The Atlas Of Happiness: Discovering The World’S Undercover To Happiness Amongst Helen Russell
Posted: 4/4/2019 | Apr 4th, 2019
A few years ago, I read the majority The Year of Living Danishly past times Helen Russell. I mean value it originally came upwards every bit a suggested majority on Amazon. I can’t fully remember. But, I stuck it inwards my queue, ordered it, as well as it sat on my bookshelf until it was fourth dimension to read it. I couldn’t set it down. It was funny, good written, interesting, as well as an insightful await into Danish culture. It was 1 of my favorite books I read that year.
Last year, I somehow convinced Helen to speak at TravelCon as well as got to encounter her inwards person. Now, she has a novel majority out called The Atlas of Happiness. It’s well-nigh why people inwards for sure places are happier than others. It’s a phenomenal majority (you should acquire it). Today, Helen shares some of what she learned inwards researching that book!
Here’s a funny thing: if you’ve been online today for to a greater extent than than a fraction of a second, you lot may receive got started to acquire the sense that earth is Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Terrible Place. Even the committed traveler alongside an opened upwards heed could hold upwards forgiven for thinking that the outlook is pretty bleak.
And if you’ve seen the headlines today or been on social media as well as you’re feeling depression every bit a result, you’re non alone.
It’s piece of cake to acquire the thought that earth is becoming to a greater extent than pathetic past times the infinitesimal as well as that happiness is a luxury inwards these troubled times.
But over the past times half dozen years, I’ve learned that at that spot are people all roughly earth finding ways to rest happy, every day. And that happiness is something we’re hardwired to seek out – wherever nosotros are.
I started researching happiness inwards 2013 when I relocated from the UK of Britain as well as Northern Republic of Ireland to Denmark. I’d spent 12 years living as well as working inwards London every bit a journalist, as well as I had no intention of leaving, until out of the bluish 1 moisture Wednesday, my hubby came habitation as well as told me he’d been offered his dream job…working for Lego inwards rural Jutland. I was skeptical to start alongside — I had a practiced career, a dainty flat, nifty friends, unopen theater unit of measurement — I had a life.
Okay, thence my hubby as well as I both worked long hours, nosotros were tired all the time, as well as never seemed to hold upwards able to consider each other real much. We regularly had to bribe ourselves to acquire through the twenty-four hours as well as we’d both been sick on as well as off for the past times half dozen months.
But that was normal, right?
We thought nosotros were ‘living the dream.’ I was 33 years one-time as well as we’d also been trying for a babe for every bit long every bit either of us could remember, enduring years of fertility treatment, but nosotros were ever thence stressed that it never quite happened.
So when my hubby was offered a undertaking inwards Denmark, this ‘other life’ possibility was dangled inwards front end of us — the risk to swap everything nosotros knew for the unknown. Kingdom of Denmark had just been voted the world’s happiest province inwards the UN’s annual written report as well as I became fascinated past times this. How had a tiny province of just 5.5m people managed to describe off the happiest field on globe title? Was at that spot something inwards the water? And if nosotros couldn’t acquire happier inwards Denmark, where could nosotros acquire happier?
During our starting fourth dimension visit, nosotros noticed that at that spot was something a chip dissimilar well-nigh the Danes nosotros met. They didn’t await similar us, for starters — quite apart from the fact that they were all strapping Vikings towering over my 5’3” frame — they looked to a greater extent than relaxed as well as healthier. They walked to a greater extent than slowly. They took their fourth dimension to halt as well as swallow together, or talk, or just…breathe.
And nosotros were impressed.
My Lego Man hubby was sold on the thought as well as begged me to move, promising we’d relocate for my career adjacent time. And I was thence worn out past times my hectic London life that I institute myself agreeing. I quit my undertaking to become freelance as well as decided I would give it a year, investigating the Danish happiness phenomenon starting fourth dimension manus — looking at a dissimilar expanse of living each calendar month to notice out what Danes did differently.
From nutrient to theater unit of measurement life; operate civilisation to working out; as well as pattern to the Danish welfare province — each calendar month I would throw myself into living ‘Danishly’ to consider if it made me whatever happier as well as if I could alter the means I lived every bit a result. I decided I would interview every bit many Danes, expats, psychologists, scientists, economists, historians, sociologists, politicians, everyone, inwards fact, to essay to uncover the secrets to living Danishly.
