TED：改掉坏习惯的简单方式

TED英语演讲课

给心灵放个假吧

每个人都有自己的坏习惯，但是我们中的很多人并不知道该如何去改掉我们的坏习惯。

今天的TED演讲告诉大家改掉坏习惯的简单方式。

When I was first learning to meditate,

当我第一次学习冥想的时候，

the instruction was to simply pay attention to my breath,

得到的启示就是， 注意自己的呼吸，

and when my mind wandered,

而当我的思绪开小差时，

to bring it back.

就把它拉回来。

Sounded simple enough.

听起来很简单。

Yet I'd sit>但当我在静坐冥想时，

sweating through T-shirts in the middle of winter.

即使在冬天也会让我汗流浃背。

I'd take naps every chance I got because it was really hard work.

我每有机会都会小睡一会，因为真的很辛苦。

Actually, it was exhausting.

实际上，是精疲力竭了。

The instruction was simple enough but I was missing something really important.

指导很简单，但我错过了一些非常重要的东西。

So why is it so hard to pay attention?

那为什么专注会这么困难呢？

Well, studies show that even when we're really trying to pay attention to something -- like maybe this talk -- at some point,

研究表明，就算是我们尝试着专注于一些事情 -- 就像这个演讲 -- 到某个时间点，

about half of us will drift off into a daydream,

我们当中会有一半的人， 都会恍惚，进入神游状态，

or have this urge to check our Twitter feed.

或是会有一股冲动， 想去刷一刷推特。

So what's going>这到底是怎么回事呢？

It turns out that we're fighting>原来我们与之抗争的， 是一种最近被科学界发现的 -- 「演化保守的学习过程」，

one that's conserved back to the most basic nervous systems known to man.

它会被保存在人类所知的最基本神经系统里面。

This reward-based learning process is called positive and negative reinforcement,

这类奖励为本的学习过程， 称之为正强化和负强化， 基

and basically goes like this.

基本上是这样的。

We see some food that looks good,

我们看到了看起来好吃的食物，

our brain says, 'Calories!

我们的大脑会说：“卡路里！

...

..

Survival!'

生存！”

We eat the food,

然后我们把食物吃下去，

we taste it -- it tastes good.

我们尝了，味道不错。

And especially with sugar,

尤其是有加糖的，

our bodies send a signal to our brain that says,

我们的身体向我们的大脑发出信号说，

'Remember what you're eating and where you found it.'

“记住你在吃什么，在哪里找到的。”

We lay down this context-dependent memory and learn to repeat the process next time.

我们建立了这个上下文相关的记忆，并每一次都在重复。

See food, eat food, feel good, repeat.

看到食物、 吃下食物、感觉很好。

Trigger, behavior, reward.

触发，行为，奖励。

Simple, right?

很简单对吧？

Well, after a while,

嗯，过了一段时间，

our creative brains say,

我们富有创造力的大脑说，

'You know what?

“你知道吗？

You can use this for more than just remembering where food is.

你不只可以利用这个过程来记住食物在哪里，

You know, next time you feel bad,

而且还可以在下一次你感觉不好的时候，

why don't you try eating something good so you'll feel better?'

尝试吃一些好吃的，好让你感觉好点呢？”

We thank our brains for the great idea,

我们要感谢自己的脑袋里有这么好的点子，

try this and quickly learn that if we eat chocolate or ice cream when we're mad or sad,

试着做且学得快，就是当我们生气或是伤心的时候， 如果我们吃下巧克力或雪糕，

we feel better.

我们就会感觉好一点。

Same process, just a different trigger.

同样的过程， 只是用不一样的触发方式

Instead of this hunger signal coming from our stomach,

來代替原本我们的饥饿感，

this emotional signal -- feeling sad -- triggers that urge to eat.

