How to Live a Simple and Peaceful Life
Life on the fast track will eventually take its toll on your health and your relationships with others. The pressure to perform and live up to unrealistic expectations leaves you yearning for a simpler more peaceful life. By adjusting your schedule, reprioritizing your life, and changing your physical environment you will attain the life you desire.
快节奏的生活最终会对健康和与人的关系造成伤害。承担不切实际期望的压力让你渴望更简单更安宁的生活。通过调整你的日程安排，重新确定你的生活的优先顺序，改变你的生活环境，你将获得你想要的生活。
Method 1: Adjusting Your Schedule
方法一: 调整计划安排
放慢节奏。 有时候，你习惯了忙碌，甚至觉察不到自己的生活节奏有多快。只要嘴上说“放慢节奏”这几个字，你就能暂停飞奔的脚步，注意到自己节奏有多快。先提醒你这一点，是希望你在阅读这篇文章的过程中和读完后，都能清楚地意识到这一点。
- Avoid multi-tasking. It has become popular, if not clichéd, to multi-task. Research indicates that there is a point where the quality of what you are doing declines when you try to focus on too many tasks at once. Just because everyone is doing it doesn’t mean you have to. <br> 不要一心多用。如今，一心多用倒是很流行。研究表明如果你一心多用，同时处理的任务数量超过一定限度，工作质量就会大打折扣。虽说大家都这么做，但不代表你也要这样。
- Find your threshold of diminishing return on the number of tasks you can work on. Your goal is to do things well so you can feel good about your accomplishments. <br> 搞清楚你最多能在不影响质量的前提下，同时处理多少项任务。你的目的是要把工作完成，给自己带来成就感。
- Do nothing as if it were something. There is an art to doing nothing. Many people struggle with taking time to pause and regroup. Even if you take a five-minute break to do nothing, do it. <br> 把“什么事也不做”当成“重要的事”来做。什么事也不做也是一门学问。很多人总是抽不出时间停下来重新理清思路。即使只停五分钟时间，什么事也不做，也要把它当成一件重要的事来做。
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Reduce your commitments. If you have current commitments to do something, then follow through until the tasks or events are complete. However, from this point forward take on fewer commitments. You may struggle at first, but focus your intent on simplifying your life, which will bring about peace. Allow the eventual goal to motivate you and quiet your feelings of guilt.
减少手头任务。 如果手头有事情要处理，就先把手头上的任务或事情处理好。但是，处理好之后，请开始逐步减少接手的任务。一开始你会很矛盾，但是，把注意力集中在简化生活的目的上，你就会感到安心。让最终目标给你动力，平息你的负罪感。- Limit the number of times you say, “Yes” by keeping a tally on your calendar. First, determine your “comfort level” for how many events you can peacefully manage. Second, stick to that number. No one can always be the good guy who says, “Yes.”
限制你答应帮别人做事的次数，并在日历上做记录。先弄清楚你可以游刃有余地同时处理多少项任务。然后，坚持只处理这么多任务。没人能做那个总是答应帮别人做事的老好人。 - When you are asked to participate in an event, do not quickly answer. Pause for a moment to discern if the event will enrich your life. If it won’t you can say, “Thank you for inviting me, but I need to pass.”
有人邀请时，不要立刻答应。先想想这项活动能否充实自己的生活？如果不能，就回答：“感谢你邀请我，但我不能去。” - Develop an ability to say, “no” by communicating your intent. There are times when some people will not take “no” for an answer. This is your cue to share a bit more information with the person to set your boundary. Consider saying something like, “You are so kind to think of me, but I’m making some changes in my life that are reale to decline.” The person will likely support your decision.
清楚表达自己的想法，培养说“不”的能力。有时候，别人非要让你接受邀请不可。这时候，你就要给别人一点暗示，划清你的界限。你可以这样回答：“感谢你能想到我，但现在我的生活正面临重要的改变，这对我自己、家人和健康来说都至关重要，所以我才不得不婉言谢绝。”对方会支持你所做的决定。
 - Limit the number of times you say, “Yes” by keeping a tally on your calendar. First, determine your “comfort level” for how many events you can peacefully manage. Second, stick to that number. No one can always be the good guy who says, “Yes.”
