Your brain emits “theta waves” when you’re falling asleep or waking up. Here’s how to use them for problem-solving.
無論你睡著或醒來，你的大腦都會發(fā)出“θ波”。下面是如何使用它們解決問題的方法。
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Eat. Sleep. Solve problems. Repeat. You probably spend a large part of your waking hours tackling challenges, especially when you’re at work.
吃東西。睡眠。解決問題。重復。你可能在醒著的時間里花了很大一部分時間來應對挑戰(zhàn)，尤其是在你工作的時候。
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That’s not necessarily a bad thing. Many of the world’s top business visionaries owe their success to their ability to identify problems and deliver solutions.
這未必是件壞事。世界上許多頂尖的商業(yè)家，都將他們的成功歸結于發(fā)現(xiàn)問題、解決問題的能力。
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Of course, regardless of how expected (or important) workplace problem-solving is, it’s still stressful, and some people seem to be better at it than others.
當然，不管你期望的(或重要的)工作場所解決問題的方式是怎樣的，它仍然是有壓力的，而且有些人似乎比其他人做得更好。
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So, if you want to raise your game here, I suggest you start finding the answers in your sleep–literally. It’s called riding the theta brain waves.
所以，如果你想提高你的水平，我建議你從睡眠上開始尋找答案，即“駕馭腦波”。
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But first, let me back up:
首先，我們來看些背景資料：
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WHAT ARE THE FOUR BRAIN WAVES?
四種腦波是什么?
As educator Ned Herrmann explains, brain waves—the “electrical activity emanating from the brain”–occur in four states depending on your level of activity. Herrmann continues on to break down each state by decreasing wave frequency.
正如教育家Ned Herrmann解釋的那樣，大腦的波動——“大腦中的電活動”——根據(jù)你的活動水平可分為四種。Herrmann通過減少波動頻率來區(qū)分每個狀態(tài)。
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Learning to utilize theta waves takes some practice. Do it regularly, though, and you’ll develop a positive habit that may take your productivity to new levels.
學習利用波需要一些練習。不過，要經(jīng)常做，你會養(yǎng)成一個積極的習慣，它會把你的效率提升到新的水平。
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At your most active, you generate beta waves (for instance, when you’re in the middle of a job interview). When you’re relaxed (like when you’ve finally wrapped that big project and can take a breath), your brain switches to alpha waves. Now, jumping ahead for a minute, the fourth stage is delta and it’s when you’re in a deep sleep.
在你最活躍的時候，你會產生β-波(比如當你正在面試的時候)。當你放松的時候(比如你終于完成了那個大項目，可以喘口氣)，你的大腦就會切換到阿爾法波?，F(xiàn)在，跳上一分鐘，第四種腦波是?波，產生于深度睡眠時。
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I skipped over the third stage, theta, because that’s the one that’s best for problem solving.
我沒有講第三種波，即θ波，因為這是解決問題的最好工具。
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Individuals who do a lot of freeway driving often get good ideas during those periods when they are in theta . . . This can also occur in the shower or tub or even while shaving or brushing your hair. The ideation that can take place during the theta state is often free flow and occurs without censorship or guilt.
那些在高速公路上開車的人，在那些時間里經(jīng)常會有好的想法……這也可能發(fā)生在淋浴或浴缸，甚至在刮胡子或梳頭時。θ波狀態(tài)下人們的想法是自由的，不假思索的。
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You’re also in theta when you’re falling asleep or waking up and between active alertness and deep dreaming.
睡著或者醒來的時候、非常敏銳的時候或者正處在夢境時也處于θ波狀態(tài)。
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During this awakening cycle it is possible for individuals to stay in the theta state for an extended period of say, five to 15 minutes–which would allow them to have a free flow of ideas about yesterday’s events or to contemplate the activities of the forthcoming day. This time can be an extremely productive and can be a period of very meaningful and creative mental activity.
在這一覺醒周期中，個人可能會在一段較長的時間內停留在“θ波狀態(tài)”，即5到15分鐘——這將使他們對昨天的事件有一個自由的想法，或者對即將到來的一天的活動進行思考。這可以是非常有成效的，可以是一段非常有意義和創(chuàng)造性的精神活動的時期。
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IS THERE ANY REAL PROOF THIS WORKS?
有什么切實的證據(jù)嗎?
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Taking advantage of when your brain is prepared to give you the best ideas is something successful people have been doing for hundreds of years. Artists like Salvador Dali, writers like Mary Shelley, and great thinkers have understood that the early “nodding off” stage of sleep, when theta waves predominate in the brain, is the best time to let the creative juices flow.
