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Get ready to get happy! Survey reveals 50 simple things that make us feel great

A new survey reveals that it's the simple things — like just feeling the warm sun on our faces — that really make us feel fabulous.
/ Source: TODAY

We may fantasize about going on a tropical vacation, buying a luxury car or winning the lottery, but there's good news for those of us who aren't likely to fulfill those dreams anytime soon: We don't actually need any of that fancy stuff to find happiness.

A new survey reveals that it's the simple things — like the sensation of the warm sun on our faces — that really make us feel fabulous.

U.K. healthcare group Bupa sponsored the survey that asked 2,000 people what brought them happiness, and here are the 50 feel-good results:

1. Sleeping in a freshly-made bed

2. Feeling the sun on your face

3. People saying "thank you" or a random act of kindness from a stranger

4. Finding money in unexpected places

5. Having time to myself

6. Laughing so hard it hurts

7. Snuggling on the sofa with a loved one

8. Freshly-made bread

9. Doing something for others

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10. The clean feeling after a shower

11. When your favorite song comes on the radio

12. Finding a bargain in the sales

13. Listening to the rainfall/thunderstorms when you’re inside

14. Freshly-brewed tea/coffee

15. The thrill of personal achievement

16. Having a long hot bath

17. Seeing a fresh coating of snow

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18. Freshly-cut grass

19. Chocolate melting in your mouth

20. Doing something active outdoors (e.g. bike ride, run, country walk)

21. Bacon cooking in the morning

22. Talking to or playing with your pet

Playing with your pet
Getty Images stock

23. A soothing massage

24. That "Friday feeling"

25. A perfectly-cooked steak

26. Waking up before the alarm and realizing there’s more time to sleep

27. Doing exercise

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28. Rainbows

29. Remembering the name of something/someone you thought you’d forgotten

30. Making a perfectly-baked cake/pie

31. Stepping on crunchy autumn leaves

32. Popping bubble wrap

33. Swimming in the sea/lake

34. New car smell

35. Dancing like no one is watching

36. The smell of new books/magazines

37. Smell of a fine wine

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38. Putting your "Out of Office" on before going on holiday

39. Putting on a brand new pair of socks

40. Watching your breath float away in cold air

41. Getting new stationary

42. Singing in the shower

43. Getting a seat on the bus/train/subway

44. Picking an easy peel orange from the fruit bowl

A perfectly peeled orange
GoodMood Photo / Featurepics stock

45. Loosening your jeans after you've eaten

46. The "pop" when you open a new jar of jam

47. Squeezing a [pimple]

48. Cleaning the wax from your ears

49. Cleaning the bathroom

50. The royal family

On Wednesday morning, the TODAY gang offered up their own additions to the list.

For Natalie Morales, nothing beats the smell of a newborn baby's head. Tamron Hall considers ice cream in bed to be the best. As for Matt Lauer, his happy place is in a shower with great water pressure.

But Hoda Kotb's simple pleasure was bit more complicated. "I like cozy sweats on a couch with an Entenmann's cake and ... some bad TV," she said.

We love it all!

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