Do you feel like you’re always stressed on the job? Unfortunately, you’re not alone. Some 83 percent of American workers say they often feel stressed at their jobs. If this isn’t bad enough, apparently our workplace lives are just getting more stressful. The same poll by Harris Interactive for Everest College found only 73 percent of workers cited frequent stress just last year, meaning our stress levels have risen by 10 percent in just 12 months.

　　在工作中，你是不是时常感觉有压力?不幸的是，这并不是个体现象。83%的美国人反映自己经常在工作时感觉很有压力。更不幸的是，现代人的工作生活显然正在朝着更大压力的方向发展。哈里斯互动调查公司为珠峰学院做了同样调查，报告显示73%人表示仅在去年一年工作时间里就频繁地感觉有压力。这意味着仅仅12个月，人们的工作压力强度就上升了10%。(小编注：Everest College，珠峰学院是美国及加拿大安大略湖地区开展职业生涯培训的盈利性社区学院体系。)

　　Unsurprisingly, work stress is bad for your health and for your productivity. Rushing around in a frenzy can actually infect your team with second-hand stress, according to DePaul University professor Robert S. Rubin. Plus, the more we rush, the less we’re able to focus on any one specific task.

　　毫无疑问，工作压力对健康和效率都有负面作用。据芝加哥德保罗大学的罗伯特·鲁宾教授讲，工作中风风火火行事的人，还会给自己的团队成员造成二手压力。而且，越着急，越不能集中注意力去执行任何一个特定任务。

　　“No one wants to be seen as the slowest moving object in the solar system. You have to keep up with the Joneses—literally,” Ben Jacobson, co-founder of Conifer Research, told The Wall Street Journal.

　　“没有人想要太阳系里移动速度最慢物体的美名。不夸张地讲，你必须跟着攀比。” (从事公司行为与文化研究的芝加哥公司)“常青研究”的联合创始人本·雅各布森在《华尔街日报》讲道。

　　Whatever happened to workplace simplicity? It’s time to cut back on your stress by taking a few simple steps to declutter your work life. Here are a few ways to go back-to-basics and show your career stress the door:

　　办公室的简化想法去哪儿了?现在是时候采取一些简单的方法减压，调整你的工作生活了。以下是一些回归根基、驱走工作压力的方法：

　　1. Kick Your Email Addiction

　　1. 从邮件中脱身

　　This might be hard to face, but it’s best to just tackle the truth directly: you have an addiction and it’s your inbox. So many workers spend much of their day just playing catch-up to their emails. You might be in the middle of work when you hear the siren beep of a new email zooming into your inbox, and suddenly your work is halted so you can take a look.

　　这点也许很难做到，但最好直面真相：你上瘾了，罪魁祸首是收件箱。很多人将一天中的大多数时间都花在查收邮件上。当你听到新邮件到达的提示音时，也许你正在工作，然后就中断手中的工作去查邮件了。

　　It’s time to detox from your inbox. Choose a few times during your day to check your email and stick to this schedule no matter what. For instance, you can check once in the morning, once around lunch, and a follow-up time an hour or two before clocking out. By limiting the amount of time you spend lost in your inbox, you can tune out the noise and allow yourself to focus.

　　是时间戒掉收件箱之瘾了。选择一天中的几段时间查收邮件，并且无论怎样都坚持这样的安排。比如，你可以早晨查一次，午饭左右查一次，然后在下班之前一到两小时再跟进一次。避免了沉迷于收件箱所花费的时间，你就可以清除干扰，集中精力。

　　2. Steer Clear of Workplace Drama

　　2. 远离办公室闹剧

　　You came to your office to work and yet somehow your workplace has become more political than an episode of House of Cards. Office politics hurts company morale, and 47 percent of workers feel office politicking also hurts productivity. Sadly, a study by Robert Half International found 60 percent of workers felt like they had to play the game.

　　你去办公室工作，但不知怎的办公室变得比《纸牌屋》的剧集还政治化。办公室政治会影响公司士气，且47%的员工表示办公室的政治化同时影响效率。可悲的是，“罗勃海佛国际”的一个研究显示，60%的员工觉得他们不得不配合办公室的政治游戏。

　　Don’t get caught up in stressful office politics. Let your work speak for itself and take yourself out of negative situations where gossip flows and hurt feelings flourish. One of the best ways to simplify your work life is to steer clear of the drama.

