Citizens urged to grin and bear their troubles

London: Thousands of people are being sought to grin their way through next week as part of an ambitious attempt to lift the nation's spirits.

Volunteers will be asked to try out one of several strategies designed to make themselves more cheerful in the hope that their new-found glee spreads to those around them.

The five-day-long experiment is thought to be the first to investigate whether some techniques for boosting jollity are better than others.

"If someone is cheerful, they tend to cheer up those around them," Professor Richard Wiseman, a psychologist at the University of Hertfordshire, said.

"If we can get enough people, perhaps we cheer up the whole UK. It's a mad idea, but it's worth a go," he said.

Wiseman is hoping to recruit at least 5,000 people to take part in the experiment which begins on Monday. After completing an online happiness survey, participants will be shown one of four videos describing a common mood-enhancing technique.

One urges volunteers to force themselves to grin as they go about their daily routine. Another suggests they perform random acts of kindness, such as giving money to the homeless.

The two other mood-boosting videos encourage people to focus on something that went well in the past 24 hours, or to express gratitude for something good in their life.