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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Jonathan Coles

Brits beat the blues by going for a walk, having a shower and seeing pals

As petrol pumps run dry and a festive turkey looks like pie in the sky, we have news to put you on a high.

For we can reveal we are a “glass-half-full nation”, with 83% in a poll saying they always looked on the bright side, and just 17% admitting being negative.

The top three tactics for staying positive were going for a walk, eating healthily and catching up with pals.

And simple things such as having a shower, hugging a loved one, enjoying a spell of warm weather or doing a random act of kindness were also among the favourite ways to lift the mood.

An upbeat 78% of those surveyed said they tried not to let bad news affect them adversely, while 51% said they always tried to remember there was someone worse off than themselves.

Hugging a loved one can improve our mood (Getty Images)

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The Mirror is committed to bringing you the most upbeat stories with our “More Hopeful” pledge.

The poll of 1,500 people was commissioned to launch Dr Rangan Chatterjee’s five-minute wellness podcast, Built To Thrive, on Amazon Music.

It revealed that 47% of us find being around negative people draining, with 73% admitting there were gloomy people they avoided for this very reason.

BBC One Breakfast Show medic Dr Chatterjee said: “Our research shows we are a ‘glass-half-full’ nation, trying to stay on the bright side and picking ourselves up with the little things in life.

“I truly believe that carving out five minutes a day to focus on yourself can have huge benefits.”

Going for a walk is a great way to beat the blues (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Top 10 ways to keep positive

1. Going for a walk

2. Eating healthily

3. Catching up with a friend

4. Exercising or hitting the gym

5. Getting an early night

6. Having a shower

7. A hug from a loved one

8. Doing a random act of kindness

9. Warm weather

10. Doing someone a favour

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