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1. Order takeout. 

Choosing what's for dinner might make you moody if you're already stressed, suggests a January 2015 study from the journal Food Quality & Preference. When dinner ingredients were chosen for participants, however, they were less angry and anxious–and even had lower blood pressure! Choosing taxes mental resources, which are already depleted when you're stressed. "Easier options are better, and no option is best," says Katie E. Osdoba, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Minnesota. 

2. View gorgeous scenery—or just pictures of some.

Heading outdoors is a well-established spirit brightener, but research in the January 2015 issue of Frontiers in Psychology found that just looking at photos–particularly of awe-inspiring landscapes–can do the trick, too. All nature viewers had improved mood, but those who looked at grand natural images like mountain ranges or sunsets had a bigger improvement than those who viewed simple scenes of trees and grass.

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3. Work out while watching a show. 

You know exercise is one of the best ways to shift your state of mind, and a pleasant distraction can amplify the effect. In research from the May 2014 Journal of Sports Science & Medicine, people who enjoyed TV while walking on a treadmill for 10 minutes had double the mood-boost than people who exercised without distraction. "An analogy would be ice cream: It makes us feel good, but adding toppings makes us feel even better," says study co-author Gregory J. Privitera, Ph.D., a psychology professor at St. Bonaventure University in New York.

4. Tea up. 

Simple pleasures really do go a long way. A study published in January 2015 in Food Qualities & Preferences found that drinking a cup of tea provides an instant shot of feel-good. Bonus: Daily tea drinkers have a 41% lower risk of depression than people who don't drink tea, according to another study, possibly because of bioactive compounds in it called catechins and L-theanine.

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5. Do what you do best. 

Practicing your strengths can make you feel better, according to a November 2014 study from the Journal of Positive Psychology. "Using positive personal attributes in daily life can serve as a vehicle for self-fulfillment and flourishing," says study co-author Shiri Lavy, Ph.D., a professor at the University of Haifa in Israel. "Doing something we do well or finding a new way to make use of one of our attributes can be helpful in combating a negative mood." 

6. Write about significant things. 

Participants in a 2012 study from Cognition & Emotion wrote for 15 minutes about the previous day's activities, or about their deepest thoughts and feelings regarding those activities. The second group also wrote about what they were satisfied with in their lives and what they might change. Those with the meaningful focus saw greater mood improvement. "Expressive writing allows in-depth reflection on events and emotions and allows people to integrate the information in a meaningful way," says Nicola Schutte, Ph.D., study co-author and psychology professor at the University of New England in Australia. Read: If you know how you're feeling and why, you can upgrade your state.

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7. Dance it out. 

Busting a move for just five minutes can elevate mood and zap fatigue, found a March 2014 study from the Journal of Positive Psychology. No energy for that? Listening to music had the same effect. In the same study, some participants cycled while others sat quietly. Only the dancers and music-listeners had a rise in positive emotions and a dip in negative emotions.

8. Reach out. 

Chatting face-to-face or via IM for five minutes reduced participants' bad mood in research published in Computers in Human Behavior in July 2014. "Humans are an intensely social species with a need to seek and maintain at least a few positive social relationships," says study co-author Donald Sacco, Ph.D., a professor of social psychology at the University of Southern Mississippi. "Both face-to-face and virtual interactions—even with a stranger—may help satisfy our need to belong." The real thing had even more of an impact, but when you can't get face time, go the virtual route.

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9. Imagine your ideal self. 

Think about the best you that you can be for five minutes, and watch your spirits soar, says a study from the January 2014 issue of Psychiatry Research. "Directing attention to positive things makes you more aware of them and distracts from negative thoughts, and mental imagery has been shown to have stronger effects on emotion than verbal thoughts or writing," says study co-author Madelon Peters, Ph.D., a psychology professor at Maastricht University in the Netherlands. So paint a vivid picture in your mind of yourself reaching personal and professional goals, and even if reality at the moment isn't as sunny, you'll feel better.

10. Think fast. 

Grab a book. Now read it quickly. In a study reported in the June 2014 issue of Cognitive Therapy and Research, participants experienced an immediate mood enhancement when they sped up the pace of their thoughts by speed-reading. Fast reading may have physiological energizing effects similar to those of exercise, researchers say. And you only need to do it for three minutes. So read this article again super-fast: Go!