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Society

What is the happiest place on earth (and why)?

In which country are people happiest? The World Happiness Report charts this annually. And who emerges as the happiest country in the world? Finland.

After decades of focusing on a fast life, where money and materialism were at the centre, in recent years our focus has increasingly shifted to something almost immeasurable: happiness. And yet the annual World Happiness Report by the United Nations makes us believe that happiness can be quantified and created, as Scandinavia is acting as if it were no big deal. Why have the Finns been the happiest people in the world for three years in a row, and what can we learn from them during this corona crisis? We zoom in on the happiest place on earth.

Actually, you should consider the 'World Happiness Report' as a satisfaction survey among the local population. The Finns have been extremely happy for the past three years, and now that the level of happiness in major cities has been examined again this year, it is no surprise that Helsinki comes out on top. But how come?

Trust is everything

According to the Finns, they love to stay in Finland because of the peace of mind. They trust the government to take its responsibility in crisis situations like the corona epidemic. They trust the local law enforcement agencies to do what is expected of them. And even more important: the Finns count on the solidarity and common sense of his fellow man. The origins of that solidarity can be found in the shared preparation in northern countries for a harsh winter. It is also no coincidence that the Finnish government organises itself in the same way as its citizens: as a strong, social safety net.

If you translate the level of happiness into life satisfaction, stability is an important pillar. The Finns enjoy security on a social, economic and psychological level. It is therefore no coincidence that the best students in the class are models of the welfare state. Finland, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Sweden are all wealthy countries with an increased focus on work-life balance. Social cohesion is high there, and that translates into happy citizens.

Work to do

And how are other European countries doing?Let's take Belgium as an example. For four years now, they have been dangling between sixteenth and eighteenth place, and today they have to make do with twentieth place, two places below the United States. To find out more about the Belgian feeling of (un)happiness, we take a look at the National Happiness Survey, an annual initiative by life insurer NN and Ghent University. Last year, Professor Lieven Annemans studied their feeling of happiness with 'perspectives on a healthy and happy life'.

3,770 Belgians participated in the survey and it turned out that we are not very happy. With an average of 6.5 out of 10, it's not too bad, but there is still some work to be done. Because they allow their happiness to be affected most by our social relationships, our own health and our personal financial situation. In other words: the Belgian does not lie well in the group. "Man is a social being, but often has the impression that he lives in an anti-social society. We need to work on better social relations from an early age. The schools have a unique opportunity to reach all children and teach them to treat others kindly and with respect. For example, it is important to avoid simplistic conditioning (good versus bad, right versus wrong, black versus white) during the child's education and also later on," says Prof. Annemans.

How do we make every place the happiest on earth?

The National Happiness Survey summarises a number of tips that can help us make ourselves feel happier. Here is a list to put on the fridge:

As a population, we can make each other happier by:

  • creating a work culture that focuses on friendliness instead of performance
  • avoiding unnecessary administration at work
  • Protecting each other from financial mistakes such as large purchases that we do not need or that do not make us happier
  • educating our children in the responsible use of money
  • continuously work on stress resistance (think of meditation, yoga, mindfulness)
  • raising our children with extra warmth, love and support
  • avoid simplistic conditioning (good vs. bad, black vs. white, warm vs. cold), certainly in the education of children
  • deal with each other more cordially and be less distant towards our neighbours
  • offer each other more help: helping someone else also brings happiness to ourselves

We raise our own sense of happiness to a higher level by:

  • managing our free time better, for example by looking less at a screen
  • eating healthier
  • Stop smoking
  • eating as little meat as possible
  • drinking as little alcohol as possible
  • not responding to advertisements for gambling sites and other addictions
  • train your brain daily: for example, do a crossword puzzle every day

Curious about your happiness level? Use the Geluk-O-Meter to find out how happy you really are.

Society

What is the happiest place on earth (and why)?

In welk land zijn mensen het gelukkigst? Dat brengt het World Happiness Report Jaarlijks in kaart. En wat is de gelukkigste plek op aarde? Finland.

After decades of focusing on a fast life, where money and materialism were at the centre, in recent years our focus has increasingly shifted to something almost immeasurable: happiness. And yet the annual World Happiness Report by the United Nations makes us believe that happiness can be quantified and created, as Scandinavia is acting as if it were no big deal. Why have the Finns been the happiest people in the world for three years in a row, and what can we learn from them during this corona crisis? We zoom in on the happiest place on earth.

Actually, you should consider the 'World Happiness Report' as a satisfaction survey among the local population. The Finns have been extremely happy for the past three years, and now that the level of happiness in major cities has been examined again this year, it is no surprise that Helsinki comes out on top. But how come?

Trust is everything

According to the Finns, they love to stay in Finland because of the peace of mind. They trust the government to take its responsibility in crisis situations like the corona epidemic. They trust the local law enforcement agencies to do what is expected of them. And even more important: the Finns count on the solidarity and common sense of his fellow man. The origins of that solidarity can be found in the shared preparation in northern countries for a harsh winter. It is also no coincidence that the Finnish government organises itself in the same way as its citizens: as a strong, social safety net.

If you translate the level of happiness into life satisfaction, stability is an important pillar. The Finns enjoy security on a social, economic and psychological level. It is therefore no coincidence that the best students in the class are models of the welfare state. Finland, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Sweden are all wealthy countries with an increased focus on work-life balance. Social cohesion is high there, and that translates into happy citizens.

Work to do

And how are other European countries doing?Let's take Belgium as an example. For four years now, they have been dangling between sixteenth and eighteenth place, and today they have to make do with twentieth place, two places below the United States. To find out more about the Belgian feeling of (un)happiness, we take a look at the National Happiness Survey, an annual initiative by life insurer NN and Ghent University. Last year, Professor Lieven Annemans studied their feeling of happiness with 'perspectives on a healthy and happy life'.

3,770 Belgians participated in the survey and it turned out that we are not very happy. With an average of 6.5 out of 10, it's not too bad, but there is still some work to be done. Because they allow their happiness to be affected most by our social relationships, our own health and our personal financial situation. In other words: the Belgian does not lie well in the group. "Man is a social being, but often has the impression that he lives in an anti-social society. We need to work on better social relations from an early age. The schools have a unique opportunity to reach all children and teach them to treat others kindly and with respect. For example, it is important to avoid simplistic conditioning (good versus bad, right versus wrong, black versus white) during the child's education and also later on," says Prof. Annemans.

How do we make every place the happiest on earth?

The National Happiness Survey summarises a number of tips that can help us make ourselves feel happier. Here is a list to put on the fridge:

As a population, we can make each other happier by:

  • creating a work culture that focuses on friendliness instead of performance
  • avoiding unnecessary administration at work
  • Protecting each other from financial mistakes such as large purchases that we do not need or that do not make us happier
  • educating our children in the responsible use of money
  • continuously work on stress resistance (think of meditation, yoga, mindfulness)
  • raising our children with extra warmth, love and support
  • avoid simplistic conditioning (good vs. bad, black vs. white, warm vs. cold), certainly in the education of children
  • deal with each other more cordially and be less distant towards our neighbours
  • offer each other more help: helping someone else also brings happiness to ourselves

We raise our own sense of happiness to a higher level by:

  • managing our free time better, for example by looking less at a screen
  • eating healthier
  • Stop smoking
  • eating as little meat as possible
  • drinking as little alcohol as possible
  • not responding to advertisements for gambling sites and other addictions
  • train your brain daily: for example, do a crossword puzzle every day

Curious about your happiness level? Use the Geluk-O-Meter to find out how happy you really are.