Stress 压力

张恒

Have you ever felt sick to your stomach during a test？ Have you had days when you were so loaded1 down with homework that you had trouble sleeping？ Have you ever been so worried about something that you ended up with a terrible headache？

你在考试期间是否曾感到肠胃不适？你是否曾有几天因为繁多的家庭作业而无法入睡？你是否曾经因为担心某事而头痛不已？

If so， then you know what its like to feel stress. Youve probably heard people say， “Wow， Im really stressed out.” or “This is making me totally stressed.” Maybe you hear adults say those kinds of things all the time. But kids have lots of things going on in their lives that can cause stress， too.

如果是这样，那你就会知道有压力是怎么回事了。你可能已经听人们说过“哇，我真的很有压力。”或“这让我感到太有压力了。”也许你听到大人一直在说这类话。但是孩子们的生活中也会发生很多事情，这些事情也会产生压力。

Stress is what you feel when you are worried or uncomfortable about something. This worry in your mind can make your body feel bad. You may feel angry， frustrated， scared， or afraid—which can give you a stomachache or a headache.

當你担心或不舒服时，会感到有压力。内心的担心会使你的身体感到不适。你可能会感到生气、沮丧、害怕或恐惧，这可能会让你感到胃痛或头痛。

When youre stressed you may not feel like sleeping or eating， or you might sleep or eat too much. You also may feel cranky2 or have trouble paying attention at school and remembering things at home.

当你承受压力时，可能会不想睡觉或吃饭，或者可能会睡太多或吃过多。你可能还会胡思乱想，或者在学校无法集中注意力，并在家背书时遇到困难。

Plenty of things can cause stress in a kids life， and there are such things as good stress and bad stress. Good or normal stress might show up when youre called on in class or when you have to give a report. Have you ever gotten butterflies in your stomach or sweaty hands？ Those can be signs of good stress—the kind of stress that can help you to get things done. For example， you may do a better job on your book report if the worries inspire3 you to prepare well before you have to read it to the class.

很多事情都会给孩子的生活造成压力，其中包括好的压力和坏的压力。当你在课堂上被点名或必须作报告时，可能会出现良好或正常的压力。你是否曾经紧张得好像有蝴蝶在肚子里或出汗的手心里舞动？这些可能是好的压力的迹象，这种压力可以帮助你完成学习任务。例如，如果焦虑感促使你在上课前准备充分，那么在读书报告方面你可能会表现更好。

But bad stress can happen if the stressful feelings keep going over time. You may not feel well if your parents are fighting， if a family member is sick， if youre having problems at school， or if youre going through anything else that makes you upset every day. That kind of stress isnt going to help you， and it can actually make you sick.

但是，如果压力感随着时间的流逝而持续，可能会产生不良压力。如果你的父母在吵架，家人生病，在学校遇到问题，或经历其他任何让你天天都不高兴的事情，你可能会感到不适。这种压力对你没有帮助，而且实际上会使你感到难受。

Once you recognize4 that youre feeling stressed， there are several things you can do. You can try talking about whats bothering5 you with an adult you trust， like a parent or teacher. Bring up whats been on your mind and how it makes you feel. An adult may have ideas about how to solve whatever is worrying you or making you uncomfortable.

一旦意识到自己有压力，可以做几件事。你可以尝试和信任的大人谈谈是什么事困扰着你，例如父母或老师，提出你的想法以及感受。一个成年人可能对如何解决让你感到担心或不舒服的事情有好办法。

If youre feeling tired and stressed because you have too much going on， like lots of after-school activities， you might feel better if you drop something， even if its just for a term or so. Sometimes lots of activities—even if theyre all fun—can make you feel stressed by keeping you busy all the time. On the other hand， if problems at home are bugging6 you， some （but not too many！） after-school activities may actually help you relax and feel better.

如果你因为忙于过多的事情，例如许多课后活动，而感到疲倦和压力的话，如果停掉几个，即使只是一个学期左右，你也会感覺好些。有时即使很有趣，过多的活动也会让你一直忙碌，从而使你感到压力重重。另一方面，如果家里的问题困扰着你，那么一些（但不是太多！）课余活动实际上可以帮助你放松身心，并感觉好转。

Getting enough sleep and eating healthy food are two great ways to help handle stress. You also can use relaxation exercises to get rid of stress. The easiest one to do is to breathe in slowly and deeply through your nose， and then breathe out slowly through your mouth. Do this two to four times， but dont take in too much air too quickly because it can make you feel lightheaded7.

充足的睡眠和健康的食物是帮助缓解压力的两种重要方式。你还可以做一些放松运动来消除压力。最简单的方法是鼻子慢慢吸气，然后嘴慢慢呼气。这样做两到四次，但是不要太快吸入过多空气，因为那样会使你感到头晕目眩。

You can do exercises like this anytime， without anyone noticing. You can even do breathing exercises in class if youre nervous before a test.

你可以随时进行这样的练习，且不引起任何人注意。如果你在考试前感到紧张，甚至可以在课堂上做呼吸运动。

The best way to keep stress away is to have a balanced life. That means making good decisions about how to spend your time. If youre only dealing with school stuff and have no time to play， you can get stressed. Make sure you keep your SELF in mind： Sleep， Exercise， Leisure （something fun）， and Food.

减轻压力的最好方法是保持平衡的生活。这意味着要对如何消磨时间做出正确的决定。如果你只顾学习而没有时间玩，你会感到压力。确保牢记自己的需求：睡眠、运动、休闲（有趣的事）和食物。

If you take care of yourself and get enough sleep and food， and if you exercise and leave time for fun stuff， youll probably be less stressed out.

如果你能照顾好自己，并获得充足的睡眠和食物，锻炼身体并抽时间去玩有趣的东西，那你就可以减压。