Turn your bad day into a good day

Whether you’ve got out of bed the wrong side, caught the Monday blues or have a touch of malaise, it often feels pointless trying to shake off your bad mood.

Fortunately, there are ways you can stop your day from being a complete write-off:

1. Do someone else a favour – offer to make the tea, or give someone a lift. Bad moods make us selfish, but force yourself to help someone else and your focus is likely to shift from your troubles. Altruism expert Allan Luks found that giving ‘instrumental support’ to others (as opposed to emotional) helps boost the immune system.

2. Psychologists at Pennsylvania State University found that listening to your favourite music for just 15 minutes can make you significantly more relaxed. So make sure you have your favourite tunes nearby, they are guaranteed to make you feel better.

3. Do you understand what is behind your bad mood? Caroline Righton, author of The Life Audit Handbook For Life (Hodder, £9.99), recommends thinking through the tasks ahead of you. Identify what it is that’s concerning you, and break it down to specific aspects. Can you remove the part of you don’t enjoy? Can you visualise how good you’ll feel when you’ve got through it? By reducing the problem, you contain it, and it needn’t ruin the rest of your day.