Today is the happiest day of the year, according to top psychologist

Brits are expected to reach peak levels of wellbeing today

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Despite not making the World Cup final and thousands of Brits taking to the streets to protest against Donald Trump’s UK visit on Friday, today is actually the happiest day of the year, according to a leading psychologist.

Dr Cliff Arnall claims that July 14 is when Brits reach peak wellbeing levels due to a combination of factors, such as good weather, school holidays and longer hours of daylight.

The life coach and happiness consultant - who also coined the term ‘Blue Monday’ - identified the day via a formula which considers a range of factors known to lead to happiness.

These include health, mindfulness, kindness, authenticity, relationships and control and, according to Arnall, each of these contribute to making Brits feel most content at some point today.

One reason for this peak in cheerfulness is because school summer holidays have begun, which typically leads to lower stress levels in families and a reduction in traffic congestion on UK roads, Arnall argues.

“Family stress can be significantly reduced as the usual hassle of getting children ready for school, then joining the school run stops during the holiday period,” he said.

“This reduction in traffic congestion also benefits people without children, or whose children have grown up, as the roads are clearer and car trips are more relaxed."

The formula was developed in 2017 and was commissioned by hotel group Jurys Inn as part of their Stay Happy campaign.

Arnall’s “happiest day of the year” claim acts as a stark contrast to its gloomy predecessor, Blue Monday, which the psychologist has since apologised for creating due to the negative connotations it has developed.

Occurring every year on the third Monday of January, the day has widely become known as the most depressing day of the year since Arnall coined it in 2005.

However, the psychologist explained that provoking further misery was never his intention and he even launched a campaign with Virgin Holidays earlier this year to combat Blue Monday’s melancholic associations and encourage people to view the start of the year as a time for new opportunities.

“Whether embarking on a new career, meeting new friends, taking up a new hobby or booking a new adventure, January is actually a great time to make those big decisions for the year ahead,” he said at the time.