At work, I’m often surrounded by people, sometimes under tense conditions. On any day, one of my coworkers could easily be having a rough time—feeling angry, frustrated, negative, struggling to see the good in anything.

In my general inclination to take responsibility for others, I could take this as a cue to adopt these feelings as my own. But just because someone is having a bad day doesn’t mean that I have to. I can empathize with and acknowledge the experience of others, but I get to decide what kind of day to have.

Today, if I’m soaking up the emotional state of someone nearby, I’ll stop and check myself. Even if I’m the one who’s broadcasting stinking thinking, I’ll remember that “I can start my day over any time.”