Finland has been named the happiest nation in the world for the sixth year in a row. Such information is indicated in the World Happiness Report of March 20. What other peoples can learn from the Finns, said one of the inhabitants of the northern European country.
Express spoke with Miike Mäkitalo, CEO of HappyorNot, a company that designs and installs Smiley terminals to measure customer satisfaction. He noted that several aspects of lifestyle make locals happy. Among them is a high degree of trust between the population and companies, as well as unity with nature, the beauty of which is maintained by the locals on their own.
“There is a high level of trust among citizens and public organizations and we can be sure that we will be taken care of even if something bad happens. Also, I think an important factor here is our respect for nature. Finland is a beautiful place, but nature can also be harsh: it gets very cold. We love spending time outdoors even when it’s cold, and I think spending time in nature is good not only for our physical health but also for our well-being,” he added.
Another aspect is the Finnish love for saunas, which is an integral part of their modern culture. According to some estimates, there are about 3 million baths in Suomi, while the population of the country is only 5.6 million people. The Finnish culture of saunas helps people relax, the source is sure.
The Finns also have their unique philosophy, known as “sisu”, which Myakitalo says he uses during difficult times. This is an important feature of the Finnish national character and one of the national words-symbols of the northern country. Sisu is a complex, ambivalent combination of endurance, and perseverance, turning into stubbornness, endurance, steadfastness, perseverance, courage, courage, and straightforwardness.
“In Finland, we have a philosophy called “sisu”. It’s a hard word to translate, but it combines perseverance, perseverance, and the ability to put things in perspective. It’s kind of a national identity. The word comes from the Finnish word for courage It can get very cold and dark here for most of the year, so we rely a lot on our sisu mindset and warm saunas to get through the winter months.
I also use the sisu mentality for some of my more challenging activities like ultra running, so I think it can be really helpful for building resilience and self-confidence,” Myakitalo explained.
Recall the ten countries whose inhabitants are recognized this year as the happiest in the world:
- Finland
- Denmark
- Iceland
- Israel
- Netherlands
- Sweden
- Norway
- Switzerland
- Luxembourg
- New Zealand