At the end of a long day, you probably want nothing more than to relax. But here’s the thing. Most of what we call “relaxation” isn’t actually all that relaxing. Surfing the web is a leisure time trap. The more you get lost in email, Facebook, and Twitter, the more your brain and nervous system must remain “on.”

当漫长的一天终于结束，你最想要的莫过于好好放松一下。但是，问题在于，很多我们称之为“放松”的事实际上一点都不轻松，比如上网。你越是沉迷于电邮、社交网站和微博，你的大脑其实会越紧张。

The big idea here is that it’s not just work that drains us. It’s also the way we “relax.”What does actual relaxation look like? Consider three key practices of radicalrelaxation: movement, stillness, and breath.

其实并不只有工作才让我们精疲力尽，不恰当的放松方式也会如此。真正的放松是怎样的？运动，静止，呼吸。

Movement

If you’re like me, you spend 98% of the workday sitting. All of this sitting leaves the body tired and tense. The muscles of the hips lock up, the legs get stiff, and the shoulder and neck muscles strain. If you want to dissolve this tension and relax, sitting is about the last thing you should do. You need to move. As long as you are moving, it doesn’t matter what you do. You might walk, run, ride your bike, dance, or do yoga.

运动

如果你和我一样，白天98%的时间都坐着，那么你的身体会紧张而疲惫，臀部、腿部、肩膀和脖子上的肌肉都会紧绷和僵硬。如果你想消除这些症状，一定不要再坐下了。你需要运动。只要能动起来，什么运动并不重要。你可以走路、跑步、骑车、跳舞或者做瑜伽。

Stillness

Once you move the body, practice experiencing stillness. To be still is to experience a pause in the constant stream of thoughts. To be still is to give your nervous system a rare chance to let go. There’s no single way to experience stillness. You might find it in a 15-minute meditationpractice. You might find it while lying on the ground outside, looking up at the stars. Or literally stopping to smell the flowers.

静止

做完运动，你需要练习静止。静止是体验思维流的暂停，是让神经系统难得的放空一下。体验静止并没有一成不变的方式。你可以做15分钟的冥想，躺在室外的地上看星星，或者停下脚步闻闻花香。

Beathing

Move, get still, then breathe. The most powerful way to relax is to bring your attention to the breath. Ask yourself throughout the day: what is the quality of my breath right now? Is it short and constricted? Or is it long, deep, and effortless? Extend each inhaleand exhale, inhale deep into your belly, and allow yourself to relax.

呼吸

运动，静止，然后呼吸。最有效的放松就是集中注意力在自己的呼吸上。问问自己：我现在呼吸的怎么样？是又短又浅，还是又长又深，毫不费力？延长每一次吸气和呼气，允许自己放松下来。