I documented my experiences for 2 UK of Britain as well as Northern Republic of Ireland newspapers earlier beingness asked to write a book: The Year of Living Danishly, Uncovering the Secrets of the World’s Happiest Country.
Since then, I’ve been humbled as well as moved to remove heed from readers from across the globe alongside wide-ranging life perspectives, but the 1 constant was a demand to portion the happiness secrets of their ain cultures. Some of the themes that sprung out were universal — such every bit social interactions, exercising out of doors as well as finding a repose inwards life — piece others were intriguingly unique.
So I laid out to query into unique happiness concepts from roughly the world, interviewing people internationally until The Atlas of Happiness — my novel book-baby — was born. It isn’t a compendium of the happiest countries; instead, it’s a await at what’s making people happier inwards dissimilar places. Because if nosotros only await at the countries already coming top of the happiness polls, nosotros immature adult woman out on ideas as well as cognition from cultures we’re less familiar with.
Nowhere is perfect. Every province has faults. But I wanted to celebrate the best parts of a country’s civilisation every bit good every bit national characteristics at their finest – because that’s what nosotros should all hold upwards aiming for.
Here are a few of my favorites:
Did you lot know, for example, that inwards Portuguese there’s something called saudade — a feeling of longing, melancholy, as well as nostalgia for a happiness that in 1 lawsuit was — or fifty-fifty a happiness you lot only hoped for?
And piece Brazil may hold upwards famous for its carnival spirit, the flipside of this, saudade, is thence key to the Brazilian psyche that it’s fifty-fifty been given its ain official ‘day’ on the 30th of Jan every year.
Most of us volition receive got experienced a bittersweet pleasance inwards moments of melancholy — flicking through one-time photos, or caring well-nigh anyone plenty to immature adult woman them when they’re gone.
And scientists receive got institute that this temporary sadness — counter-intuitively — makes us happier: providing catharsis; improving our attending to detail; increasing perseverance as well as promoting generosity. So nosotros should all pass fourth dimension remembering those we’ve loved as well as lost — thence practise beingness a piffling to a greater extent than grateful for the ones withal around.
Finland ranked set out 1 inwards this year’s United Nations World Happiness written report thank you lot to a nifty character of life, gratuitous healthcare, as well as instruction funded past times high taxes.
But there’s also something else the Finns bask that’s infinitely to a greater extent than exportable: kalsarikännit — defined every bit ‘drinking at habitation inwards your underwear alongside no intention of going out’ — a pursuit thence pop it fifty-fifty has its ain emoji, commissioned past times The Finnish Foreign Ministry.
In mutual alongside most Scandinavians, Finns aren’t shy well-nigh disrobing, as well as they all receive got such enviably well-insulated houses that stripping downwardly to their pants is plainly completely okay fifty-fifty when it’s minus 35 degrees outside. What you lot drinkable as well as crucially how much of it you lot knock dorsum is downwardly to the individual, but it’s a uniquely Finnish cast of happiness as well as means of relaxation that nosotros tin all give a go.
In Greece, they receive got a concept called meraki that refers to an introspective, precise aspect of care, ordinarily applied to a cherished pastime — as well as it’s keeping Greeks happy despite turbulent times. This is because having a hobby improves our character of life according to scientists, as well as challenging ourselves to do something dissimilar also creates novel neural pathways inwards our brain. Having a passion that you lot accept pride tin hold upwards of extra do goodness to those who can’t state the same for their principal occupation.
Because meraki tin build life worthwhile if your 9-5 is to a greater extent than of a daily grind. Many tasks that demand to hold upwards taken attention of on a day-to-day ground aren’t specially challenging or inspiring – from filing, to raising buy orders or fifty-fifty — dare I state it — some of the to a greater extent than gruelling aspects of parenting.
But nosotros tin interruption upwards the never-ending bicycle of mundane operate alongside our ain personal challenges — things that we’re passionate well-nigh that nosotros tin genuinely await frontward to doing. Our meraki.
Dolce far niente — or the sweetness of doing nil — is a much-treasured concept inwards Italy — oft hashtagged on Instagram accompanying pictures of Italians inwards hammocks. Okay, thence Italy hasn’t precisely topped whatever happiness rankings inwards recent years, but the cliche of the carefree Italian withal exists – as well as alongside practiced reason.
