How to Stop Procrastination
如何阻止拖延症
来源: https://www.popsci.com
官方翻译
If you found this article on social media, it's likely that the bulk of the comments are some variation of "I'll read this later, lol."
如果你在社交媒体里看到过这篇文章，评论里可能有很多 “我稍后来看，哈哈” 这类话。
So, if you're reading this instead of responding to that urgent text your boss sent you a couple of minutes ago, that's procrastination.
如果你正在读这篇文章，而不去回复老板几分钟前发给你的紧急信息，那么这就是拖延。
Happily, that's not an insurmountable issue, especially if we can get in touch with why we're putting things off.
令人欣慰的是，拖延症并非一个无法克服的问题，尤其是如果我们能知道为什么人会拖延事情。
We delay tasks for the same reasons we put off going to bed at night:
人们推迟事情的原因与熬夜的原因相同：
We find it hard to practice emotional regulation, which is what allows us to control behavior driven solely by our emotions.
很难管理情绪，这就是我们的行为完全被情绪牵着走的原因。
Without this ability, our feelings would steer 100 percent of our actions, and we wouldn't do anything we didn't want to do.
如果缺乏管理情绪的能力，情绪就会完全操纵行为，使我们不去做任何不想做的事情。
Nobody likes those feelings, so at a subconscious level, we feel like if we procrastinate, we'll be able to get rid of them.
没人喜欢这种感受。潜意识里，我们以为如果把事情拖延下去，就能解决掉。
If the idea of doing something fills you with so much anxiety or dread that you can't get started, easing into it with a self-soothing activity can be a good idea.
如果做某事给你带来很大的焦虑，或者你害怕迈出第一步，那么做些事情安抚自己来减少不适，会是个不错的办法。
Maybe put on your favorite song and dance around the room, or give yourself 10 minutes to cuddle with a pet or loved one.
你可以播放一首最喜欢的歌，在房间跳跳舞，也可以花十分钟抱抱宠物或爱人。
Once you have given yourself the chance to turn down the volume on those initial negative feelings, you will be able to assess the task more rationally.
You might find it's not as terrible as it feels.
一旦你给自己机会去排解刚开始的消极情绪，就能更理性地评估任务。也许你会发现它并没有想象中那么可怕。
Once you've got that perspective, the next step is simple: Just get started.
一旦你养成了这个观念，接下来的事就很简单：开始着手做就行。
The difference between "started" and "not started" is remarkable in your brain—you might surprise yourself with how much momentum a small action can give you.
大脑对 “开始” 和 “没开始” 有显著的区分，你可能会惊讶，一个小举动竟能给你带来很大的动力。
Part of this process involves getting rid of the excuses that allowed us to procrastinate in the first place.
这个过程中，你首先要丢掉那些为拖延找的借口。
For example, you may be exhausted (which is OK), and that may lead you to conclude you're better off doing something until after you have rested.
例如，你可能很疲惫（这当然是会有的），拖延会说服你最好先休息一下再做事。
What's even more helpful, in this case, is to conclude that even though you're too tired to complete your task entirely, you might still be able to start and get a little bit done.
在这种情况下，要说服自己即使很累无法完成全部工作，但仍可以着手完成一小部分，这才对你有帮助。
If we can push through bad feelings, we can do the next thing that needs to be done, and at that point, we've already won part of the battle.
如果我们能克服消极情绪，接下来就能去做需要完成的事情。达到这一点，我们就已经取得了部分胜利。
What Is HSAM?
什么是超级记忆力？
官方翻译
Can you imagine being able to remember every single experience of your life and every word in your favorite book?
你能想象能够记住你生活中的每一次经历和你最喜欢的书中的每一个字吗？
That's what Becky's life is like.
这就是贝基的生活。
Three years ago, Becky was reading a newspaper article which mentioned that it was impossible for people to remember the details of their life in the first three years.
三年前，贝基在报纸上读到一篇文章，文章中提到人们不可能记住他们3岁前的生活细节。
"What nonsense!" she thought, because she could clearly remember her life all the way back to when she was just 12 days old.
“简直是胡说！” 她想，因为她可以清楚地记得她的生活，记得她只有12天大的时候。
Her parents had carried her to the driver's seat of their car and laid her down for a photo.
那天她的父母把她抱到汽车驾驶座上，让她躺下拍照。
But it wasn't nonsense.
但这不是在胡说八道。
She was just one of only 80 known people suffering from a mysterious condition called HSAM.
她是目前已知的80名患有一种名为超忆症的神秘病症的患者之一。
Becky's unusual case was shown on a program called 60 Minutes,
一个叫做《60分钟》的节目播出了贝基非比寻常的案例。
where reporter Allison tested her ability by asking her about her favorite book series, Harry Potter.
记者艾莉森通过询问她最喜欢的系列小说《哈利·波特》来测试她的记忆力。
Allison would pick up a book and open a page and read her a line.
艾利森会拿起一本书，翻开一页，给她读一行。
Immediately Becky would name the book, chapter number, chapter name and could recite every word until Allison told her to stop.
贝基则会马上说出这本书的名字、章节号、章节名，并且能背出每一个单词，直到艾利森叫她停下来。
Being able to remember every little detail is great, but as every HSAM sufferer will tell you, it's also tough to deal with it.
能够记住每一个小细节确实很棒，但是正如每一个超忆症患者所说的，这也会让人难以应对。
We always forget things to get over sad experiences in our lives, but it's something that people like Becky can't do.
我们总是忘记一些事情来克服生活中的悲伤经历，但像贝基这样的人却不能这么做。
Even walking on the street and lightly knocking into somebody can bring back bad memories from Becky's childhood.
即使是走在街上，轻轻地撞到别人，也会勾起贝基童年的糟糕回忆。
Also, like Becky, people with HSAM never do well in school, because they have problems picking up the important information from what they've learnt.
而且，就像贝基一样，患有超忆症的人在学校从来没有取得过好成绩，因为他们很难从所学的知识中获取重要信息。
Becky's great brain could help scientists find a cure for terrible mental illnesses like Alzheimer's.
贝基强大的大脑可以帮助科学家们找到治疗老年痴呆症等严重精神疾病的方法。
Her condition could hold the secret to treating or even preventing Alzheimer's.
她的病情可能是治疗甚至预防老年痴呆症的秘密所在。