　　不要陷入压力重重的办公室政治中。做好自己的事情，让工作成果自己说话。远离那些流言蔓延、恶语伤人的负面情境。简化工作生活最好的方法之一就是远离办公室闹剧。

　　3. Give Yourself a Break

　　3. 给自己创造休息时间

　　If you feel like you’ve hit a wall after lunch, know you’re not alone. According to research, your body hits a sleepiness peak around 2 p.m.

　　午饭后犯困的不止你一个。研究表明，下午两点左右困意最浓。

　　Instead of taking a nap, which is still frowned upon in many workplaces, give yourself a little mental break. Take a few minutes to check in with friends on social media or take a walk outside to clear your head. Don’t stress if your attention is lagging -- instead, give yourself permission to let your mind wander.

　　与其午间打盹讨人嫌，不如让自己在心理上放松下。花几分钟时间在社交网络上看看朋友的动态，或者外出走走清醒头脑。不要因为注意力不能集中而感觉有压力——相反，给自己走神的权利。

　　4. Surround Yourself With Positivity

　　4. 营造正能量氛围

　　It’s hard to feel stressed when you’re looking at a picture of a baby animal. This is certainly what researchers at Hiroshima University discovered when they found pleasant images such as tiny kittens make workers more productive.

　　当你在看一张动物宝宝的图片时，很难感到有压力。这也是日本广岛大学的研究人员的发现——诸如小猫照片等让人愉快的图片，可以让员工更有效率。

　　To cut down on stress, surround your office space with positive images. Don’t leave your office or cubicle empty -- fill it with plants, posters, and pictures of loved ones. A positive work environment can work as a pick-me-up when you get particularly stressed.

　　为了减小压力，可以在办公室放些积极的图片。不要让你的办公室或者格子间空着——用植物、海报和爱人的照片装饰起来。积极的工作环境尤其能在你压抑的时候激励你。

　　5. Communicate Regularly

　　5. 频繁交流

　　It’s easy to feel overwhelmed if you don’t think your voice is being heard by upper management. In fact, less than one-third of workers felt management would change practices based on suggestions and feedback provided by employees. You want to be respected at your company, and the best way is to make your voice heard. Cultivate communication networks with your coworkers, your team, and your boss. If your workload is overwhelming, don’t be afraid to say something and ask for practical solutions to cut down on your stress levels.

　　如果你觉得上面的管理层听不到自己的声音，就很容易受打击。实际上，不到三分之一的员工觉得管理层可以基于员工们的建议和反馈改变执行方式。你希望被公司尊重，最好的方法就是说出自己的想法。建立和同事、团队以及老板的沟通网。如果觉得工作量太大，大胆讲出来，要求实际的解决方法来减小自己的压力。

　　6. Learn to Say No

　　6. 学会拒绝

　　You might want to do everything and tackle every possible challenge, but sometimes the biggest challenge is finding the strength to say no. Taking on too much responsibility is the best way to end up burnt out and feeling frayed. Research by the University of California in San Francisco found people with difficulty saying no are more likely to experience stress. While unpleasant, sometimes the healthiest thing you can do is bow out gracefully and avoid overextending yourself.

　　你也许什么都想做，任何挑战都想接招，但有时最大的挑战是鼓起勇气拒绝。担太多责任是让你过劳累紧张的最主要原因。位于旧金山的加利福尼亚大学发表的研究表明，拒绝更容易带来紧张。虽然拒绝别人不是件愉快的事情，但有时最健康的做法就是礼貌地回绝，避免操劳过度。

　　7. Take Note of Your Silver Linings

　　7. 积累点滴喜悦

　　It’s easy to let the little stresses on the job pile up and blot out the things you genuinely love about the job. Every day, take a few minutes from your schedule to jot down your workplace “silver linings.” Write down a project you’re excited about tackling, a nice thing a coworker did, or even a reminder of why you love your job. It’s easy to make a mountain out of a molehill, but don’t let the daily grind rid you of your career passion.

　　工作中小小的压力很容易累积起来，进而掩盖你真心喜欢这份工作的方面。每天，花几分钟时间记录下工作中的“点点希望”。写下一个你为之兴奋的项目，一件同事做的好事，甚至一个提醒自己为什么喜欢这份工作的理由。压力很容易积少成多让人喘不过气，但不要让每天的琐事磨掉你的职业激情。

　　Stress doesn’t have to weigh down your career. To become happier and more productive, it’s time to simplify your working life.

　　压力不一定会压低你的职业高度。想要更快乐高效，现在就开始精简你的工作生活吧。

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（实习编辑：高奕飞）