* Home * My Feed * Saved The Telegraph (BUTTON) * News * Politics * World * Sport * Technology * Business * Money * Opinion * Obituaries * Travel * Culture * Lifestyle * Women * Family * Health and Fitness * Fashion * Luxury * Cars * Free Mobile App * Jobs * Financial Solutions * Rewards * Events * Dating * Offers * Shop * Garden Shop * Bookshop * Tickets * Puzzles * Fantasy Football * Voucher Codes * Work at The Telegraph * Telegraph Corporate * Search * Video * Rewards * Subscribe now * My Account My details My newsletters Logout Upgrade to Premium * Search * Video * Rewards * Subscribe - 30 days free * Login * Register * Search * Video * Rewards * My Account My details My newsletters Logout The Telegraph * Home * News * Sport * Business (BUTTON) ALL SECTIONS * Lifestyle * Health and Fitness * Body * Mind * Nutrition (BUTTON) More * Telegraph * Lifestyle * Health and Fitness * Mind A Lykke life: the six pillars of happiness that keep the whole world smiling * * * * Save A globe The search for happiness is universal Credit: Duncan Beedie * Boudicca Fox-Leonard 10 September 2017 • 7:00am (BUTTON) Follow Follow the author of this article * Boudicca Fox-Leonard Follow the topics within this article * Portugal * Africa * Happiness * Iceland Meik Wiking could be the happiest person I’ve ever met. It’s raining, his favourite independent coffee shop in London is closed and we’ve been forced to seek refuge in a nearby chain, and he’s still smiling. "Hygge works really well in Denmark, but what works well in France is the value placed around meal times"Meik Wiking But then the Dane knows a thing or two about staying chipper. As the CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen he is one of the leading experts in global happiness, committed to understanding well-being and quality of life. Last year his book, The Little Book of Hygge – which looked at the reasons why Denmark is the happiest nation in the world – became an international bestseller, translated into 32 languages. Wiking Meik Wiking knows a thing or two about happiness A year on from Brits skittering to buy cosy throws, candles and pastries, Meik has another Danish word for us, Lykke. And this time the scope is global. The Danish word for happiness, Lykke, takes the focus away from Scandinavia to explore how other countries are leading the way in cultivating happiness. It was inspired by the letters and emails from people around the world, telling him their happiness stories. “Every culture and country does something well in terms of improving quality of life and there’s a lot of inspiration we can pick up from around the word,” says Meik. “Hygge works really well in Denmark, but what works well in France is the value placed around meal times.” For the most part, he says his countrymen have been puzzled by the international reaction to Hygge. “Hygge is just the way we live. Danes see Hygge the way Americans see freedom. It’s something inherently Danish, but Hygge happens everywhere.” People from around the world Across the world, certain themes are common in the search for happiness Credit: Flashpop/Digital Vision Far from having the monopoly on cosiness and conviviality, Meik says Danes have simply given the rest of the world a word to appreciate what they were already doing. “A French mother of two told me about how she and her children would regularly spend a Sunday under the duvet on the sofa and called it a lazy afternoon. Now it can be a Hyggely afternoon. It’s about removing the guilt from enjoying the simple pleasures in life.” Lykke, by comparison, is Meik’s magnum opus, separating happiness into six categories, Togetherness, Money, Health, Freedom, Trust and Kindness, domains that came up as a result of his and his team’s analysis of the World Happiness Report. The world's 20 happiest countries for 2017 Meik is particularly interested in how the way we design cities impacts our behaviour and happiness. While the UK just edges into the top 20 Happiest Countries, Meik feels that our long commutes (particularly those living and working around the capital) and our unequal work/life balance are what hold us back as a country. On the plus side, apparently we’re leading the way in destigmatising mental health issues (Thanks to Prince Harry speaking out in part), and even our world famous predilection for queues might be a stress buster. Lykke, he hopes, will give us a spectrum of tips and ideas from around the world. If he’s passionate about equipping us all with the means to be happier, then it is in part because his own life has mirrored his research. Five years ago Meik was languishing around a seven on the happiness scale, working for another think tank in Copenhagen. “It was a well paid job but I just wasn’t super passionate about it,” he says. At the same time, he had noticed a global growth in happiness research. “The UN had passed a Happiness Resolution, David Cameron initiated the happiness survey in the UK and I realised this was an exciting area and someone should do something,” says Meik. Yet, he didn’t have the courage to take the leap himself; not until the loss of his close friend and mentor to cancer at the age of 49. Kids and a globe The UN has made happiness an important part of its agenda Credit: Brand X Blend Images - Larry Williams “Back in 1998 my own mother had died of cancer at 49. I was only 34 and I thought, ‘what if you only have 15 years left?’” It was the memento mori that pushed him to quit his job and establish the Happiness Research Institute. Today he rates his happiness at a whopping 9/10, and his experience correlates with evidence that self employed people are happier with their lives, even when they work hard and earn less money. “It’s about the sense of control freedom and identity,” says Meik. "We tend to overlook that there are lots of people doing good things. First and foremost Lykke is a story of optimism and hope" For a cynical Brit, such as myself, all this smiling and happiness sounds a little exhausting. Thank God Meik admits to having good days and bad days. “I’m doing quite well in the happiness scale. But I also have to do my tax