这种情绪信号-感觉悲伤-触发了想吃东西的冲动。

Maybe in our teenage years,

也许在我们十几岁的时候，

we were a nerd at school,

曾经也是个书呆子，

and we see those rebel kids outside smoking and we think, 'Hey,

我们看到外面那些叛逆的孩子抽烟，我们想，“嘿，

I want to be cool.'

我想要耍酷 。”

So we start smoking.

于是我们就开始抽烟。

The Marlboro Man wasn't a dork,

万宝路人不是呆子，

and that was no accident.

这并不意外。

See cool, smoke to be cool, feel good.

看到别人耍酷， 抽烟耍酷， 感觉良好，

Repeat.

重复一遍。

Trigger, behavior, reward.

触发，行为，奖励。

And each time we do this,

每次我们这么做，

we learn to repeat the process and it becomes a habit.

学会去重复这个过程， 就养成了习惯。

So later, feeling stressed out triggers that urge to smoke a cigarette or to eat something sweet.

所以之后， 感觉有压力的时候， 就会想去去抽烟或是去吃一些甜的东西。

Now, with these same brain processes,

那些相同的大脑过程，

we've gone from learning to survive to literally killing ourselves with these habits.

让我们经历了从学习生存， 到用这些习惯残害着我们自己的过程。

Obesity and smoking are among the leading preventable causes of morbidity and mortality in the world.

肥胖和吸烟是世界上主要的可预防的发病和死亡原因之一。

So back to my breath.

所以回到我之前提到的呼吸。

What if instead of fighting our brains,

假设我们不要再跟自己的脑袋去抗争，

or trying to force ourselves to pay attention,

也不要再强逼自己去专注，

we instead tapped into this natural,

而是借助这个天然的、

reward-based learning process ...

以奖励为本的学习过程......

but added a twist?

然后稍微转换一下思路？

What if instead we just got really curious about what was happening in our momentary experience?

如果我们只是对我们瞬间经历中发生的事情感到好奇呢？

I'll give you an example.

我给大家举个例子。

In my lab,

在我的实验室里

we studied whether mindfulness training could help people quit smoking.

我们研究了冥想的训练是不是可以帮助人们戒烟。

Now, just like trying to force myself to pay attention to my breath,

其实，就像尝试着强迫自己去专注呼吸一样，

they could try to force themselves to quit smoking.

他们也可以尝试着去强迫自己戒烟。

And the majority of them had tried this before and failed -->他们大部份人之前都尝试過了， 但都失败，平均每个人尝试过六次。

Now, with mindfulness training,

现在，用冥想的训练方法，

we dropped the bit about forcing and instead focused>我们把强迫的那部份去掉， 取而代之的是专注于好奇。

In fact, we even told them to smoke.

事实上，我们甚至让他们吸烟。

What?

什么？

Yeah, we said,

是的，我们说，

'Go ahead and smoke,

“去抽吧，

just be really curious about what it's like when you do.'

去抽烟就对了， 只是在抽烟的时候，真心的去好奇一下抽烟到底是怎么回事。 '

And what did they notice?

结果他们觉察到了什么？

Well here's an example from>让我们来看看其中的一位抽烟者怎么说。

She said, 'Mindful smoking: smells like stinky cheese and tastes like chemicals, YUCK!'

她说：“注意吸烟：烟闻起来像臭奶酪，尝起来像化学品，恶心！”

Now, she knew,

现在她知道了

cognitively that smoking was bad for her,

意识到吸烟对她有害，

that's why she joined our program.

所以她才加入我们的项目。

What she discovered just by being curiously aware when she smoked was that smoking tastes like shit.

她发现，在抽烟的时候， 只要好奇地去体会， 就会察觉到烟的味道像大便。

Now, she moved from knowledge to wisdom.

现在，她从认知升华到了智慧。

She moved from knowing in her head that smoking was bad for her to knowing it in her bones,

她从意识到亲身经历， 明白了抽烟对她有害，

and the spell of smoking was broken.

