Lykke: Secrets of the World's Happiest People

In "Lykke - Secrets of the World's Happiest People", Mike Wiking, a happiness researcher, explains why Denmark is ranked almost every year (since the beginning of the ranking, in 2012) in the first place in the UN World Happiness Report, except for one year in which it 'slipped' to third place. Between happiness and money, to antidepressants, and also to the ability to happily pay insane taxes.

The happiest people in the world, according to studies, are the Danish people. The Danish enjoy 52 weeks of maternity leave, free university studies, and a monthly student grant, Free welfare services, and more. We certainly have a lot to learn from these wonderful people, who are focused on public and personal well-being and environmental care.

"Lykke - Secrets of the World's Happiest People" written by Mike Wiking who holds the coveted role of a happiness researcher. The book opens to get acquainted with the culture of these wonderful people. In an excerpt from the book that deals with the importance of expectation. Wiking takes inspiration from the world of Winnie the Pooh and writes about a special text in which Winnie the Pooh talks about the thing they enjoy most in the world and Winnie in his genius claims that the moment before eating honey is better than eating honey itself, only he does not know what to call this moment.

Winnie in his genius claims that the moment before eating honey is better than eating honey itself, only he does not know what to call this moment

Happiness is really a daily, momentary choice. Think that all the occupants of your building or all your neighbors will decide to live happily, it is a decision that may change the atmosphere in your neighborhood in an unusual way, because when it comes to the mass of people it is so powerful and inspiring.

Of course, for every person, happiness is expressed differently because of and thanks to the diversity we have built. But the writer has found a lot of common points, elements of happiness, that lead to general happiness. Everyone is of course so logical and intuitive but does not always go out to think about them seriously. Mike allows us to stop and look at them.

Wiking speaks first of all of 'Hygge', a Danish national term, which defines a state of 'mental warmth', of pleasure in the here and now, and complete trust in your human environment. To get to the Hygge, Wiking recommends, among other things, shutting yourself in the mountains in a remote cabin with some good friends, sitting around the burning fireplace on a perfect stormy night, lighting candles in every corner, and chewing sweets.

Wiking explains why Denmark is ranked almost every year (since the beginning of the ranking, in 2012) in the first place in the UN World Happiness Report, except for one year in which it 'slipped' to third place. Between happiness and money, to antidepressants, and also to the ability to happily pay insane taxes.

Briefly, Mike talks about:

• A sense of togetherness - friends, neighbors, family, community.
• Thinking about the common good.
• Shared housing (shared yard, shared vegetable garden, shared studio, and more).
• Growing a community around shared activities.
• Avoid telephone and screens at certain times during the week.
• The wealthy people are the ones which are happy with what they got.
• Happiness is a predictor of wealth and not the other way around (research-based).
• Be grateful for what you have, and write it down.
• Buy memories and experiences and not objects.
• Reading.
• Recreation in nature.
• Walking, climbing stairs, riding a bicycle to work (combining sports activities as part of your daily routine).
• Trusting people.
• Being generous.
• Educating children for empathy.
• Nurturing parenting without grades.
• Think about the comfort of others.
• Giving help for free.

Mike Wiking is the CEO of the Institute for Happiness Research in Copenhagen and dedicates his research to tracing the elusive quality of the thinker. He explains how to add the secret happiness component from Denmark to the menu of our lives.

He came to the study of happiness after working in the field of sustainability, which he defines as an attempt to improve people's lives by economic and ecological means. Then he started noticing that a lot of things are happening in the field of happiness research. He also saw that Denmark excels year after year in happiness rankings, and thought there should be someone to look into why this is happening, and what makes Scandinavian people happier than other people.

Someone who worked with him, who was a mentor at work, suddenly became very ill. His condition deteriorated rapidly, and he died at the age of 49. This is exactly the age when Mike's mother also died. Mike was then 34, only 15 years away, and he began to think: What if I too. Will he only live to the age of 49? What does he want to do in the years he has left? Should he stay in his current job, which was not bad, or would he rather open a happiness research institute in Denmark? He chose happiness, and it's probably the best decision he made in life.

The Institute for Happiness Research has broken down the components of happiness into six factors: a sense of togetherness, health, money, freedom, trust, and helping others. According to Wiking, all happy people have someone they can trust in a time of need.

Is one person enough? And in general: How many friends does a person need to be happy?

Interpersonal relationships are of immense importance, they are a good measure and believed to determine whether someone is happy. If he is happy in his closest relationship, i.e. family and good friends, he will almost always be a happy person too. How many friends are needed for happiness? It is very individual, but once was a politician in Denmark who said, half-jokingly and half-seriously, that he wanted to make it a law that every citizen in Denmark must have at least one good friend. The problem is not the loneliness itself, but the feeling of loneliness. When people want to be with others and can't, it's misery.

A politician in Denmark said, half-jokingly and half-seriously, that he wanted to make it a law that every citizen in Denmark must have at least one good friend. The problem is not the loneliness itself, but the feeling of loneliness. When people want to be with others and can't, it's misery.

Comparing ourselves to others

Although social media is also a big problem, we are social creatures, and as such we are unlikely to stop comparing ourselves to others. Moneywise - It reminds an experiment where people were asked whether they would rather earn $50,000 a year instead of other people earning $25,000 a year, or earning $100,000, but where everyone else earns $200,000. In both places, the cost of living is the same, and still, more than 50% preferred to live in the first place and earn less in front of the same level of expenses - but earn more from their environment.

In an experiment conducted in the Danish education system, it was decided to 'half a year without smartphones'. At the beginning of school, all students deposited their phones and were only allowed to use them for one hour a day. More than 80% were in favor of continuing. Of course, the critical mass is important here, because if only you are left without a smartphone and all your friends are surfing and talking around you, it will not work.

The connection between money and happiness



The connection between money and happiness exists, but the power depends on where you are. In some of the poorest countries in the world money addition has a clear and direct connection to the level of personal happiness, but in developed countries, in the middle class and above, that extra income has only a marginal effect on Happiness.

When Wiking claims that Danes happily pay taxes, he knows exactly what he's talking about. The Danes enjoy a working week of only 37 hours. Those who work there after 5 pm receives glances of horror mixed with compassion, usually reserved for the mentally debilitated.

The maternity leave in Denmark lasts no less than 52 weeks, and the couple may share it as they wish. Five weeks of vacation leave are paid to employees in full. It is also possible to take a paid day off on the first day of one of the children's illnesses. And what about the students? They receive free tuition and a 590 euro grant per month, tax-free of course.

All studies produce a U-shaped happiness curve. In their youth, people report high levels of happiness, as do older people, even the elderly. The low point of happiness is somewhere in our mid-40s. Of course, there are differences between countries. Men to women, but a worldwide pattern can be identified here.

In the mid-40s most people experience relatively high levels of stress, both in their careers and in family life. Later in life, as we get older, many are already more focused on what matters to them - and that certainly improves their level of happiness. Another reason is that happiness causes to live longer.