returns. I’m not smiling when I’m doing those,” he, laughs. “In life you go through happiness and unhappiness. There’s promotions, redundancies, engagements and heartbreaks. It goes up and down for me as well.” Since Hygge exploded, practising what he preaches has become even more important. Traveling the world as de facto global ambassador for happiness, Meik always makes sure he has a book with him at the airport. To stay in touch with friends, he organises regular supper clubs where they all share the cooking responsibilities. It is, he says, more hyggely that way, and, no one person shoulders the stress of hosting. “We’re all still talking about the time we spent hours making a mountain of sausages from scratch, and they were all absolutely horrible. But we had a really fun evening!” he says. Wiking Wiking says that Lykke 'is a story of optimism and hope' He hopes people will be encouraged to implement some of Lykke’s ideas into their own lives. “With a lot of political turmoil globally, it’s nice to look for the good in the world. We tend to overlook that there are lots of people doing good things. First and foremost Lykke is a story of optimism and hope.” The Little Book of Lykke (Penguin Life, £9.99) is available from books.telegraph.co.uk Little things making a big difference around the world Togetherness Okinawa, Japan Home to some of the healthiest people in the world, where many live to an age of more than 100. Some suggest it has to do with moai, which means to “come together in a common purpose”. It is a solid part of Okinawan tradition to create small, secure social networks in which members commit to each other for life. Moai is created when a child is born and helps to integrate the child into a lifelong community. Whether you face serious problems in life, economic struggle, sickness or grief over the loss of a loved one, the moai will be there. Perth, Australia Shani, a young Canadian woman, turned a street in a suburb of Perth into a community by introducing pizza nights, movie nights, herb gardens and goats, through asking people to dream of what kind of street they would like to live in. Knocking on a neighbour’s door for the first time may be terrifying for some, but the rewards can be big. The Netherlands Since 2006, the Dutch have celebrated National Neighbour’s Day on the last Friday of May. Initiated by the coffee company Douwe Egberts, the Dutch notion that a good neighbour is better than a distant friend has turned an initiative to get neighbours together over a cup of coffee into a nationwide event that is celebrated in 2,000 districts. Mexico The Day of the Dead celebrations take place between Oct 28 and Nov 2 each year. The belief is that, on this day, the deceased have divine permission to visit friends and relatives on earth. People visit the graves of families and friends, taking food and drink with them. The events are a celebration of life rather than a sober mourning of its passing and create a sense of togetherness even with lost ones. The festival The Day of the Dead featured in the James Bond film 'Spectre' (2015) Credit: Steven Vaughan Western Africa The proverb “it takes a village to raise a child” exists in many different African languages, but is sometimes said to have originated among the Igbo and Yoruba people of western Africa. Our language shapes our behaviour – and the proverb is a reminder that if we honour the notion that we are each other’s keepers, we all become happier. Money United States The Giving Pledge is a philanthropic initiative started by Warren Buffett and Bill and Melinda Gates which encourages the world’s wealthiest individuals and families to donate the majority of their wealth to help address society’s biggest issues. Today, more than 150 billionaires from more than 15 countries have signed the pledge. Gates and Buffett Bill Gates and Warren Buffett are high-profile philanthropists Credit: AP Pabna, Bangladesh The development organisation BRAC helps people out of poverty by bringing them together and having them pool their resources to start their own businesses and to resolve problems in the community. Spain Established by the charity Mensajeros de la Paz, the Robin Hood Restaurant in Madrid is a typical restaurant by day but, at night, it transforms into a pioneering place where homeless people can dine at tables set with flowers and with proper cutlery and glasses, free of charge. The restaurant uses the money from paying customers at breakfast and lunch to fund free evening meals. Happy Spaniard Credit: Duncan Beedie Vietnam Reaching Out Vietnam provides opportunities for people with disabilities to learn skills and gain meaningful employment so that they are able to integrate fully into their communities and lead independent and fulfilling lives. Fairtrade gift shops sell items made by disabled people in Vietnam and the profits are fed back into the business to assist disabled people by giving them training and finding them jobs. Health Denmark In Copenhagen, 45 per cent of all commutes for work or education are by bike. This is part of the reason why Danes get more exercise than most people – without hitting the gym. Finland The country’s cherished sauna culture is best expressed by the public facilities found in towns and cities. True Vikings adore the healthy, invigorating combination of heat and icy water. A happy Finn Credit: Duncan Beedie Japan Shinrin-yoku literally translates as “forest bathing” and refers to soaking up the sights, smells and sounds of a natural setting to promote physiological and psychological health. The term was first coined in 1982, but today millions of Japanese walk along 48 “forest therapy” trails to get their dose of what I guess could be labelled “outdoorphins”. Bhutan In some Bhutanese schools, students and teachers start and finish their day with a silent moment of “brain brushing”, a short mindfulness exercise. Because the Bhutanese focus on Gross National Happiness instead of Gross National Product, the country is almost a laboratory testing out different approaches to improve well-being. A study found that the GNH curriculum