How Long Happiness Lasts

A new study finds that happiness lasts longer after your sports team wins than your partner saying “I Love You”

The longest-lasting happiness comes from spending time with family - but hearing your partner say 'I love you comes behind the feeling of booking a holiday.

A new study finds that if your favourite team wins, you will feel happy for four hours and nine minutes.

More than a quarter of adults say the longest-lasting happiness comes from spending time with family, which leaves a glow for four hours and 33 minutes, according to the 2,000 people polled.

And booking a holiday leaves a good feeling for four hours and 31 minutes – returning from said holiday with a glowing tan creates happiness lasting for four hours and 13 minutes.

But the happy feeling after hearing a partner say “I love you” lasts for just four hours, the research revealed.

Other things that keep us happy for a while include working out leaves us feeling happy for 30 minutes.

Bagging a bargain keeps up happy for about three hours and 39 minutes.

The birth of a child, getting married, and the day they met their partner were cited as life’s most joyful events – while Friday was named the day people are at their most cheerful.

It also emerged that 44% tend to put other people’s happiness ahead of their own – with 57% saying making someone else happy improves their own mood.

And more than one in three (37%) say they will typically buy something if they are having a good day – but 55% would argue the best things in life are free.

Length of Happiness List

1. Spending time with family – 4 hours 33 minutes
2. Booking a holiday – 4 hours 31 minutes
3. Getting home from a holiday with a glowing tan – 4 hours 13 minutes
4. Your sports team winning – 4 hours 9 minutes
5. When your child makes you a piece of art – 4 hours 1 minute
6. A partner saying “I love you” – 4 hours
7. Playing with your pet – 3 hours 47 minutes
8. Finding a bargain in a shop – 3 hours 39 minutes
9. Finishing a workout – 3 hours 36 minutes
10. Cleaning/tidying the house – 3 hours 36 minutes
11. Eating a chocolate bar – 3 hours 34 minutes
12. Getting complimented – 3 hours 30 minutes
13. Having a cold alcoholic drink on a hot day – 3 hours 17 minutes
14. Listening to a song that fills you with nostalgia – 3 hours 9 minutes
15. Eating junk food – 3 hours 6 minutes
16. Drinking a cup of tea – 3 hours 4 minutes