摘要:我们的情感世界有一种强大的力量，不仅决定我们的精神健康，还决定我们的身体健康。以下这5种积极的情绪都表明能改善身体健康，预防疾病。

Our emotional world has a remarkable power to determine not only our mental health, but also how our physical well-being.

我们的情感世界有一种强大的力量，不仅决定我们的精神健康，还决定我们的身体健康。

Here are five positive emotions that have been shown to improve physical health and prevent disease.

以下这5种积极的情绪都表明能改善身体健康，预防疾病。

Optimism may protect the heart.

乐观能保护心脏。

A growing body of research has suggested that cultivating this quality can have a protective effect on the heart. According to a 2012 review of literature, a number of studies have shown that people with optimistic personalities are at a reduced risk of cardiovascular events. Optimism's benefits for physical health also extend beyond heart health. Here are a few other ways that a sunny disposition may improve health outcomes, including improved immune system function and increased longevity.

越来越多的身体方面的研究表明，培养乐观的心态对心脏有保护作用。回顾2012年的文献，很多研究都表明具有乐观性格的人患心血管疾病的风险降低了。乐观对身体健康的好处也不仅限于心脏健康，开朗的性情能改善几种健康状况，包括提高免疫机能，延长寿命。

Compassion and care for others can improve vagus nerve function.

同情关心别人能改善迷走神经功能。

Positive psychologist Barbara Frederickson has conducted research on the effects of lovingkindness meditation (LKM), a traditional Buddhist practice that involves meditating on love and extending compassion to oneself and a progressively large group of others. Frederickson found just six weeks of LKM training to have a positive impact on the vagus nerve, which extends from the brain stem to the heart, helping to regulate emotions as well as bodily systems including the cardiovascular and digestivesystems.

积极心理学家巴巴拉•弗雷德里克森研究了仁爱冥想(LKM)的效果,这是一种传统的佛教练习，是对爱的冥想，把同情延伸到自己身上，再逐渐扩展到更多其他人身上。弗雷德里克森发现仅6周的仁爱冥想训练就对迷走神经有积极影响，能从脑干传到心脏，有助于调节情绪和包括心血管和消化系统在内的身体系统。

Experiencing awe reduces inflammatory markers associated with autoimmune disease.

敬畏的心态能有助于减少与自身免疫疾病有关的炎症因子。

Research has shown that experiences of art, religion and philosophy are the most common experiences that evoke a sense of awe -- that sense of wonder and connection to something larger than ourselves.

研究表明，艺术、宗教和哲学的体验是最常见的能唤起敬畏感的体验——也就是惊奇感和与比自己更强大的事物的联系。

According to new research from the University of California at Berkeley, awe is not only pleasurable but also enormously beneficial for one's physical and mental health. The Berkeley study found that those who had recently experienced awe had lower levels of cytokines, inflammatory markers that, in chronically high levels, have been implicated in the development of autoimmune diseases, as well as other health problems including heart disease, Alzheimer's and depression. This suggests that awe promotes healthier levels of cytokines and may prevent disease.

根据加利福尼亚大学伯克利分校的新研究，敬畏不仅使人身心舒畅，而且对人的身心健康大有裨益。伯克利的这项研究发现，近期产生过敬畏心理的人细胞生长抑制素，也就是炎症因子的水平更低，炎症因子水平长期较高的话，就会造成自身免疫疾病和其他健康问题，包括心脏病、阿兹海默症和抑郁症。这表明敬畏可以促使细胞生长抑制素达到更健康的水平，以及预防疾病。

Gratitude may also benefit heart health and immune system function.

感恩也有利于心脏健康和免疫系统功能。

Like optimism, an "attitude of gratitude" -- an appreciation and feeling of thankfulness for the blessings one has in life -- carries significant mental and physical health benefits. Gratefulness, like optimism, has been linked with improved immune health, and has also been shown to improve sleep quality. Gratitude may also improve health and well-being in a variety of ways insofar as it lowers stress levels -- stress being one of the main contributing factors to many chronic diseases.

像乐观的心态一样，“感恩的态度”——对生活中所拥有的眷顾的欣赏和感谢——对身心健康大有好处。感恩像乐观一样，可以改善免疫系统健康，也表明能提高睡眠质量。感恩还能在很多方面改善健康和幸福，因为它能帮助减压——压力是导致很多慢性病的主要因素之一。

Self-compassion improves health-related behaviors.

自我怜悯有助于改善与健康有关的行为。

People who cultivate kindness towards themselves are also kinder to their bodies, potentially helping them to prevent or manage a range of negative physical and mental health outcomes. A 2013 study published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin examined the relationship between self-compassion, reactions to illness, and a range of health-related behaviors, finding that self-compassionate people sought medical attention sooner for symptoms that they were experiencing than people who were lacking in self-compassion. Self-compassionate people also tended to be less depressed about health problems they were experiencing, and also to take a more proactive approach towards their own health.

对自己仁慈的人对自己的身体更仁慈，对预防或控制一系列消极的身心健康状况有潜在的帮助。2013年刊登在《个性与社会心理学公报》的一项研究测试了自我怜悯、对疾病的反应和一系列与健康有关的行为之间的关系，发现自我怜悯的人出现病症时会比缺乏自我怜悯的人更早地去看医生。自我怜悯的人对正遭受的健康问题也不那么沮丧，也会更积极地面对自己的健康。