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How to Stop Pouting

Didn't get that iPod you wanted for your birthday? Pouting over being left off of a wedding list? Someone else got a raise, and not you? Instead of pouting over what you don't have, perform a good deed, hold a laughing contest or write a nastygram to the person who caused your poutiness and send it somewhere unique. This five-step program will remove your pouty look---guaranteed.

Things You'll Need

  • Pencil and paper
  • A few dollars
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Instructions

  1. Lend a hand

    • 1

      The Wish Upon a Hero website has people in desperate need of a stroke of good fortune: Help someone get food for their baby, cat food for an elderly person's pet, or a gas card to help someone look for a job. For as little as $5, you can make someone's day.

    • 2

      If helping others just makes you feel even more pouty, try a hypnotherapy session and visualize what really makes you happy. Hypnotherapy sessions cost around $100-$150, and your health insurance may cover some of the cost. In 2008, Blue Cross Blue Shield of California offered a groundbreaking hypnotherapy referral service to its members---call your insurance company to ask if it does the same.

    • 3

      Hold a laughing contest with your family, friends, or even the person who didn't invite you to that party. The rules are simple: Everyone laughs at the same time for one minute. At the end, vote on who had the most ridiculous laugh. Guaranteed to wipe that pouty look off your face, even if just for a minute.

    • 4

      Perform a "Joy Drop." Joy drops are where you pick a random person and perform a random act of kindness. Examples are paying for the groceries for the person behind you in the checkout line, printing off extra restaurant coupons and handing them out to the people behind you in the checkout line. The possibilities are endless. Still pouty? Repeat. Blog about it. Bask in the glow of compliments from readers.

    • 5

      If you are still pouty by getting to this step, you may need to get your emotion off your chest. Write a nastygram to the person who caused you to be pouty and mail it---to "John Smith" in a small village near Timbuctoo. It will come back in six months as undeliverable and boy---won't you feel silly then for sending it?

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