Say all you want about sunshine in the air and the healing power of positive thinking, but every once in a while a girl just has the kind of day that makes her crawl under her desk and cry three times before noon. Here are my best methods at cheering myself up during those unrelenting suckfests:

Read something fantastic. Save the Kant for when you're trying to impress girls on the bus -- I'm talking about something funny, delightful and deeply comforting. My usual prescription is a few thousand words of Wodehouse, Roald Dahl or any Playboy humor anthology. Cure especially responsive when taken in conjunction with a slice of pumpkin bread or mug of hot cocoa.

Turn on the TV and repeat everything in an Italian accent. You just really need to try this. Preferably with a partner.

Give a stranger a compliment. Sadness is just as self-involved as joy is expansive -- and sometimes all you need to do to break the spell is remember that other people out there are having crappy days as well. For a mid-day break, sometimes I run to the convenience store across the street to buy a soda and, while I'm there, look the cashier right in the eye, compliment her earrings, ask about her day and actually listen. Maybe it's just the power of pretending to be happy or the knowledge that unlike most customers you're not a huge jerkface, but this psych-up can be pretty dang effective.

Set a timer for 20 minutes and spend the whole time tackling that chore you've been dreading for weeks. Start filing your taxes, tackle that teetering mound of dishes, attack the flagged emails in your inbox -- whatever that little chore is that nags at you all week. You can stop as soon as the timer goes off, but by that time, you might be so into it that you just finish the whole deal. And it's amazing how quickly crossing off even part of a dreaded task can alleviate soul-eating anxiety.

Throw a friggin' tantrum. Because, dude, sometimes you've got to. When I got frustrated while complaining about my day to The Ex, at least twice a week I used to throw myself on the bed, flailing around and ripping off the sheets, letting all my built-up exasperation come shrieking out. This is seriously therapeutic for the three minutes before you realize how idiotic you look. And by then, you're already laughing your ass off. Feels better, huh?

As you might be able to tell, I had a kind of lousy day at work yesterday. What little tricks do you guys use during those days that make you want to punch a kitten in the muzzle?

Posted by TKOG from Not That Kind Of Girl.