You might as well start trying out the smile now. Remember, it needs to be a grin, not a grimace. By the time you have unwrapped your fourth pair of socks, you will be grateful for the practice.

With Thanksgiving just gone and Christmas a few weeks away, this is truly the season to be thankful. Serendipitously, gratitude is now entrenched in the science of wellbeing. So, as well as keeping your grandmother happy by appreciating her neon-striped purchase and the thoughtfulness behind it, your expressions of thanks will benefit you, too. According to the Greater Good Science Centre at the University of California, Berkeley, cultivating a sense of gratitude helps you to feel happier, less anxious, more resilient and more connected with friends and family.

Insomniacs can reportedly benefit: one of the leading “gratitude” scientists, Professor Robert Emmons, who runs the Emmons lab at the University of California, Davis, suggests that we should count blessings rather than sheep to secure a refreshing night’s sleep.