When Phyllis Benson feels stressed, she knows just where to go. "I head for my friend Sarah's house, "says the 31-year-old secretary and mom of two. "There's something about Sarah's house," she says. "I feel calm there." Why is Sarah's house so soothing? "It's probably never cluttered'," says Michelle Perry, a Los Angeles stress-management consultant who recently made an astonishing discovery. "I had seventy-five women fill out questionnaires about their lives and the one thing every one had in common was that their houses were more cluttered than they'd like them to be. I had them organize the rooms they use the most," says Perry. The result? Close to 90 percent of them said they felt less stressed!" We need to look to our home environments as ways of beating stress, " Perry concludes. Other experts agree. Studies show if you banish stress at home -- where you can control it--you'll be better able to weather stresses in the outside world.
当菲利斯·本森感到有压力时，她知道她该去哪里。“我去我好友萨拉家，”她说。她31岁，做秘书工作，是两个孩子的母亲。“萨拉家似乎有些什么能让我感到平静。”她说。为什么萨拉家能有如此大的镇静作用？“恐怕是主人从不乱堆乱放东西。”米歇尔· 佩里这样解释。这位洛杉矶的压力调整顾问最近有一惊人的发现。“我请75位女士就她们的生活做了一份问答卷。其中她们的一个共同点是，她们的家比她们想象的要乱。我让她们收拾一下她们最经常使用的房间。" 佩里说。结果怎样呢？近90％的人说，她们感到轻松了许多。“我们应该把家庭环境的改善视为战胜压力的方法。”佩里得出这样的结论。这一结论也被其他专家所认同。研究表明，如果你在家能驱除压力，在家能控制压力，那你就更能承受外界的压力。
Luckily, there are some easy ways to make your home a cozy haven from stress. Here what experts recommend:
幸运的是，的确有一些简单易行的办法能使你的家成为远离压力的温馨的避风港。如下是一些专家的建议：
Setting aside one small area in your home for items that cause the most clutter, such as bills, mail, brochures, magazines and newspapers. A recent study found that office workers with tidy desks felt calmer and more focused. The same applies to people who have tidy homes.
在家腾出一小块地方放置那些最易添乱的东西，诸如帐单、邮件、小册子、杂志、报纸之类的东西。最近一项研究表明，办公桌整齐有序的工作人员更平静且更能集中精力工作。家里整洁有序的人也是如此。
Filling your home with spiced apple, vanilla, lavender or lily of the valley scents. One study found that spiced apple had relaxing effects, as measured in brain waves, within five minutes of a subject's smelling the fragrance. And in other studies, vanilla, lavender and lily of the valley have also been shown to have calming effects. What's the best way to bring these scents into your home? An aromatotherapist recommends burning vanilla-scented candles or incense sticks, adding essential oils to your bath and misting rooms, furniture, linens and clothing with scented sprays.
让家里充溢香苹果、香草、薰衣草或欧铃兰的香味。有一项研究表明，香苹果有令人放松的效果。这是根据人们闻到香味后5分钟的脑电波测出来的。在其他研究中还发现香草、薰衣草和欧铃兰也有镇静效果。让这些香味充溢你家的最好办法是什么？一位芳香疗法的专家建议点上有香草味的蜡烛或香，洗浴时加些香精油，并在房间、家具、床单、桌布。衣物等上喷洒香水。