利用好這段時期，古往今來的大師們都是這樣做的。像薩爾瓦多?達利(Salvador Dali)、瑪麗?雪萊(Mary Shelley)這樣的作家和偉大的思想家都明白，當θ波在大腦中占據(jù)主導地位時，早期的“打盹”階段是讓創(chuàng)造性思維流動的最佳時機。
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Albert Einstein and Thomas Edison also relied on half-sleep moments to chew over big ideas. A nimble, creative mind is primed for solving problems. What worked for Einstein can work for you, too, although maybe not in a theory-of-relativity kind of way.
阿爾伯特?愛因斯坦(Albert Einstein)和托馬斯?愛迪生(Thomas Edison)也依賴于半睡眠時間來思考重要問題。一個靈活的、有創(chuàng)造力的頭腦會為解決問題做好準備。這一理論對愛因斯坦是有效的，所以即便你不能提出相對論，這對你來說也應該是有效的。
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HOW CAN YOU USE THETA WAVES TO GET AHEAD?
如何利用好θ波？
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Learning to utilize theta waves takes some practice. Do it regularly, though, and you’ll develop a positive habit that may take your productivity to new levels. Here’s how to get started.
通過實踐可以學會運用θ波，經(jīng)常練習之后就會養(yǎng)成習慣，由此可以提升自己的能力和工作效率，具體方法如下：
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1.Pick a task. Just as you start to become conscious in the morning, but while your eyes are closed and your brain’s still dreamy, think of the most immediate problem or task you have to face today. Maybe it’s having a tricky conversation, negotiating with a client, writing a report, or creating a new marketing campaign. No matter how many to-do’s might be racing around in your mind, choose only one and let the brain ruminate.
1．選擇一個任務。早晨開始變得清醒時，當你閉著眼睛、大腦依然如夢似幻時，想想今天最緊迫的問題或任務。也許這是一個棘手的對話、與客戶談判、寫報告，或創(chuàng)建一個新的營銷活動。不管你腦子里有多少事情要做，只選一個，讓大腦開始思考。
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Often, you’ll nab a useful idea or two. Every so often, you’ll score a sheer flash of genius. Now, to be honest, you’ll probably forget to do this every day when you first start, but over time you’ll be able to make it a habit, just another part of your morning routine.
通常，你會發(fā)現(xiàn)一兩個有用的想法。每隔一段時間，你就會發(fā)現(xiàn)自己有一些天才想法?，F(xiàn)在，說實話，剛開始的時候你可能會忘記每天都這樣做，但是隨著時間的推移，你會養(yǎng)成習慣，這就變成是你早晨例行公事的一部分了。
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2. Take notes. If you’re like me, the most frustrating part of problem-solving in theta is that you tend to forget these inspired ideas once you get up and start rolling. You’ll be wracking your brain in the shower trying to recall those three brilliant bullet points you mentally drafted. That’s why you need to write them down in as soon as you rouse yourself enough to open your eyes.
2．做筆記。如果你和我一樣，在解決問題的過程中最讓人沮喪的是，一旦你起床開始工作，你就會忘記這些靈感。你會在洗澡的時候絞盡腦汁，試圖回憶起你在腦海里想出來的三個點子。這就是為什么你需要睜開眼睛之后馬上把這些點子記下來的原因。
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The most frustrating part of problem-solving in theta is that you tend to forget these inspired ideas once you get up and start rolling.
在解決問題的過程中，最讓人沮喪的是，一旦你起身開始活動，你往往會忘記這些靈感。
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Grab your smartphone and jot down or voice record your thoughts. Make this quick. Stick to key words, descriptions, and phrases that’ll jog your memory later when you’re ready to use the information.
拿起你的智能手機，然后快速記下你的想法：用關鍵詞、描述和短語來記，當你準備好使用這些信息的時候，你的記憶就會被喚醒。
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3. Review. Keep track of your “theta thoughts” so you can look them at them over time and find patterns. You may find that, for you, it’s best for tackling creative work, like writing or designing. Or you could discover it gives you an edge in spoken communications or scheduling. This will help you know what questions to ask yourself during this mental state in the future.
3．審查。時常查看“θ波想法”，這樣你就可以隨著時間的推移觀察它們并找到它們的模式。你可能會發(fā)現(xiàn)，對于你來說，這是最好的解決創(chuàng)造性的工作，比如寫作或設計?；蛘吣銜l(fā)現(xiàn)它能讓你在口語交流或安排中有優(yōu)勢。這將幫助你知道在未來的θ波狀態(tài)下，你應該問自己什么問題。
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Inspiration comes at us from all corners. But so do obstacles. Thinking in theta exploits the mind’s inherent problem-solving skills in a way that lets you recall solutions and use them.
靈感來自四面八方。“θ波想法”能夠喚醒大腦深處的處理問題的方法，讓你能夠發(fā)現(xiàn)解決方法。