这时抽烟的魔咒就会被破解。

She started to become disenchanted with her behavior.

她开始对她的行为有些觉悟。

Now, the prefrontal cortex,

其实，前额叶皮质，

that youngest part of our brain from an evolutionary perspective,

从进化的角度看我们大脑中最年轻的部分，

it understands>它在知识层面上理解我们不应该吸烟。

And it tries its hardest to help us change our behavior,

它尽力帮助我们改变我们的行为，

to help us stop smoking,

帮助我们戒烟、

to help us stop eating that second, that third,

帮助我们戒掉吃第二块、 第三块、

that fourth cookie.

第四块曲奇饼。

We call this cognitive control.

我们称之为认知控制。

We're using cognition to control our behavior.

我们用认知来控制自己的行为。

Unfortunately, this is also the first part of our brain that goes offline when we get stressed out,

不幸的是，当我们感到压力时，这也是我们大脑的第一反应。

which isn't that helpful.

所以不太能够帮得上忙。

Now, we can all relate to this in our own experience.

其实我们大家都可以找到自己类似的经验。

We're much more likely to do things like yell at our spouse or kids when we're stressed out or tired,

当我们压力过大或是很劳累时，我们有很大的可能， 会向自己的伴侣或小孩吼叫，

even though we know it's not going to be helpful.

尽管我们知道这不会有什么帮助。

We just can't help ourselves.

只是我们控制不了自己。

When the prefrontal cortex goes offline,

在前额叶皮质处于离线状态时，

we fall back into our old habits,

我们会坠落回老习惯，

which is why this disenchantment is so important.

这是为什么觉悟是这么的重要。

Seeing what we get from our habits helps us understand them at a deeper level -- to know it in our bones so we don't have to force ourselves to hold back or restrain ourselves from behavior.

明白我们如何养成习惯，可以帮助我们从更深的层次去了解它们-- 让我们从骨子里去明白， 那我们就不需要再强逼自己去憋住，或是去遏制自己的行为。

We're just less interested in doing it in the first place.

我们只是在一开始的时候没兴趣去做这件事。

And this is what mindfulness is all about: Seeing really clearly what we get when we get caught up in our behaviors,

这就是冥想的意义： 当我们被自己的行为绊住的时候， 要看清楚我们得到的是什么，

becoming disenchanted>发自内心层次的觉悟， 在觉悟的状态下，

naturally letting go.

自然地停止这种行为。

This isn't to say that, poof,

這并不是，' 噗 '的一声，

magically we quit smoking.

我们就戒烟了。

But over time,

而是日积月累，

as we learn to see more and more clearly the results of our actions,

当我们学习越来越清楚地看到我们行动的结果时，

we let go of old habits and form new>我们就会摒除掉老习惯，而养成新的习惯。

The paradox here is that mindfulness is just about being really interested in getting close and personal with what's actually happening in our bodies and minds from moment to moment.

这里的矛盾之处在于，冥想是打从内心的感到有兴趣， 每时每刻仔细体会我们的身体和心智，到底发生了什么事。

This willingness to turn toward our experience rather than trying to make unpleasant cravings go away as quickly as possible.

将这种意愿转换成我们的体验，而不是尝试尽快地把不好的瘾念去除。

And this willingness to turn toward our experience is supported by curiosity,

而将我们的意愿转换成体验是源于好奇，

which is naturally rewarding.

这自然是值得的。

What does curiosity feel like?

好奇的感觉是怎样的呢？

It feels good.

感觉很好。

And what happens when we get curious?

当我们好奇的时候会发生什么？

We start to notice that cravings are simply made up of body sensations -- oh, there's tightness, there's tension,

我们会注意到，欲望只是由身体的感觉组成的-哦，那里很紧张，那边有压力

there's restlessness -- and that these body sensations come and go.

