When we're constantly overloaded with work and personal responsibilities, our bodies are on hyper-alert. 当我们长期面对超负荷的工作和个人压力时，我们的身体就会报警。

　　This response has evolved from the physiological mechanism designed to make sure we can survive in a crisis. 这个反应源于我们身体为保证能在危机中生存而设计的生理机制。

　　Stress chemicals help mobilize energy and increase alertness. 因为压力而产生的化学物质帮助身体调动能量和增加警戒。

　　However, with chronic stress our bodies become flooded with these chemicals, 但是，长期的压力让我们的身体里的这些化学物质泛滥了，

　　resulting in a loss of brain cells and an inability to form new ones, which affects our ability to retain new information. 导致脑细胞流失和制造新脑细胞能力衰弱，从而影响了我们记住新信息的能力。

　　Depression is another culprit. 抑郁是另一个罪犯。

　　People who are depressed are 40% more likely to develop memory problems. 40%抑郁的人更容易有记忆力问题。

　　Low levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter connected to arousal, 激起兴奋神经传递的低水平血清素，

　　may make depressed individuals less attentive to new information. 可能让抑郁的人更不关注新信息。

　　Dwelling on sad events in the past, another symptom of depression, 抑郁的另一个症状，是沉浸在过去悲伤的事件中出不来，

　　makes it difficult to pay attention to the present, affecting the ability to store short-term memories. 这导致他们很难关注现在发生的事情，影响了存储短期记忆的能力。

　　Isolation, which is tied to depression, is another memory thief. 与抑郁紧密联系的“ 孤立 ”是另一个记忆小偷。

　　A study by the Harvard School of Public Health found that 哈佛大学公共健康学院的一项研究发现，

　　older people with high levels of social integration had a slower rate of memory decline over a six-year period. 在六年时间里，拥有更高社会融合能力的老人记忆衰退较慢。

　　The exact reason remains unclear, but experts suspect that social interaction gives our brain a mental workout. 虽然确切的原因还不清楚，但专家推测，社会交往使我们的大脑得到了锻炼。

　　Just like muscle strength, we have to use our brain or risk losing it. 就像肌肉力量的训练一样，我们必须使用我们的大脑，不然就有可能失去它。

　　But don't despair. 不过不要绝望。

　　There are several steps you can take to aid your brain in preserving your memories. 你可以用下面的几个步骤，去帮助你的大脑保存记忆。

　　Make sure you keep physically active. 首先，确保你坚持锻炼。

　　Increased blood flow to the brain is helpful. 增加血液回流大脑是有益的。

　　And eat well. 然后好好吃饭。

　　Your brain needs all the right nutrients to keep functioning correctly. 你的大脑需要所有的正确的营养物来保持功能正常。

　　And finally, give your brain a workout. 最后，给你的大脑一些锻炼。

　　Exposing your brain to challenges, like learning a new language, 让你的大脑应对新的挑战，比如学习一门新语言，

　　is one of the best defenses for keeping your memories intact. 这是保持记忆力的最好方法之一。