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Marc Salem's Mind Control

That crankiness is just your brain's response to outside stimuli, so if you change the stimuli, you can change your mood. Here's how: Just try to remain angry with a smile on your face -- it's impossible. Visual confusion makes us uneasy, so remove jagged edges--pick clothes off the floor, remove glasses from the coffee table, make your bed. Visual confusion can work for you, too: Don't want people to linger in your office? Clutter your desk. Blue is naturally relaxing (which is why shrinks tell their patients to stare at the sky), while orange is the biggest irritant. Red and purple, by the way, suggest power. Wear them to work and act like a big shot; people will subconsciously obey. Everyone responds to sound differently, but hearing your favorite music--whether it's Zeppelin or Fresh Aire--will energize, motivate, and relax. Throw your tastebuds a change-up by putting OJ in your coffee or peanut butter on your toast. Or eat something naturally contradictory, such as sweet-and-sour chicken. Varying textures work, too--try popcorn or nuts. So underrated, nice smells (fresh fruit, a looming thunderstorm, just-mowed grass) can turn your beat around. A good cigar may seem tempting, but tobacco is a downer. Skin-to-skin (or fur) contact, perhaps not surprisingly, is a natural upper. Marc Salem stars in the one-man show Mind Games. You can find more mind-control tips at marcsalem.com.