那边烦躁不安-就会有这些感觉。

These are bite-size pieces of experiences that we can manage from moment to moment rather than getting clobbered by this huge,

这些都是我们可以从容不迫的经历，而不是被如此巨大的

scary craving that we choke>瘾念所击倒。

In other words,

换句话说，

when we get curious,

当我们好奇的时候，

we step out of our old, fear-based,

我们就走出旧有的、恐惧为本的、

reactive habit patterns,

回应式的习惯模式，

and we step into being.

我们从而踏进了当下。

We become this inner scientist where we're eagerly awaiting that next data point.

我们成为了一个内在的科学家，在那里我们热切地等待着下一个数据点。

Now, this might sound too simplistic to affect behavior.

这听起来，好像沒那容易可以影响行为。

But in>但在一份研究报告里面，

we found that mindfulness training was twice as good as gold standard therapy at helping people quit smoking.

我们发现冥想的训练， 在帮助人们戒烟的这事情上， 比黄金标准治疗法好 2 倍，

So it actually works.

所以冥想真的有效。

And when we studied the brains of experienced meditators,

当我们研究资深冥想者的大脑时，

we found that parts of a neural network of self-referential processing called the default mode network were at play.

我们发现，一个称为默认模式网络的自我参照处理的神经网络的一部分正在发挥作用。

Now,>目前，有一个关于这个 网络所在区域的假设，

called the posterior cingulate cortex,

被称为后扣带回皮质，

is activated not necessarily by craving itself but when we get caught up in it,

会因为瘾念本身而引发不必要的启动， 但当我们被它牵绊住，

when we get sucked in,

当我们被吸进去的时候，

and it takes us for a ride.

它就会欺骗我们。

In contrast, when we let go -- step out of the process just by being curiously aware of what's happening -- this same brain region quiets down.

相反，如果我们不去有意识地-- 从里走出来， 只是单纯的好奇到底发生什么事情-- 同一区域的大脑就会安静下来。

Now we're testing app and>现在我们在测试手机应用程式和以网路为基础的冥想训练课程， 目标就是这些核心机制， 而讽刺的是，

use the same technology that's driving us to distraction to help us step out of our unhealthy habit patterns of smoking,

竟是使用同一种也会让我们分心的科技来帮助我们脱离自己不健康的习惯模式， 像是吸烟、

of stress eating and other addictive behaviors.

因压力而狂吃和其他上瘾的行为。

Now, remember that bit about context-dependent memory?

现在，还记得上下文相关的记忆吗？

We can deliver these tools to peoples' fingertips in the contexts that matter most.

我们可以把这些最重要的内容工具传递到人们的指尖。

So we can help them tap into their inherent capacity to be curiously aware right when that urge to smoke or stress eat or whatever arises.

所以我们可以帮助他们在渴望抽烟、因压力乱吃或任何不好的欲望浮现的时候， 利用他们的内心能力有正确的意识，

So if you don't smoke or stress eat,

所以如果你不抽烟，也没有因为压力而狂吃，

maybe the next time you feel this urge to check your email when you're bored,

也许下一次当你觉得无聊的时候你会想要看你的电子邮件，

or you're trying to distract yourself from work,

或者你想在工作时间透一下气，

or maybe to compulsively respond to that text message when you're driving,

或者在开车的时候有不得不回复的短信，

see if you can tap into this natural capacity,

看看你能不能利用这种天然的能力，

just be curiously aware of what's happening in your body and mind in that moment.

就单纯的好奇 到底那一刻，你的身体和心智在发生什么事。

It will just be another chance to perpetuate>这可能提供了一个机会，让你持续保有这个永无止境 和消耗性的恶性循环......

or step out of it.

或是摆脱掉它。

Instead of see text message,

看消息的时候，

compulsively text back,

不要再因被逼无奈才回，

feel a little bit better -- notice the urge, get curious,

这样会好一些-一开始冲动，于是好奇，

feel the joy of letting go and repeat.

再感受一下不去做的快感，然后重复。

Thank you.

谢谢。

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