What makes you smile? For me, it might be small things like seeing a friend for coffee, watching someone do a good deed or reminiscing about my youth when I’m reminded by my kids when they do similar things…

According to a new poll of 2,000 adults, seeing an old friend, hearing a song that reminds you of your past and getting some good news from a loved one top the list of the 50 simple things that are most likely to put a smile on your face.

And despite uncertain times, most Brits consider themselves a ‘glass half-full’ person and spend half of the average week feeling happy.

Other feel-good factors include getting a thank-you from someone, doing something to make someone else laugh or smile, eating comfort food, jumping into a bed with freshly washed sheets, finding a ten pound note in an old pair of jeans and seeing a funny video online.

Getting into a pair of jeans you thought were too small, seeing old people holding hands and winning £10 on the lottery also feature in the list.

And finding out your children have done well at school, hearing a youngster say their first word and getting a spontaneous kiss from them are other smile factors.

The poll, commissioned by Tetley to launch its new international Smile Challenge for cleft lip and palate charity Smile Train, also found the average Brit smiles 13 times and laughs three times every day, spending more than four hours a day feeling truly happy. They are also reduced to tears of laughter twice a week.

Grim northerner or sulky southerner…?

And depending on where you live in the UK has an affect on your sense of humour apparently; Londoners laugh the most at funny dancing, whilst people from Birmingham laugh the most at funny fails. Funny dancing is generating the most smiles in Edinburgh, whilst pranks top the list in Glasgow and Leeds.

Meanwhile, over in Manchester people laugh the most at funny animals, with funny kids taking top spot in Sheffield.

And Brits are regularly expressing their mood on social media, with the average adult using the ‘smile’ emoji three times a day and the ‘sad’ or ‘crying’ emoji once.

Top 50 things most likely to make you smile

• Seeing an old friend
• Hearing a song that reminds you of your past
• A bit of good news for a loved one/friend
• Getting a thank you from someone
• Doing something that makes someone else laugh/smile
• Eating comfort food
• Getting into bed with freshly washed sheets
• Finding a ten pound note in an old pair of jeans
• Looking back at old photographs
• Seeing a funny video online
• Winning a tenner on the lottery
• Walks in the country
• Getting a nice message from a loved one
• Waking up on a sunny day
• Sitting in the sun
• Cuddles
• Listening to your favourite song
• Booking a holiday
• Landing at the holiday airport
• Being surprised with flowers or chocolates
• Someone offering an elderly person their seat on the bus / train
• Someone giving you their car parking ticket when you arrive in a car park
• Fitting in to a pair of jeans you thought were too small
• Finding a bargain in the sales
• Old people holding hands
• Someone telling you you’ve lost weight
• Bumping into someone you haven’t seen for ages
• Getting a quiet moment to myself
• Chocolate
• The smell of freshly baked bread
• Sunday dinners
• Finding out your children have done well at school
• People carrying their babies
• Making a new friend
• Hearing your child say their first words/smile
• Waking up to find out it has snowed overnight
• Driving a car with the window down on a sunny day
• Finding out someone likes you
• Getting a new hair-do
• A good hair day
• Passing a driving test
• Getting praise from your boss after working hard on something
• Getting spontaneous kiss or cuddle from your children
• Getting the answers right when watching a TV quiz
• Sleeping children
• Babies
• Swimming in the sea
• Waking up on a Saturday morning and realizing it is the weekend
• Having a girlie night / lads night
• Being made a cup of tea

Take The Smile Challenge at tetley.co.uk/smilechallenge What makes you smile?

A Pin For Your Happy / Life Hacks Boards