Keeping it balanced
Nordics have a passion for environmental sustainability. They work hard to protect the environment, holding conferences, summits, and maintaining goals that will lead to positive outcomes.
But they understand that sustainability is not just for the environment. Nordics apply this concept of sustainability in their home lives as well.
In America, we have a tendency to overdo things, to outcompete our neighbor, to reach the top of the ladder. These habits take a toll on our health, both mental and physical, and eventually we burn out. The Nordics have implemented a model of living that encourages sustainable practices in their lives; at work, home, socially, physically, and mentally. It all balances out and creates a sustainable pattern for a happy life.
Work: Nordic residents work efficiently and effectively; they don’t compete using showmanship. The CEO of Supercell, Ilkka Paananen, isn’t worried about the shorter amount of time at work. “The workdays are maybe shorter than in the United States, but I’d claim that what we lose in time, we win in efficiency.” (The Nordic Theory of Everything, Anu Partanen, page 281) Nordic countries understand that where you spend the majority of your time is important. If people are not happy in their jobs or if there isn’t a good balance, there is a system in place for them to make a change and re-balance their working lives.
Home: Nordic countries provide a large array of services that provide balance to home life. Their legendary parental leave policies allow both parents time to make a healthy transition into parenthood without adding the complications of work stress. The affordable child care and outstanding free public education allow parents to continue contributing to society once they choose to have a family. Coming home from work in time to pick up the children from school and make dinner provides a framework for family bonding.
Social: Hygge, Fika, and other sociocultural habits keep friends and family close in low stress environments. Most social habits allow for moderated indulgence while also promoting retreat, light therapy, and relaxed social interactions. A big emphasis is placed on reconnecting with each other, helping everyone to feel wanted and important.
Physical: Due to policies like the ubiquitous Everyman’s Right, a large portion of the population is focused on riding bikes, hiking, swimming, skiing and recreating outdoors in a multitude of ways. This brings a balance between nature and city, as well as creating a general population with a healthy dose of regular exercise. The free, high-quality healthcare also adds to the physical wellbeing of the Nordic area.
Mental: The combined effect of the policies listed above – especially the ability to find a fulfilling job, transition through life’s big events, and have a reliable source of healthcare – create a feeling of safety. The lack of stress over basic human needs allows those living in the Nordic area to focus on higher levels in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. They can choose to improve their minds through lessons (which are quite popular in the area), volunteer to help a cause that is important to them, or simply relax and unwind, since they have “enough free time and disposable income for truly rejuvenating vacations” (The Nordic Theory of Everything, Anu Partanen, page 26) and a corporate culture that actually encourages taking them. Work is based on their passions, not so much on how much money they will make (The Year of Living Danishly, Helen Russell, page 46), giving even more mental balance.
These factors and policies combine to provide balance not just for a specific time of life, or only in a specific job; but universal, sustainable balance. I believe this is the true secret to the phenomenon of Nordic happiness.
The Nordic area has been topping lists of happiness measurements for 40 years. In that time they have been steadily improving and iterating on the policies that have brought so much balance to their citizens, ensuring their place at the top for decades to come. There is a lot to be learned from these countries.
And if the Nordics aren’t the place for you, visit the OECD Better Life Index.
Go ahead. Find your happy place.
What did I learn from this?
Balance is the key to happiness. And the Nordics have it mastered.