Everyday things that cheer people up, according to poll

A bright blue sky on a sunny day, looking at old pictures and puppies are among the little things that make people in Britain feel happy, according to a poll.

A poll of 2,000 British adults found that relationships, friends and family all featured heavily in the top 40.

These include cuddling, catching up with a friend and hearing your child say "I love you".

Looking at a photograph or artwork, looking out over a landscape and finding some money in the pocket of a coat which you have not worn for a while also featured.

Artist Doug Hyde, who commissioned the poll to mark his I Love U tour said: “With so much going on in the world which is anything but good at the moment, it’s important to try and get a mood boost from the people and things which are close to you.

“Whether it’s seeing something cute or heart-warming, spending time with your loved ones or a stroke of good luck, it doesn’t need to be something big or extravagant to make you feel good.

“Sometimes, something which is simply nice to look at is all that’s needed to put a smile on your face.

Mr Hyde added: “I love creating artwork that moves people - whether that’s a smile, laughter or even tears - but above all I hope it's uplifting."

The poll also found that relaxing at home after having just cleaned it, receiving a compliment and talking about old memories are also among the top 40 things that make people in Britain feel good.

Watching a sunset, being surrounded by pictures of loved ones and waking up and realising it’s a Saturday are other uplifting experiences.

Respondents claimed that they feel happy for around four hours and 25 minutes a day on average.

But while Saturdays (21 per cent) and Fridays (19 per cent) are when people said they are most likely to feel good, Tuesday (2 per cent) is the "worst" day of the week for happiness levels.

Almost four in 10 said a lack of money stops them from feeling happier more often, while 24 per cent blame it on being too busy.

Others put the struggle down to their job (22 per cent), their poor work-life balance (22 per cent) and a lack of hobbies (13 per cent).

The poll also found that 85 per cent of those surveyed think there are health benefits to smiling and feeling happy.

And 82 per cent said love, friendship and family are most likely to make them feel good.

As a result, more than one-third said looking at pictures of loved ones cheers them up, with half of all adults admitting they couldn’t live in a home without photos of friends and relatives on the walls.

Just 13 per cent of those polled, via OnePoll, live in a home with no photos on display.

Two-thirds also agreed a picture is worth 1,000 words, with 47 per cent saying that receiving a text, email or social media post with an emoji makes them feel better than if it’s just a text message.

The smiley face emoji is most likely to make people in Britain happy, followed by a heart, the blowing a kiss face and the crying with laughter symbol.

SWNS