Turns Out It Is The Little Things That Make Us Happy

You remember the song…If you’re happy and you know clap your hands.  Well these days we want to skip clapping your hands and figure out why so you can do it again. Not catchy enough to for a song but definitely food for thought recently noshed by the Double Tree Hotel chain in a survey and here is what they found. It really is the little things in life - such as the sun shining or finding money in your jeans' pocket - make us the happiest.

They surveyed 2000 adults, I am assuming to up their own game of making their guests happy, and found that finding money you forgot you had and a cookie are a couple of the things that really make us feel happy. In fact 4 in 10 said that sweets lift their mood including cake and of course chocolate with that infamous cookie.

One pleasant surprise to me was that 75% said in an average week they feel genuinely happy.

This research also found that nice things you weren’t expecting provide 82% of us with a larger portion of happiness.

The lead researcher was quoted as saying:

"As this research shows, an effective route to happiness is not necessarily through experiencing major events that we might have planned out such as getting married, moving house, getting that all-important promotion, or even being on a holiday.

"Rather it is the small, and often unexpected, pleasures in life that can make us smile each and every day to help us build happier and more meaningful lives for ourselves and for others.”

And in a cool twist in the UK the Double Tree Hotel chain has started leaving two cookies for each guest, one for them and one to brighten someone else's day.  I like that.

Here is a list of the top 20 happiness boosters according to this research:

1. Finding a five in your jeans pocket

2. A sunny day

3. Heading to the checkout and to find the thig you are buying is further reduced.

4. Clean, fresh sheets on the bed

5. Free stuff

6. Doing a random act of kindness

7. Booking a vacation

8. A compliment from a stranger

9. Hearing your favorite song on the radio

10. Completing a long to do list

11. Chocolate

12. Enjoying old photographs

13. Your car passing its inspection

14. Driving through a crowded parking lot and finding yourself behind someone in the first spot who is just leaving

15. A cup of tea and a cookie

16. Making plans with an old friend who you haven't seen in a long time

17. A slice of cake

18. Avoiding traffic

19. Someone making you a drink

20. Receiving praise from your boss or co-worker