Italians do ‘nothing’ similar no other field as well as perfecting the fine art takes trend as well as science – because there’s to a greater extent than to it than meets the eye. It’s watching earth become past times over java as well as a cornetto. It’s laughing at tourists. Or politicians. And crucially it’s well-nigh savoring the 2nd as well as actually enjoying the present. Many of us search for relaxation past times traveling to exotic locations, drinking to oblivion, or trying to blot out the vibrations of modern life.
But Italians allow the chaos launder over them. Instead of saving upwards our ‘fun quota’ for an annual escape, they spread it over the minutes, hours as well as days throughout the twelvemonth as well as ‘enjoy life’ inwards all its messy reality.
One of the happiest countries inwards the world, the Norwegians must hold upwards doing something right. And quite aside from their enviable Scandi-lifestyles as well as the security cyberspace of all that oil, Norwegians receive got a surreptitious ace carte du jour upwards their sleeves: a concept called friluftsliv. This roughly translates every bit ‘free air life’ as well as it’s a code of deport every bit good every bit a life destination for most Norwegians – who similar to pass fourth dimension outdoors as well as acquire high, every bit oft every bit possible.
Anyone who’s ever visited the province volition know that if you lot encounter a Norwegian out inwards nature, their objective tends to hold upwards the highest mount nearby – as well as there’s a maxim inwards Norway that “You must build an endeavour earlier you lot tin receive got pleasure’.
Most Norwegians believe you lot receive got to operate for things, to earn them alongside physical endeavors, battling the elements. Only in 1 lawsuit you’ve climbed a mount inwards the pelting as well as cold, tin you lot really bask your dinner. It’s an one-time fashioned approach to the practiced life but numerous studies exhibit that using our bodies as well as getting out into nature every bit oft every bit possible boosts mental as well as physical wellbeing.
Which is all real well, on paper. But how to apply these principles as well as all the things I’d learned inwards existent life? Well, I took it piece of cake — dolce far niente style. I had to acquire non to hold upwards the archetypal Londoner, working all hours. Instead, I had to essay relaxing in 1 lawsuit inwards a while.
Radical, I know.
Next, I got on the hobby train. I institute my meraki inwards pottery, inwards cooking as well as trying out novel recipes, oft inspired past times the countries I was researching. Some weeks, nosotros ate well. Others, non thence much (my hubby withal hasn’t forgiven me for ‘Russian month’). I’m non ashamed to state that I’ve done a fair amount of underwear-drinking, too.
The Finnish concept of kalsarikännit as well as I are forthwith theater friends. And because I was working less as well as beingness to a greater extent than mindful of living good as well as looking afterwards myself, it was relatively piece of cake to adopt the Norwegian ethos of friluftsliv.
So forthwith I essay to inquire myself: what did I do today? What did I climb? Where did I go? But the biggest heed shift was the realization that to hold upwards happy, nosotros receive got to hold upwards comfortable beingness lamentable sometimes, too. That we’re at our healthiest as well as happiest when nosotros tin reconcile ourselves to all our emotions, practiced as well as bad.
The Portuguese saudade was a game changer for me — helping me to come upwards to damage alongside the life I thought I’d receive got as well as notice a means to displace on, without resentment or bitterness. Because when you lot allow become of these things, something pretty amazing tin happen.
By learning from other cultures well-nigh happiness, wellbeing as well as how to rest salubrious (and sane), I institute a means to hold upwards less stressed than I was inwards my one-time life. I developed a amend agreement of the challenges as well as subtleties of coming from some other culture. My empathy levels went up. I learned to care, more.
Optimism isn’t frivolous: it’s necessary. You’re travelers. You acquire this. But nosotros demand to spread the word, now, to a greater extent than than ever. Because nosotros only receive got 1 world, thence it would hold upwards actually nifty if nosotros didn’t mess it up.
Hellen Russell is a British journalist, speaker, as well as the writer of the international bestseller The Year of Living Danishly. Her most recent book, The Atlas of Happiness, examines the cultural habits as well as traditions of happiness roughly the globe. Formerly the editor of marieclaire.co.uk, she forthwith writes for magazines as well as newspapers roughly the world, including Stylist, The Times, Grazia, Metro, as well as The i Newspaper.
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