Feeling agitated? CRANKY? On edge? Well, all of that is your brain responding to some external factors - STIMULI - so if you can change the stuff stimulating you, you can change your mood!
Men's Health offers these ideas...
• FAKE a smile. Just try to remain angry with a smile on your face — it’s impossible.
• CLEAN YOUR SPACE. Visual confusion makes us uneasy, so remove jagged edges — pick clothes off the floor, remove glasses from the coffee table, make your bed. Visual confusion can work for you, too: Don’t want people to linger in your office? Clutter your desk.
• WEAR A BLUE SHIRT. NO REALLY. Blue is naturally relaxing, while orange is the biggest irritant. Red and purple suggest power. Wear them to work and act like a big shot.
• PLAY YOUR FAVORITE SONGS. Everyone responds to sound differently, but hearing your favorite music will energize, motivate, and relax.
• ORDER SOME SORT OF FOOD WHICH IS NOT YOUR USUSAL... Throw your taste buds a change-up by putting OJ in your coffee or peanut butter on your toast. Or eat something naturally contradictory, such as sweet-and-sour chicken. Varying textures work, too — try popcorn or nuts.
• SNIFF LEMONS: So underrated, nice smells (fresh fruit, a looming thunderstorm, just-mowed grass) can turn your beat around.
• PET THE POOCH. Skin-to-skin (or fur) contact, perhaps not surprisingly, is a natural upper.
So... now we're informed. Let's go make today even better... with less agitation... on purpose!