significantly increased student well-being and improved performance. Iceland The television show Lazy Town uses an athletic protagonist, Sportacus, who lives on a diet consisting of fruit and vegetables to encourage children to take part in physical activities outdoors and eat healthily. The hero is contrasted with the show’s lazy, junk-food-eating villain and antagonist. In co-operation with a major supermarket chain in Iceland, healthy greens were branded as “sports candy” (as in the TV show), resulting in a 22 per cent increase in sales of fruit and vegetables. Top 65 happy songs Freedom Portugal The happiest parents seem to be found in Portugal. According to a comprehensive study that was initiated in 2005, Portuguese grandparents play a key role in the day-to-day life of families and help with the daily routine of looking after their grandchildren. When six grown-ups instead of two take an active part in and responsibility for accompanying children to school, supervising homework, taking them to sports and other clubs and doing other chores like cooking, it provides the parents with more freedom – and, as it turns out, greater levels of happiness. United States The Live Near Your Work Program in Maryland gives monetary rewards of up to $3,000 (£2,277) towards the purchase, down-payments on or final costs of new homes for people who move to within five miles of their workplace. Participants consequently spend less time commuting and a substantial number have switched their mode of transport from driving to walking. Germany In 2011, Volkswagen stopped its BlackBerry servers sending emails to a proportion of its employees when they are off shift. The staff can still use their devices to make calls, but the servers stop routing emails 30 minutes after the end of employees’ shifts, and start again 30 minutes before they return to work. Their logo Volkswagen: not all bad Credit: AFP Sweden Public employers and private companies are experimenting with shorter working days and weeks. One of them is the SEO company Brath, which reports: “Today we get more done in six hours than comparable companies do in eight. We believe it brings with it the high level of creativity demanded in this line of work. We believe nobody can be creative and productive for eight hours straight. Six hours is more reasonable, even though we, too, of course, check Facebook or the news at times.” Trust Israel and Palestine The Parents’ Circle Families Forum is a grass roots organisation of Palestinian and Israeli families who have lost immediate family members in the conflict. A process called the Parallel Narrative Experience aims to help each side of the conflict understand the personal and national narratives of the other. The members meet one another on a regular basis to forge mutual understanding and respect between the communities. Israeli and Palestinian embracing Credit: Duncan Beedie Denmark Østerskov high school uses role-playing games throughout the school year to teach children. Pupils spend a week at a time “living” in ancient Rome or on Wall Street, for example. The teachers find that, for instance, children with Asperger’s learn social skills and how to handle social situations by playing different characters in the games. Singapore The Singapore Prison Service has changed its jails into schools for life by focusing on co-operation and rehabilitation. Prison officers have been assigned to manage all matters relating to the inmates in a particular housing unit, and they take on the role of mentor and counsellor. The inmates are given the power to make decisions, as long as these serve to help them make a change for the better. By any measure, the results have been impressive, ranging from improved staff morale and safety, better social connections between prisons and the rest of society and a drop in recidivism from 44 to 27 per cent over a 10-year period. Brazil In the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, artists have created a small, but significant, revolution. And their main weapons are a brush and some colourful paint. In an open, collaborative and inclusive process, they paint the favela houses in the colours of the rainbow – and a lot of local young people help with the project, making it theirs. They choose the colours together, paint together and play together. Today, it is a new world that greets the locals and the tourists. It is bright, colourful and proud. These are not just houses, these are homes. And the people who live here are now proud to show that they have more to offer the world than the world might have expected. The colourful houses A huge art project has transformed parts of Rio's favelas Credit: Favela Painting / Barcroft Media Kindness India In Hyderabad, the Gift Compassion Project pairs up children from rich and poor schools, who exchange gifts they have made themselves in order to break down social barriers. Poland In a pillar-like chest of drawers in the middle of a Warsaw square, homeless individuals have their own box, on which they write down the things they need the most. Caring passers-by can then drop the necessary items in the box. Turkey To keep homeless dogs from starvation in Istanbul, the Turkish company Pugedon has invented a vending machine that dispenses dog food in exchange for bottles. When someone deposits a bottle at the top, food is released at the bottom. The Smart Recycling Boxes operate at no charge to the city and the recycled bottles cover the cost of the food. Related Topics * Portugal * Africa * Happiness * Iceland * Show more * * * * Follow the Telegraph Health and Fitness news * Follow on Facebook * Follow on Twitter (BUTTON) Show comments If you would like to add a comment, please register or log in Register Log in Please review our commenting policy Follow the Telegraph Health and Fitness news * Follow on Facebook * Follow on Twitter Health and Fitness latest 1. Heart 21 Dec 2018, 11:05am Eight ways to reduce blood pressure – naturally Premium 2. Ben Saunders 20 Dec 2018, 5:20pm Ben Saunders: 10 surprising secrets of polar exploration 3. 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