The formula for happiness

The answer, apparently, is nothing as simple as true love, lots of money, or an exciting job. Instead, it can be neatly summarised in the following equation:

Happiness = P + (5xE) + (3xH)

Questions on which the equation is based

Just to explain, P stands for Personal Characteristics, including outlook on life, adaptability and resilience.

E stands for Existence and relates to health, financial stability and friendships.

And H represents Higher Order needs, and covers self-esteem, expectations, ambitions and sense of humour.

Sound complicated? Actually, it isn't as difficult as it may seem.

Apparently the formula was worked out by psychologists after interviews with more than 1,000 people.

Life coach Pete Cohen, who co-wrote the study, admitted that the equation was not easy for most people to understand.

But he said it was based on a series of simple questions (see box).

Rating

Each person who completes the questions ends up with a rating out of 100. The higher the score, the more happy they are.

"Most people probably don't know what happiness is, they think happiness is perhaps having lots of money or a big car, or a big house.

"But people who have all these things are not necessarily happier than people who just enjoy their life."

Working out the answer

Mr Cohen said the British were expert at making themselves unhappy by focusing on negative things.

"We tend to be very obsessed with what is wrong, what is missing and what we have not got, rather than focusing on what we want and getting it.

"It would be nice to just enjoy your life, because life is a bit short."

The researchers found that different factors were important for the different sexes.

Four in ten men said sex made them happy, and three in ten said a victory by a favourite sports team.

For seven in ten women happiness was related to being with family, and one in four said losing weight.

Romance featured higher for men than women. So did a pay rise and a hobby they enjoyed.

Women were more likely to cite sunny weather.

Ingrid Collins, a consultant psychologist at the London Medical Centre, told BBC News Online: "I would be very surprised if people sat down and had to work out whether they were happy or not.

"We can all be happy in a heartbeat if we make the decision to be so."