Close your eyes and think of the beach

20th January 2011: Closing your eyes and dreaming about holidays is the number one way we cope with the winter blues, research out today reveals.

A massive 84% of Britons think about past holidays to help them get through the January doom and gloom, according to the research by Butlins.

The second happiest memory to cheer us up on those miserable days is being at a brilliant party (27%) and third, a walk in the countryside (22%).

Surprisingly, remembering the joys of a first kiss, buying a first house or the excitement of being promoted at work each scored less than 10%.

The survey found that friends and family play an important role in helping to shake off the winter grumps, with 42% choosing to call or visit their nearest and dearest when they’re feeling a bit glum. The survey also shows that 30% of people make themselves feel better by making a bee-line for the fridge to eat their favourite food.

56% of Britons chose planning a holiday as the activity that best lifts their mood from snappy to happy.

Jae Hopkins, Head of Communications at Butlins, said: “Over the past three years Butlins has seen 30% of total bookings being made during the first six weeks of the year, with the last week in January being the busiest time for bookings.”