Eliminate extras. The concept of conspicuous consumption may describe your life. It entails lavish or wasteful spending that attempts to show others your level of social prestige. Simplifying your life will drastically cut into the amount of “extras” you have grown accustom to. The goal is to cut out the extra expenses so you won’t be tied down by financial obligations.
摆脱过度消费。 你的生活中可能存在摆阔性的消费。摆阔性的消费包括向他人显摆社会地位的奢侈或过度消费。通过简化生活，你已经习惯的过度消费会显著减少。这样做的目的是为了减少额外支出，不会背负债务。- Question if you really need that third iPad or newest electronic gadget, or twice-a-day trip through the coffee retailer drive-thru. Just say “no” to yourself, and “yes” to your desire to live a simpler and more peaceful life. Each time you are faced with a decision, you can make a good decision.
问问自己，是不是真的需要再买个平板电脑或最新的电子产品，或者每天去得来速咖啡门店消费两次。对自己说“不”，对自己想过简单而又平静的生活意愿说“行”。每次面临选择时，你总可以做出明智的选择。 - Find fulfillment in the simple things in life by spending time with friends, in nature, or building something with your own two hands. Intrinsic rewards will improve your motivation and overall satisfaction with your life.
通过做简单的事情来充实自己，与好友相处，与大自然亲密接触，用勤劳的双手去创造。内在奖励能提高积极性和对生活的满足感。
 - Question if you really need that third iPad or newest electronic gadget, or twice-a-day trip through the coffee retailer drive-thru. Just say “no” to yourself, and “yes” to your desire to live a simpler and more peaceful life. Each time you are faced with a decision, you can make a good decision.
Declutter your living area. People create their world around them and fill it with items. If you want to simplify your life, survey your surroundings and get organized. A well-organized home is a healthy home. Eliminating surplu items that you no longer use will help declutter your home, youur emotions and your thoughts. When your exterior world is free of clutter, so is your interior world.
整理自己的居住环境。 人创造了身边的世界，并用各种物品来丰富自己的世界。如果你想简化生活，先看看身边的环境，把它收拾整齐。整齐的家就是健康的家。彻底清理长期不用的多余物品，整理自己的家，理清自己的感情和头绪。外在世界井然有序，内心世界就不会混乱。- Take a minimum of 10 minutes a day to organize your surroundings.
每天至少抽十分钟时间整理环境。 - Use the weekend or your days off to take on bigger projects like cleaning closets, drawers and garages.
利用周末或休息日仔细清理柜子、抽屉和车库。 - Sort your items into three categories: Keep; donate; and throw away. Giving away lightly used items to charitable organizations gives others an opportunity to enjoy the items and provides jobs for the workers who process the donations. With each donation you make you are helping the community, which enhances your self-esteem.
将自己的物品分成三大类，要保留、捐赠或丢弃的东西。把极少使用的东西捐给慈善机构，让其他人有机会使用，同时也给处理捐赠物的工作人员提供了工作。每次捐赠都是在帮助社会，也在提升自己的自尊。
- Take a minimum of 10 minutes a day to organize your surroundings.
Method 2: Reprioritizing Your Life
方法二：重新规划生活重心
明确价值观。 仔细想想，你认为什么东西是重要的，什么影响你的言行和为人。这就是价值观。价值观决定了你的选择。想要明确自己的价值观并不容易，但值得为之付出努力。
- To identify your values, think about the times in your life when you were the happiest, most proud, most fulfilled and satisfied. Make a list and determine what you valuere, loyalty and hard work each of these situations provided. Maynture, loyalty and hard work each of these situations provided. Maybe you realize that you value your family the most. These will be a driving force in everything you do. <br> 明确自己的价值观，想想生活中，你在什么时候最快乐、最自豪、最充实和满足？逐个列出来，看看在这些情况下，你最看重哪个方面。也许你看重当时的创造力、冒险、忠诚和努力。也许你会意识到自己最看重家庭。这些都会影响你所做的一切事情。
- If you want to live a simple peaceful life, then you might vlue serenity, resourcefulness, stability, and health. <br> 如果你想过简单而平静的生活，很可能会比较看重平静、智谋、稳定和健康。
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Align your activities with your values. Participate in activities that are congruent with your values and desire to simplify your life. You will know if your activities are in line with your values by the way you feel. You will feel satisfied and content. When it comes to activities that conflict with your values, the opposite is true. You will have a strong feeling that something is wrong and you are unhappy.
