How are you today? Happy? A British researcher says June 20 is the happiest day of 2008, or should be for most people.
Cliff Arnall is a psychologist at the University of Cardiff in Wales. He came up with the "happiest day of the year" designation after creating a formula taking several things into account, including the weather and the fact that it's the summer solstice, the longest day of the year.
The formula uses: time spent outdoors; time spent in nature; more socializing during the summer; positive memories of childhood summers; temperature; and the anticipation of upcoming vacations.
Amanda Tucker of Columbia didn't know that it was "the happiest day of the year", but it didn't surprise her. "I can see that today is Friday, so it does make it a very good day. It's summer. It feels good outside. Hopefully we'll get some rain. So all those are positive things," she says.
Kaela Harmon believes that the positive memories of childhood summers can be a psychological boost as an adult. Every time she drives by someone watering a yard, she has a happy memory. "Playing in the sprinkler! I used to love going outside and my mother would turn the sprinkler on to water the grass and I'd put on my swimsuit and run through the sprinkler," she says happily.
The longer days, and better weather, are also definitely factors in Robert Coffey's happiness. "Well, pretty much enjoy a lot of the lake weather. Also, you can't really golf in the wintertime, so it's time to get outdoors, enjoy the scenery," he says.
There are also things that are specific, more or less, to summertime that trigger happiness. Eating ice cream, for example, activates the pleasure centers in your brain. Pierce Butler was having an ice cream cone on the happiest day of the year with his two sons, after picking them up from summer camp. It was the first thing they wanted to do on a hot day.
"It's just such a great sensation," he says. "You got nuts and chocolate syrup and chocolate...it's great!"
Eight-year-old Derrick Owens was making his own happy memories of childhood on the happiest day of the year, jumping off the diving board at his local pool. But there are other reasons to be happy.
"Because school is out, and we get to go to the pool every day, so we don't have to do much work like we do in school," he says.
Arnall is the same researcher who figured out the gloomiest day of the year, which is usually the third Monday in January. Then, the weather is cold and gloomy, the holidays are over but the Christmas bills have started coming in, and you've probably already broken some New Year's resolutions.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement