Teachers: 10 Easy Tips to Boost Your Mood Quickly

Everyone gets into a funk now and then. The trick is knowing how to snap out of it on the double. Mood is a key determinant of your quality of life and having some mood-boosting tools up your sleeve can make all the difference in how you perceive the world — and how you cope in your classroom.

10 ways to instantly squash your bad vibes.

1. Seek out the color green. Green symbolizes happiness, according to color psychologists, so find something green and fixate on it for a few seconds.

2. Hug someone. A quick hug from a friend boosts serotonin, the feel-good chemical, in the brain.

3. Drum on something. Rhythmically pounding or tapping on something — a drum, a desk, your steering wheel — can relax your whole body.

4. Lower your shoulders. When we’re stressed, our shoulders rise up to our ears, holding tension. Consciously lower them for instant relaxation.

5. Play with a pooch. Some QT with Fido can boost oxytocin and lower cortisol. (Don’t have a dog? Swing by a friend’s house to see their pup or volunteer at a local animal shelter.)

6. Chew gum. Similar to drumming, the repetitive motion of chewing gum can reduce feelings of stress and anxiety.

7. Talk to strangers. Even the simplest social engagement — a quick chat with the cashier at Target or introducing yourself to a parent you’ve never met can be a fast pick-me-up.

8. Listen to an upbeat song. Cozy up in the teacher’s lounge with your ear buds and your iTunes.  Music can be a fast mood booster.

9. Look at roses. While flowers can make anyone happy, roses offer the added benefit of relaxation. Treat yourself to a nice vase on your desk.

10. Smile. It doesn’t even have to be a real smile. But once you fake it, it usually turns authentic pretty quick.

These ten super easy, super fast mood boosters will do the trick every time. It’s ok to get mad and sad and stressed. But life is much more enjoyable when you can shake those feelings off in a jiffy instead of letting them consume you.

So buy the roses, scratch the dogs, and learn to play the bongos. Pretty soon you won’t need to fake those smiles at all!