参加与价值观一致的活动。 参加的活动要与你的价值观和简化生活的意愿一致。你的感觉会告诉你所参与的活动是否和你的价值观一致。你会感觉心满意足。如果活动与你的价值观有冲突，那情况就正好相反。你会感觉很不对劲，而且也不高兴。- Decline offers to events that conflict with your intent to live peacefully.
如果他人的邀请和你想平静生活的意愿有冲突，就婉言谢绝。 - Make a decision to live a value-driven life. It will take discipline and focus, which can be enhanced by things such as a yoga and physical exercise.
让价值主导生活。这需要自律和专注，可以通过练习瑜伽和锻炼身体来加强。
 - Decline offers to events that conflict with your intent to live peacefully.
Formulate a plan and commit to it. Following a problem solving model will give you structure for creating change. You have identified your desire to live a simple and peaceful life and now you must determine clear objectives, implement them, make adjustments as needed and monitor your progress.
制定并坚持执行计划。 坚持通过某种特定的模式来解决问题，就能为你的改变带来头绪。你已经明确了自己的意愿，想过简单而又平静生活，那从现在开始，就要制定清晰的目标，努力去完成目标，根据情况进行适当调整，并随时关注自己的进展。- Determine clear objectives. One objective may be that you set a schedule and keep a log of your decluttering efforts. Self-monitoring leads to real change.
设定清晰的目标。目标可以设定为制定内务整理计划，并做好相关记录。自我监督能促进真正的转变。 - Pick a start date for your plan and start. Don’t delay the inevitable. Start as soon as possible.
确定计划的开始日期，并立即开始执行。既然事情非做不可，那就不要拖延。立即开始做。 - Recognize your growth and reward yourself. If you successfully meet your daily, weekly or monthly objectives, celebrate your accomplishments. Perhaps you could go to a movie, attre. Positive reinforcement will motivate you to continue with yoour plan.
认识到自己在进步，并给自己奖励。如果你成功地完成了每日、每周或每月目标，那就应该庆祝一下。去看场电影，观看体育赛事或植树纪念自己崇拜的人。积极强化能激励你将自己的计划坚持到底。 - If a strategy isn’t working for you, then stop using it. Find an alternative and plug it into your plan. Don’t look at it as a failure; instead look at it as a correction in the course toward your goal.
如果某个方法对你不管用，就不要用了。换个方法执行计划。不要将这视为失败，要把它看作实现目标过程中的改进。 - Your new behaviors will build over time and become second nature to you. As your behavior becomes more natural, you can lessen your strict adherence to your plan and still maintain positive outcomes.
新的做法会随时间逐步强化，最终形成习惯。当习惯成自然，即使你不严格遵循计划，仍能获得积极的效果。
 - Determine clear objectives. One objective may be that you set a schedule and keep a log of your decluttering efforts. Self-monitoring leads to real change.
Practice living in the present moment. Don’t occupy your thoughts with too much about the past or too much about the future. A wandering mind is an unhappy mind. Simmlifying your thoughts involves quieting your mind, and staying focused on what you are doing at that moment.
学会活在当下。 不要太纠缠于过去，或太在意将来。神志恍惚可不是乐观的心态。简化思路需要静心，需要你专注于当前所做的事情。- Use visualization exercises to imagine yourself in a simple, peaceful stress-free environment. This will help quiet your mind.
通过视觉想象设想自己身处一个简单、平静、毫无压力的环境之中。这样做可以让心灵平静。 - Engage in conversation or exercise. These are two of the most effective waays to stay in the present moment.
参与交谈或锻炼。这是让自己活在当下的最有效的两种方式。
 - Use visualization exercises to imagine yourself in a simple, peaceful stress-free environment. This will help quiet your mind.
Write in a gratitude journal. The benefits of keeping a gratitude journal include improved sleep, improved health and increased happiness – all factors that create peace in your life. There are things to consider to obtain the highest level of benefit:
写感恩日记。 记感恩日记有诸多好处，可以改善睡眠，增进健康，并提升幸福感。这些都能令你的生活平静。你需要对一些事情加以思考，才能充分获益：- Start by deciding to become happier and more grateful.
