PERFORM A POSITIVE ACT
It might not seem like the most logical thing when you’re buried under work, but taking the time to do something nice for someone else can really shift your mindset, says Caroline Adams Miller, a Maryland-based author and psychologist specializing in Applied Positive Psychology (the science of happiness). If you haven’t properly thanked a colleague for their help on a project, for example, go down the hall and thank them. “Altruistic behavior gives you the ‘helper’s high’ and there are many ways to do something generous or kind in a few short minutes,” Miller says.
Another way to quickly rebound is to put a pen between your teeth and nod your head as you think of returning to a place of calm and resilience. Why does this help? The pen forces you to smile, and nodding has the same impact on the body as a smile, says Miller.
