5 Reasons Why Norwegians Are So Happy

Here’s how you can try to replicate that too.

According to the World Happiness Report that was published by United Nations, Norway has been among the top five happiest countries in the world every year ever since the first report of 2012.

Despite having extreme cold weather and dramatic darkness in their never-ending winter, nothing seems to bring them down. Their consistency in the rankings is nothing short of remarkable.

You might wonder what is in Norway, which is not in Disneyland. Clearly, they have to be doing something right.

I have been living in Norway for a while now to claim that these reports are by no means a joke. I have learned so many things in Norway that influence my life notably.

I am indeed happy now.

The World Happiness Report

The happiness rankings have always spurred worldwide interest among people for wanting to know how their nation is performing in the rankings and to see if there’s anything they can do to improve their lifestyle.

Happiness is measured based on a survey that considers six variables — GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, generosity, and perceptions of corruption.

The respondents who did the poll pretty much understood the difference between happiness as an emotion and happiness in the sense of life satisfaction. The UN report claims that the questions in the survey are formulated without any complications to define the term happiness.

Here are the five factors that I believe are making Norwegians living their lives truly to the fullest. If you identify any of these you can implement in your daily lives, it may be the perfect time to reconsider your tactics to do what makes you happy.

#1. Work-Life Balance in Norway

For every Norwegian, work-life balance is of paramount importance — with a stronger emphasis on the life balance part. This balance can be eloquently described as working to live, not living to work.

They may be regarded as lazy people who do not often work extra hours. But that is not absolutely true. They are one of the most efficient people when they work, just like most of the Scandinavians.

When it is time to go home but if they are still working, their boss will insist them to leave the office and go home. You don’t hear that often from your boss, do you?

Their mental health is being incredibly taken care of. Not just when they feel sick, but also even when they have personal things to do, they are allowed to take off from work with no explanations whatsoever.

They are encouraged to use their paid annual holidays, unlike most of the other intense working cultures. They are entitled to generous maternity and paternity leave with all the financial benefits.

The power distance in their work culture is low. They have very high incomes due to their exceptional economic growth. Their jobs are more secure than the pattern password on your phone.

All these things make them love their job. Therefore, they do not experience emotional stress as compared to other countries.

The difference between how you behave at work and in your leisure time is not that big in Norway.

#2. Losing Oneself in Nature and Finding Peace

With the numerous hiking trails, majestic mountain peaks, famous fjords, awe-inspiring Northern Lights, and picturesque sunset over the ocean, Norway is arguably the most beautiful country in the world. Every season has something glorious to offer, which is quite remarkable when you think about it.

“Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature, it will never fail you.”

— Frank Lloyd Wright

Norwegians know that like the back of their hands. Due to their excessive time spending with Mother Nature, they are always calm. Personally, I believe they are one of the coolest people under pressure.

Their composure actually helps them to get the job done. Mother Earth fuels their creativity and ignites their spirit to radiance. The air in Norway is strikingly clean because they don’t take our planet Earth for granted.

Norway is the first country in the world to ban deforestation. That is no mean feat. I mean, how can you not love Norway?

They live their life following the concept of Friluftsliv which roughly translates to open-air living, regardless of the weather. For many of them, it’s not just an activity. It’s a lifestyle.

They completely stay out of their phones, and laptops dedicated themselves only to nature. They love to live in the moment instead of sharing everything on Instagram or Snapchat. Granted that teens are very much engaged in social media, but not when they spend time in nature.

To prove them right, studies have shown that the stress hormone cortisol increases with the frequent use of the phone. Other studies have shown that people who visit nature a lot are likely to feel less negativity in their lives.

They take pride in their adventures and they love to travel.

They really enjoy the things that give them simple pleasures. When doing those little walks in the forest with their loved ones give them serenity and peace of mind.

#3. Solid Social Support Systems

Norway just like every Nordic country offers high levels of social supports. Access to social services is free and equal to everyone, regardless of their income. They provide free health care and free education generously. For that, they spend 12% more than the average GDP.

Even though their high income does come with a cost of paying tax for almost half of their income, you won’t hear them complaining about it. In fact, they are happy to pay so their community can be benefited for many purposes that include mental health and drug addiction.

There was no panic even when the pandemic hit Norway. They have always had it under control. Even if they lose their jobs, they know that their support system will take care of them.

They are also masterminds in saving money for the future.

Their system gives them the freedom to make life choices. They are very independent. They can afford to choose whichever direction they want to go.

#4. People are Trustworthy, Honest, and Full of Integrity

Norway ranks among one of the least corrupted countries in the world. If they find anyone to be involved in corruption, the punishment is about 10 years imprisonment. The same is applicable even if the crime occurs outside Norway.

The politicians are very transparent, and people do trust them like their own family. There is a strong connection between low corruption and high trust.

If you lose your wallet anywhere in Norway, the odds are it will come back to you within a few days, no matter where you go.

There would be rarely any news about murders and rapes in newspapers. The crime rates are incredibly low in Norway. People feel so safe, which eventually contributes to happiness.

People don’t give you a fake smile in the name of being polite. When you see someone smiling, more often than not, you know it is genuine.

#5. Gender Equality

Norway is considered to be the gold standard for gender equality in every field, such as engineering, nursing, and politics.

The latest World Gender Gap Report released by World Economic Forum shows that Norway is at the second rank, only behind another Nordic country Iceland.

Norway encourages men who choose to work in female-dominated industries such as healthcare and childcare. You could find many men happily working in daycare facilities. They are the same tough Vikings too if you were wondering.

When treated equally, it sure does contribute to the country’s happiness. Their Prime Minister Erna Solberg knows that value better than most.

What Can You Learn From Norwegians?

Happiness is indeed hard to measure, even approximately. Happiness has different meanings for different people. You can call it a sense of well-being, joy, or contentment. Everyone feels happiness for different reasons.

But from my personal experience, I have to say that Norwegians undeniably are doing many things right. You can take a leaf out of their book too.

You don’t have to move to Norway to experience the difference for yourself. You can implement everything you possibly can in your daily routines.

You may not be able to change your social support system. But you can try to apply the things that are in your control.

If you are the boss of a few employees, you can think about the work-life balance of your employees and their emotions. That will only help them to be motivated and productive. At the end of the day, everyone is happy.

You can spend more time in nature to feel a different perspective among a vast and pristine wilderness. Spend more time with your loved ones — to love and to feel loved.

“Life can’t just be about solving problems. Otherwise, what’s the point?”

— Elon Musk

Treat not just every gender but also everyone equally. Respect everyone regardless of their formal titles.

Live your life with integrity and honesty so other people can trust you. Trust in other people has also been connected to your country’s happiness.

Take responsibility for your community. This action alone can transform your family, your company, even the human race. Becoming a better human every day can be your constant goal.

The moments of pleasure come and go every day but there is a sense of purpose that sticks with you for the rest of your life. Enjoying even the little things every day can give you that sense of purpose.

The emptiness doesn’t have to be gnawing away at you. You still haven’t lost the ability to be content.

Sometimes happiness is right in front of you where you least look — or where you look all the time but don’t recognize it.

Being born in Norway sure does feel like winning a lottery which many of us can’t do, even after we are born.

But happiness and tranquility of mind are all about the ability to be happy with what you have and not demanding more than you need.

“It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness.”

— Charles H. Spurgeon

The life you love can be the one that you lead.

It is never too late to take back control.