先下决心成为一个快乐和感恩的人。 - Provide the details about the things you are grateful for rather than stating simple phrases.
描述你所感恩的事情，要详细，不是只言片语。 - Gear your gratitude toward people rather than things.
感恩人，而不是感恩事物。 - Consider how your life would be different by removing something you care about. This will inspire you to think of additional aspects of your gratitude.
想想如果没有你在意的事，你的生活会有何不同。这能激励你换个角度去看待你的感恩。 - Remember to include unexpected surprises.
别忘了那些意外的惊喜。 - Don’t lose your gumption to write by forcing yourself to write every day. Perhaps once or twice a week would be comfortable routine.
坚持每天记日记，防止积极性下降。一周写一两次最合适。
 - Start by deciding to become happier and more grateful.
Practice empathy and compassion to create peace. The ability to appreciate someone else’s struggle is an important skill to develop. It comes easy to some people, and not to others. You know how you would like to be treated, so use that as a guide when trying to forgive someone.
用同情和怜悯来获得平静。 学会欣赏他人的努力是你要重点培养的能力。对有些人来说，这很容易，但是对其他人来说并不容易。你想要别人怎么对你？在决定要不要原谅别人时，不妨想想这一点。- If you want to practice empathy and compassion start by reaching out to a family member or friend and offer to help her in some way. Perhaps you could run an errand for her, or do something simple like unload groceries, or water her plants. The point of this exercise is to provide to others the feelings and actions you appreciate when someone does the same for you.
如果你想表达同情和怜悯，先试着向家人或朋友表达，给他们提供一些帮助。帮忙跑个腿，或者帮忙做些简单的事情，比如拎东西、给花浇水等等。这样做的关键在于让别人也能体会到，你在得到他人帮助时内心的感激之情。
 - If you want to practice empathy and compassion start by reaching out to a family member or friend and offer to help her in some way. Perhaps you could run an errand for her, or do something simple like unload groceries, or water her plants. The point of this exercise is to provide to others the feelings and actions you appreciate when someone does the same for you.
Switch from resentful to grateful to improve relationships. Much of a person’s internal and external unrest stems from conflis like drinking poison expecting the other person to be harmed.. Thoughts of gratitude will help improve your mood and thus, lessen feelings of resentment. When you feel resentful stop yourself and ask the following questions:
从心怀怨恨转变为心存感激，可以改善人家关系。 人内在与外在的不安源自于与他人之间的冲突。常言道，恨别人，就像自己在喝毒药，却希望别人中毒。感激之情有助于改善情绪，减少怨恨的感觉。如果心怀怨恨，不妨问问自己：- Do I feel good when I think about this person?
想到这个人时，我的感觉好吗？ - Are my negative feelings helping me or hurting me?
这种消极情绪是在帮我，还是在害我？ - Do my thoughts aimed at retribution toward this person have any actual impact on the other person?
我对这人心怀怨恨，但这对他有什么实际影响吗？ - The obvious answers to the questions are no, no and no. Next, respond with gratitude-filled statements: I feel good that I am letting go of my resentment for this person; My focus on moving forward is helping me feel better; I am focused on improving my life rather than destroying someone else’s.
显而易见，答案都是否定的。接下来，改用充满感激的言语，比如“停止怨恨让我感觉很好”、“放手前行让我感觉很好”、“我在努力改善自己的生活，而不是破坏他人的生活”。
- Do I feel good when I think about this person?
Method 3: Changing Your World
方法三：改变你的世界
换个居住环境。 住在人口密集的地方可能会给你带来过度的压力。换个风景，到一个平静安宁的地方，就能让你过上简单的生活。家是你温馨的港湾。
- If you must stay close to where you currently live, then research prospective properties to rent or buy. Using a property manager can be very helpful. <br> 如果必须住在离现在位置近的地方，那就调查一下附近可出租或购买的房产。找个房产经理人能给你帮上不少忙。
- If you are interested in making a big leap, then research areas farther away that offer what you desire. You might feel better and more positive about living near the ocean, in the mountains, or on the top floor of a beautiful skyscraper.
