About this quote

When you feel stuck in your own head, staring at your own problems rarely helps. You cannot force yourself to feel better by sheer willpower. What happens if you shift your focus outward instead? Go find a colleague who is drowning in work and help them clean up their desk. Your own mood lifts as a natural byproduct of making their day slightly easier.

When to use it

• Your project proposal just got rejected, and instead of stewing at your desk, you buy a coffee for the intern who is stressing over their first presentation.
• After a tense argument with your partner, you decide to stop brooding and bake your child's favorite cookies to surprise them after school.
• You are nursing a minor knee injury and cannot run, so you spend the morning cheering for your teammates from the sidelines and handing out water.
• You failed a difficult midterm exam, but instead of hiding in your room, you spend the evening helping your roommate organize their study notes.