10 Scandinavian Happiness Principles That Work For Everyone

For many years, experts from the New Economics Foundation have been calculating the existing happiness index in several countries, and Scandinavians are always at the top of the list. What will be the secret? Can we be as happy as people in countries like Sweden, Denmark and Norway?

O awesome.club wants to share with you aspects of everyday life that make Scandinavians so happy.

“Everything for the family”, this could be the main motto of Scandinavian countries. Governments actively support rising birth rates. It is so much so that the leave granted to both the father and the mother after the birth of a child is quite long. In Sweden, for example, it reaches 480 days. Furthermore, for 390 days in that period, parents are entitled to receive almost 80% of their full salary. Being able to stay with the baby without worrying about income is or is it not a factor that leads to happiness?

Large families in Scandinavian countries are heavily supported by the state. In these countries, it is very difficult to find a person who does not have at least one brother or sister.

The Scandinavian cycling culture is highly encouraged among its inhabitants, especially in Denmark. Therefore, it is common to see people cycling even in the dead of winter, since the weather is not an obstacle for anyone. The trains have special wagons for transporting bicycles (these spaces usually have specific signage), and some places even have elevators for bicycles.

In Scandinavian countries, sexism and jokes about feminists are out of order. The gender gap, calculated annually by the World Economic Forum, is always very low in these countries, which means that women receive on average the same wages as men with the same job assignments.

Most orphans live in foster care, as it is considered that living in shelters for a long time is harmful for children: they understand that affection and connection with an adult are essential for good development. In addition, public entities dedicated to sheltering orphans can only take care of five to 10 children at a time.

These countries place great value on practicing sports, so most people are in good physical shape. An example of this is that many people are entitled to sports holidays. During this period, people often go skiing in the mountains and go snowboarding with the family.

From an early age, children learn about which foods are good for the body and which are harmful to health. Bonbons and chocolates are usually only consumed once a week. Treats (in very moderate amounts) are only given to children on weekends. So much so that there is even a word, lördagsgodis, which means “Saturday sweets”. The Holy Week holiday is also highly anticipated, as the little ones get lots of sweets and chocolate eggs during this period.

Scandinavian cities have places where retirees can meet, talk, play board games, play sports, dance, celebrate parties, among others. In these places, everyone can find some activity to their liking.

According to a study carried out by the European Statistical Office, Eurostat, Scandinavians are constantly developing their education system. They invest about 9% of GDP in this area — in Brazil, the index is approximately 4.9%. In most countries in the region, around 80% of the education budget is used to pay teachers’ salaries. The remainder goes towards the maintenance of school buildings and the purchase of educational material.

In Scandinavian countries, compared to others in the rest of the world, the working day is shorter (it lasts 7.5 hours a day), and vacations are longer. This allows people to spend more time with their family.

Have you ever visited any Scandinavian countries? What do you think of the local lifestyle? Or would you like to travel to that region? Comment!