We’ve all had them. You know, those days when you get out of bed, stub your toe on the bedside locker, go to take a shower and the water is cold, search for something to wear in the wardrobe only to realise you haven’t done laundry yet and you can’t find anything decent to wear. Go on, you know you’ve been there! And I bet you said to yourself “Well this is going to be a great day!” in a most sarcastic tone. Mentally, you’re feeling miserable and you’re wondering how your day is going to get better at this rate! You head out the door to work and the rush hour traffic.

I’ve been there, and will be again. But what I’ve realised is that I have a choice here. There are two roads. One takes me into the day, miserable mental attitude in tow. The other, tries to change it. Here are my five favourite ways to flip the switch on that bad mood, and reclaim your happy form:

1. Music – put on your favourite tune, and sing, dance, hum your way to a better place. I’m a big fan of car dancing, i.e. cranking up the volume in the car and bopping along in traffic. It sometimes get me a few quizzical looks from fellow commuters, but its worth it for the shift in mood.
2. Mini-treat yourself – I’m a latte lady myself. If I’m feeling like a lift, a good strong latte from my favourite coffee house always does the trick. But, what does it for you? What’s your mini-treat pick me up? Is it a smoothie, a square or two of your favourite chocolate, a bunch of flowers, a bath, a new book?
3. Exercise – a short burst of exercise can do wonders for the mood. A quick bop to your favorite tune (see 1 above), a short brisk walk, 20 minutes of yoga, whatever you love to do; take a bitesize exercise break to pump some energy into your body and fuel those endorphins.
4. Laugh – there’s nothing like a good old giggle to cheer a girl (or guy!) up. Youtube is a great source of short clips from your favourite sitcom or comedian. Follow some comedians or comic pages on twitter or Facebook for a regular dose of fun. The best thing is we can access them all from our mobile phones now, so quick comedy pick-me-ups are on demand, whenever we need them!
5. Phone a friend – get it off your chest, laugh about it with your friend, listen to their news. Their energy can completely change your outlook on your day. Sometimes, the very act of just talking out a bad mood with a friend lifts and shifts how you feel, so you end up feeling good.

I know there’s more, these are just a few of my favourites. What do you do to lift your mood when you’re feeling low?