An unexpected effect of communicating with strangers has been named

“Instant interaction and gratitude can improve well-being.”

A new study by scientists has found that saying “good morning” to strangers and interacting with people you don’t know significantly increases your happiness levels.

Confirming the old folk wisdom that giving is receiving, it turns out that greeting strangers with a simple “Good morning” and chatting with those we don’t know can boost our own happiness, writes the Daily Mail.

After a study of 60,000 people, including 40,000 Britons, researchers said: “Instant interaction, greetings and gratitude can improve well-being.” Scientists suggest it works by increasing a sense of belonging.

The research team analyzed data from two groups who were asked about their interactions with strangers.

The results, published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science, showed that those people who interacted more with strangers experienced greater life satisfaction.

So it turns out that the classic who called: “Never talk to strangers” was not so right.

Study leader Dr Esra Askicil, from Sabanci University in Turkey, said: “Having a sense of belonging involves feeling accepted and valued by other people – this is often considered a fundamental human need.”

Kate Jopling, adviser to the End Loneliness campaign, commented: “These things help us feel like we belong. They cost so little, but they cost a lot.”

Meanwhile, recently wrote “MK”, in the small Swedish city of Luleå in the north of the country, employees of the city administration, in order to combat social loneliness, launched the “Say “Hello”” campaign – its meaning is that you need to force yourself (and this is not at all easy in the beginning) to say hello to a complete stranger in a public space. The initiators of this action explained that “according to research, our behavior affects our health, and if you say hello to your neighbors, you are more likely to help improve their mood.”

Posters calling for “openness” are hung around the city of Luleå, advertisements for the action are on buses, and teachers teach students on this topic in schools.