The Benefits of "Resetting a Day" & How to Do It

The benefits of taking the time to reset a day that has gone awry are many: you give yourself the opportunity to turn the day around in a positive way and you're able to gain practice in managing difficult emotions and not give into them.

One easy example to restart a "bad day" is to engage in a practice called "half-smile and willing hands." A simple way to turn your mood and day around is to exercise the muscles in your face that allow you to smile. Now, if you're having a hard day, the last thing you want to do is force a smile. But try a half-smile. A half-smile is a smile that no one else may notice is a smile. Slowly upturn the corners of your mouth and relax your eyes. That's it! The facial feedback theory posits that our facial expressions send messages to our brain. Even if you are not happy, trying a half-smile has the power to turn your mood and day around in a few seconds. Combine your half-smile with a "willing hands" gesture. This means turning your palms upward, relaxing your hands, and maintaining an attitude of openness and willingness to accept the present moment. Half-smile and willing hands is a really easy way to try to turn your day around at any point throughout the day.