Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen revealed recently that before going to sleep she mentally ticks off the things for which she is thankful. This must be a cumbersome exercise: the long-limbed beauty is the world’s highest-paid clothes horse; is married to a rich, handsome American football star ; she has two gorgeous children; features in Forbes’ annual power list; and, in her spare time, is a UN goodwill ambassador for the environment.

She is obviously clued up about happiness research, too, which extols the benefits of counting one’s blessings — usually in a “gratitude journal”. This kind of ledger is bound to figure in a series of evening classes launched this week across the UK by a group called Action for Happiness. The six-week self-improvement course, endorsed by the Dalai Lama, claims to harness the science of happiness, which has charmed its way into policymaking.

Also this week, the Office for National Statistics published its geographical league table of personal wellbeing in the UK, compiled by quizzing 165,000 people on how satisfied they are with life. Fermanagh in Northern Ireland is the jolly table-topper; London is steeped in melancholy. Since the ultimate goal in life for most people is to be happy, the logic goes, governments should find ways of increasing civic contentment.