One of the happiest countries in the world?

By Ellen Sleeuw, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

Denmark is the second happiest country in the world, and having lived there for almost a year, I can agree that I felt very content. I think the Dane’s have a very balanced, social, healthy and relaxed way of life that contributes to this. 

Upon arrival one of the first things I did was buy a second-hand bike (you can also rent these from Swapfiets). It feels as if everyone in Copenhagen cycles, and the infrastructure for it is so good, there are separate bike lanes on every road, and bikes get the right of way most of the time. I also found there to be something quite freeing about cycling, the wind and sun on your face. It was a lovely way to wake up in the morning on my way to class, and then to clear my head on my cycle back home. Although I will say that getting caught in a rainstorm didn’t always leave me with a smile on my face!

The cycling also encourages spending lots of time in nature. There are so many lovely spaces in Copenhagen that allow people to be outside. For instance, as soon as the sun came out at university, everyone was sitting outside having lunch with their friends. Also lots of people gather at the bathing spots to sunbathe, swim, or just socialise. 

The winters can be pretty long, dark and cold. However, there is a cultural concept in Denmark known as ‘Hygge’. Whilst there is no direct translation, it refers to a feeling of ‘cosiness’ and the wellbeing of everyone. Hygge encourages you to spend time with family and friends but taking things slowly. Making dinner or drinking tea, lighting some candles and unwinding. It’s the perfect excuse to embrace the dark evenings and relax. 

It became apparent from university, that the Danish have a very good work-life balance, with leisure time being just as important was work. It shocked me when I was first kicked out of the library at 18:00 because it was closing. However, this encourages you to work around 8-6/9-5 and then rest and spend time with friends and family for the rest of the day. Being able to take a proper break from work promotes such a happy society. Also, events such as ‘Friday Bars’ at every university campus provide social spaces for students to have fun at the end of the week, to dance and to meet new people. 

I don’t think that this is necessarily something the Dane’s themselves would see as promoting happiness, but to me it brought me great pleasure: bakeries. There are so many great cafes, pastries and treats that it is very easy to cheer yourself up on the tougher days!