There are thousands of tips and psychological techniques to help you feel happy and learn to rejoice each day.

有上千條的秘訣和心理學方法可以幫助你感到開心，並學習如何每天笑口常開。

But what if our own body had a say in the matter?

但如果我們的身體也有話要說呢？

Here are some findings from neuroscientists, the people who know exactly when and why your brain can give you the feeling of total satisfaction.

以下有幾點是神經學家的發現，也就是一群深知何時大腦會給予人滿足感及其原因的專家。

The first tip is our favorite. It's helpful and very easy to do.

第一個秘訣是我們的最愛，不僅有用，且很容易辦到。

Number eight - engage in pleasant expectations.

第八，沉浸在愉悅的期待中。

The process of waiting for something nice, such as food or sex, is similar to the learned salivation response.

等待美好事物的過程，像是美食或性愛，和後天學習的唾液分泌反應相似。

Our brain experiences pleasure by simply anticipating the fun event.

只要想到即將發生的趣事，我們的大腦就會感到愉悅。

That's why we're so fond of counting the hours and minutes to some particular moment be it a birthday or a wedding, a meeting with a friend or just an end to a long working day.

這就是為何人會熱衷在某些特殊活動上倒數計時，像是生日派對、婚禮、和朋友的聚會，或是僅僅是一整天工作的結束。

Number seven - solve problems one at a time.

第七，一次解決一個問題。

Our brain never stops searching for solutions to every problem that worries us.

我們的大腦不停地轉動，為找到方法解決使我們苦惱的問題。

This takes a lot of energy, so whenever the brain gets tired and the problem remains unsolved, we feel anxiety and irritation.

這需要耗費很多精力，所以當大腦疲累，而問題又還沒解決時，我們會感到焦慮和煩躁。

On the other hand, for every right decision, our brain rewards itself with a dose of neurotransmitters that calm the limbic system, and help us once again see the world in a better light.

從另一方面來說，每做一次對的決定，我們的大腦就會用能鎮定邊緣系統的神經傳導物質，來犒賞自己，並幫助我們再次對世界懷抱希望。

Therefore, you need to try to deal with one problem at a time.

因此，嘗試一次解決一個問題就好。

Number six - don't keep things pent up. Talk about what bothers you.

第六，不要壓抑情緒，談談你覺得煩心的事情。

The processes of wordlessly going through something unpleasant and talking about your predicament involve making use of different parts of the brain. In the latter case, negative emotions have a lesser impact on your well-being.

得不到發洩的不滿情緒，和藉由談談自身困境的發洩過程，會牽涉到大腦中不同的處理部位，後者的負面情緒對健康的影響較小。

It is, therefore, advisable not to keep your problems pent up.

所以，建議你不要把問題埋藏在心裡。

Whenever you talk about them, your brain triggers the production of serotonin and even manages to find some positive sides to the situation.

當你說出口時，大腦會觸發血清素的產生，甚至會設法找尋問題好的一面。

Number five - touch and embrace.

第五，接觸和擁抱。

To us humans, social interaction is important. Various forms of physical support, especially touch and embraces, can speed up a person's recovery from an illness.

對人類來說，社交互動是很重要的，各式各樣身體上的支持，特別是肢體接觸和擁抱，都可以加速身體復原的能力。

If you remove physical interaction from your life, the brain perceives its absence the way it perceives physical pain.

如果生活中沒有肢體互動，缺少的肢體接觸對大腦來說就跟生理的疼痛一樣。

The same brain zones become activated in both instances.

是由同一個腦區所反應、負責的。

This, in turn, triggers the processes that affect your mood and contribute to the development of depression.

隨後便會影響心情，並促成憂鬱症的發展。

Number four - learn, learn, and, once again, learn!

第四，學習、學習、再學習！

For the brain, acquiring new knowledge means permanent adaptation to a changing environment.

對大腦來說，獲得新知識意味著對不斷變遷的環境有永久的適應力。

Using this process, our brain develops, rewarding its own attempts to absorb and process new information with dopamine, the hormone of joy.

這個過程會讓大腦發展，並分泌多巴胺，也就是歡樂的賀爾蒙，以獎勵自己嘗試吸收和處理新資訊的能力。

If you want to be happy, don't be afraid to try something new, to change your surroundings, to learn new things.

如果你想保持心情愉悅，就不要害怕嘗試新的事物、改變環境，以及學習新知識。

Number three - play sports.

第三，運動。

Physical activity is stress for the body. As soon as the stress ends, your body gets a reward, a dose of endorphins released by the pituitary gland.

身體的活動對自身來說是壓力，可是，一旦壓力結束，身體會為了獎勵自己，而產生由腦下垂體所分泌的腦內嗎啡。

The effect is similar to that of opiates. For example, morphine, which reduces pain and elevates the mood.

其效果和含有鴉片成分的止痛劑相似。可以減少疼痛、讓心情變好的嗎啡就是其中一例。

You don't need to run marathons to achieve this result. Even a regular walk can do wonders.

不需要藉由跑馬拉松來達到此結果，即使是一般的散步也有意想不到的效果。

Incidentally, many writers and composers consider taking walks an indispensable part of the creative process.

順帶一提，許多作家及作曲家認為，散步對創作過程是不可或缺的一環。

Number two - always try to get a good sleep.

第二，一定要努力睡個好覺。

Start using a sleep mask.

開始用眼罩吧。

As long as your brain thinks it's nighttime, it keeps on sleeping. While we sleep in the dark, our body secretes the hormone melatonin.

只要大腦認定是就寢時間，它就會維持睡眠狀態，而我們的身體會在黑暗中睡眠時，分泌退黑激素。

This hormone slows down all processes in the body, helping it to recover and increasing the level of serotonin in the hypothalamus.

這種賀爾蒙會減緩身體的運作，以幫助身體的自我修復，和提高下視丘中血清素的含量，如果大腦偵測到光線的變化，便會引起壓力賀爾蒙的釋放，讓身體迅速清醒過來。

If the brain detects a change in lighting, it triggers the release of the stress hormone to awaken the body quickly.

Therefore, it is important to sleep six to eight hours a day, and only in darkened environments.

因此，每天只在黑暗環境中睡足六到八小時是很重要的。

Number one - learn to say thank you.

第一，學著把「謝謝」掛在嘴邊。

When we say "thank you" to a person, or even fate, for something, we focus ourselves on the positive aspects of life.

當我們因某種原因，向別人，或甚至是命運說「謝謝」時，就會讓自己關注人生正向的一面。

Pleasant memories trigger serotonin production in the anterior cingulate cortex.

美好回憶會引發前扣帶皮質中血清素的產生。

This technique is often used for treating depression.

這個方法常用來治療憂鬱症。

Don't forget to hit the like button below the video and share it with those friends who are having a hard time.

別忘了按下影片下方的「我喜歡」鍵，並將影片分享給心情正低落的朋友。

They might find this video very helpful. To stay on the bright side of life, click subscribe.

他們也許會覺得有所幫助。想要讓人生充滿希望，按下訂閱吧！