- Consider buying a "tiny house." This small scale version of a house has everything you could want. Designed for the minimalist who enjoys all the comforts of home in an extremely small space. The house can be placed on a piece of property, hooked up to water and sewer and you call it home. <br> 考虑购买迷你屋。迷你屋具备你想要的一切，是为希望在小空间里享受家一般舒适感觉的极简主义者专门设计的，可将房子置于私人地盘，然后连上排水管，就是你所说的家了。
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- You can forego a large mortgage in exchange for a creatively designed little, peaceful, environmentally conscious home. <br> 你可以放弃申请巨额贷款，住进一个设计新颖的小巧、平静、环保的家。
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Simplify your transportation. There are plenty of people who own a high-line car with a payment that is equivalent to a house payment. This is another instld be re-purposed to free yourself from financial obligations.
简化出行。 很多人拥有高档车，花销赶得上房款了。用在车上的钱完全可以用在其他方面，缓解你的经济压力。- Small eco-friendly cars will get you where you want to go and decrease your carbon footprint. Less pollution means a simpler, cleaner existence.
四处均可通行的小型环保车可以减少碳排放量。污染少就意味着你的生活更简单、更干净。 - Get a bike and ride it to work. It is great exercise and you will always have a great parking spot.
买个自行车，骑车上班。骑车是个很不错的运动，停车也很方便。
 - Small eco-friendly cars will get you where you want to go and decrease your carbon footprint. Less pollution means a simpler, cleaner existence.
Change careers. There is nothing worse than going to a job every day that you hate. If all your attempts to make it more enjoyable have been unsuccessful, you would benefit from changing jobs and/or careers. If you are spending 80 hours a week cranking out sales quotas that leave you depleted and stressed, itt is time for a change toward the simpler life.
换个工作。 没什么事情比每天都要去干自己讨厌的工作更糟糕了。如果你尝试了很多方法，想让工作能开心一点，但都失败了，你可能需要换工作或改行。如果你一周要花八十小时来完成销售指标，搞得自己精疲力竭，压力巨大，是时候改变一下，去过更简单的生活。- As you folow your plan you may find that you don’t have to make as much mney to support your new lifestyle. This will allow you the freeddom to explore options that may be more in line with your goals, values and interests.
计划实施的过程中，你会发现其实并不需要挣太多钱，就能维持你的新生活方式。这让你有充分的自由去探索和你的目标、价值和兴趣相一致的东西。 - Contact a career counselor at the local college, or in private practice to explore your options and discover what you would really like to do for work.
联系当地大学或私人机构的职业顾问，探索你的选择，找到你最喜欢的工作。
 - As you folow your plan you may find that you don’t have to make as much mney to support your new lifestyle. This will allow you the freeddom to explore options that may be more in line with your goals, values and interests.
Adopt a practice for well-being. Making yourself and your health a priority is essential to living a simple and peaceful life. Develop a lifestyle for yourself to follow. Use schedules and routines to maintain a healthy balance of work, play and rejuvenation.
培养健康的生活方式。 把自己和健康放在首位，是简单、平静的生活中十分重要的一环。培养并遵循一种健康的生活方式。通过制定计划和安排日常事项，来维持工作、娱乐和精力之间的平衡。- This includes a healthy eating plan that will fuel your body and provide you with energy to maintain an exercise regime. You may need to change perspectives about exercise, but you will benefit immensely.
这包括健康饮食。健康饮食能给身体提供能量，让自己坚持健身计划。你可能需要改变对运动的看法，但是你会获得巨大的益处。 - Meditate and rejuvenate and you will enjoy life that much more.
进行冥想，恢复精力，你就会更享受生活。
 - This includes a healthy eating plan that will fuel your body and provide you with energy to maintain an exercise regime. You may need to change perspectives about exercise, but you will benefit immensely.
Be responsible for your own happiness. Be self-reliant. Happiness is an inside job and you are responsible to create it. You know what makes you happy, so participate in activities that will build a reservoir of positive feelings. It is easier to face difficult situations if you are filled with good vibes. A happier you will always make any situation and relationship better.
对自己的幸福负责。 学会自力更生。幸福是一份内在事业，你需要努力创造幸福。你明白什么能让你快乐，参加能给你带来积极感受的活动。充满正能量的人更容易应对困难。乐观的你总能让任何情况和人际关系变得更加美好。