All the elements have aligned to make today (Friday 23rd July) the most joyous day of the year according to Liverpool born psychologist Dr Cliff Arnall, the brains behind ‘Blue Monday’, the most miserable day of the year.

The eminent psychologist has flipped the science on its head to identify the day when the nation’s hearts are most likely to soar in 2021 – being labelled ‘Feel Good Friday’.

The discovery follows England’s Euro 2020 exit and the easing of social restrictions, and it’s all down to a combination of the ‘Thank Goodness it’s Friday’ (TGIF) feeling after Freedom Day (19th July), good weather, long daylight hours, paydays, school break ups and the start of the summer holidays.

A former psychologist at Cardiff University and an NHS adviser on wellbeing, Cliff has partnered with leading gifting and rewards company Appreciate Group to create a formula that shows July 23rd will be when the feeling of joy is at its peak.

His mathematical formula for joy is surprisingly simple, and can be summed up as:

N + S + F2 + P + (A x SK) – SM

N is for being outdoors and appreciating Nature in full bloom and without restrictions.

S is more than 16 hours of Sunshine, with the sun rising just after 5am and setting just after 9pm.

F2 is for spending quality time with and rebuilding emotional and physical connections with Family and Friends (F2), which has been challenging for millions of people experiencing isolation during the pandemic.

P is because Fridays are the most popular Paydays for Brits, and it will be the first post-Freedom Day payday for many of us, including our beloved NHS workers this year.

Optimistic Attitudes are also more likely, with restrictions lifted and life beginning to return to some degree of normality. Combined with self-kindness and kindness to others, this is expected to build our confidence, self-esteem and mood this summer.

And finally, with the return of physical contact, more travel and greater in-person social interactions between people there’s an expectation that Social Media use will lessen from Friday, 23rd July.

“Happiness can be a simple, fleeting moment, but joy is much deeper than that. It’s about us connecting more closely with ourselves and also with others through shared experiences,” said Dr Cliff.

“Feel Good Friday sees further reopening of the world after the pandemic and gives us more opportunities to step away from a screen, enjoy nature, spend time with loved ones, experience the things we’ve all desperately missed during the restrictions, and take time to make up for those lost moments and lost experiences that bring us true joy.

“So, now it’s on us all to safely make the most of the freedoms we’ll experience from now on, and I hope 23rd July is a joyful day for millions of us.”

Cliff – who once lived in the same Merseyside home as former Beatles legend John Lennon – has worked on the formula with Liverpool-based gifting and rewards company Appreciate Group, whose business purpose is to ‘create more joy in the world’.

Appreciate Group Chief Executive Ian O’Doherty said: “Cliff’s work to help us measure the elements that create joy are genuinely fascinating, and we hope people make the most of the freedoms we’re now able to enjoy again.

“As an organisation, we’re keen to understand the science behind what helps create joy in society so to have created a formula such as this will be absolutely invaluable.”