Wrap Yourself in a Soft Blanket

Your brain and body are so interconnected, that the sensation of something soothing touching your skin can have a significant impact on your mood, explains John Bargh, Ph.D., a professor of cognitive science at Yale University.

Smile-Inducing Strategy: After a tough day, wrap yourself in a soft blanket. This simple trick can chase away a bad mood in as little as 20 minutes, say University of California researchers, since being enveloped in softness shifts brain wave activity from the right side, which produces negative emotions, to the left, which promotes positive feelings.