Get a New Video Game Habit.

Researchers at McGill University in Montreal created a simple game called the MindHabits trainer. The player searches a four by four block of frowny faces for one that's smiling. Find the smiling face, click it, repeat. On the surface, it seems insufferable.

In a study, tele-marketers played the game for five to ten minutes before their shift started. Something interesting happened:

At the end of the week, the group that played the "find the smile" exercise reported feeling less stressed, had higher self esteem, made more sales, and were rated as being more confident in their phone calls. Most remarkably, said Balwin, they had 17 percent lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

Could this have any implications for creatives? It reminds me of what Alex Bogusky said about how he wards off creative block at Crispin. The mindset you bring to the work can make a huge difference.

Link to the Reuter's story here.