Forcing yourself to smile may sound silly, but plenty of research shows that it can help you feel happier and short-circuit the stress response. So the next time you're feeling down or frustrated, make yourself smile for one minute— yes, a full 60 seconds. You have nothing to lose but a bad mood. You might even try practicing right now!

More on getting into a good mood...

• Happy at Last
• Bouncing Back from a Bad Mood
• Mood Changer
• Reduce Stress: Secrets to Staying Calm in a High-Stress World
• One-Word Secret to Happy Marriage

The next time that you feel down in the dumps, consider that your negative emotions might be protecting you. Researchers at University of Toronto say that negative feelings (that aren’t very severe or persistent) give people who experience bouts of sadness a chance to take a step back from the world…reflect on their experience…and recover from it. The next time a bad mood keeps you in your pajamas for a few hours, understand that the downtime may actually be making you stronger and more able to face the world.