For a number of years now, Finland has been named the happiest country in the world.
Don’t get it twisted, warns Frank Martela, a Finnish psychology researcher and philosopher.
Finns aren’t born spitting rainbows — and they work hard to earn that title.
“It would be more accurate to say that Finland is the country that has the least unhappy people in the world,” Martela said in an interview with CNBC Make It, where he explained that all this award-winning behavior stems from three widely held beliefs in Finnish society that are believed to contribute to the national happiness.
They are:
- A strong sense of community and relatedness
- Doing good deeds for other people
- Finding a clear purpose for oneself
Martela explained how these three “crucial” concepts are so important to the project — and why you should seek to incorporate them into your own daily life.
Sense of community
“Having people around you who care about you, and whom you care about, makes people happy,” Martela said. “Luckily, that can be true even in very dire material conditions.”
Studies show this to be true — spending quality time with friends and family can make life infinitely better, regardless of financial or material status.
And when it comes to good deeds, a 2023 Ohio State University study found that anxiety, depression and stress could be alleviated by little acts of kindness — as small as offering a word of positive reinforcement. These acts ended up leading to a sense of happiness and satisfaction.
“When you help someone, when you [have a] positive impact on others, your own happiness and sense of meaningfulness increases,” said Martela. “In situations of crisis, opportunities to help each other are typically plenty, and this helps also to build a sense of solidarity.”
And while finding your purpose is the million dollar question for many of us, it’s an answer worth going after for the sake of society, said Martela.
″[A] strong sense of purpose also makes it easier to tolerate bad conditions,” he pointed out. “In fact, focusing on changing those conditions is one obvious source of purpose that could animate the person and help to find meaning in their present situation.”
Make a list of the things that bring you happiness, Harvard University visiting scholar Suneel Gupta wrote in his book, “Everyday Dharma: 8 Essential Practices For Finding Success and Joy in Everything You Do.”
Then, think about what all these things have in common — is a pattern developing?
Institutions matter
Martela named another important factor that contributes to the country’s high morale: “Well-functioning governmental institutions. I tend to say that governments can’t make people happy, but they can remove many sources of happiness.”
For example, many countries can can only dream of quality, affordable health care and education.
In Finland, it’s not just the norm — it’s expected.
“How your country is running has a huge impact on your happiness,” Martela said.
Chaos, or unrest — whether social, political, economic — is the ultimate buzzkill, he said.
“No amount of mindfulness or gratitude diaries or other popular interventions” can save a national mood at that point, he warned.
