，它們馬上就從我的腦中離開，從而給我的下一個想法騰出了空間。你可以以一個簡單的問題開始，像是“我應(yīng)該做什么？”，然后一直寫下你腦子里所有的想法。
12. Drink a cup of coffee with a square of dark chocolate. I am not an avid coffee drinker and I can’t imagine my day and even a week without even a drop of it, but sometimes this magical brown liquid can perform real miracles for me. My favorite is black (without sugar or milk) strong Turkish coffee. Even a few drops of this drink energize my body and mind and a square of dark chocolate adds a little bit more pleasure to this ritual. It’s also believed that just a little bit of sugar and cocoa beans can sharpen your mind and make you more alert. This works wonders for me, but I do not practice it more that 2 times a week.
12. 喝一杯咖啡，來一塊黑巧克力。我不是一個喝咖啡上癮的人，我無法想象我的一天甚至一個星期一滴咖啡都不沾，但有時這種神奇的棕色液體真的會給我?guī)砥孥E。我最喜愛濃濃的土耳其清咖啡（不加糖和牛奶）。即便是幾滴也會給我的身心注入能量，一塊黑巧克力給這個小習(xí)慣增添了點(diǎn)滴樂趣。人們也相信，只是一點(diǎn)糖和可可豆就可以使你的思維更敏捷，更機(jī)靈。這在我身上產(chǎn)生了奇妙的作用，但是我一周最多喝兩次。
In order to write this article I used three tips mentioned above – a nice relaxing walk, expressive writing and a cup of coffee. I hope the effectiveness of these techniques talk for themselves. Clearing your mind for everyday tasks is not rocket science and it will help you find inspiration in every day routines, find new approaches to old problems and bring a little bit more balance into your life. Keep it balanced!
為了寫這篇文章，我用了上述的三條小貼士——舒適放松的散步、寫下表現(xiàn)思想的文字和一杯咖啡。我希望這些技巧的效果可以不言而喻。為每日的工作理清思路并不是什么難以理解的事情，它會幫助你在每天的日常活動中找到靈感，給老問題找到新的解決方法，給你的生活帶來些許平衡。保持平衡吧！
