IM Subscribe register IM Subscribe Login Created with Sketch. * IM Join us? Subscribe register IM Join us? Subscribe * Login * Please wait.... * * News + UK + US + World + UK Politics + Brexit + Final Say + Science + Environment + Health + Education + Tech + Business + InFact * Politics + Brexit + Conservatives + Labour + Lib Dems + SNP + DUP + US Politics + Theresa May + Jeremy Corbyn * Voices + Final Say + Drop The Target + Editorials + Shappi Khorsandi + Robert Fisk + Mark Steel + Chuka Umunna + Mary Dejevsky + Matthew Norman + John Rentoul * Final Say + Sign the petition * Sport + Football + Rugby union + Cricket + F1 + Boxing + Tennis + Cycling + Golf + Jonathan Liew + Miguel Delaney + Podcast * Culture + Film + Music + TV & radio + Books + Art + Photography + Theatre & dance + Geoffrey Macnab + Podcast + Crosswords & puzzles * Video * Indy/Life + Travel + Women + Fashion & beauty + Food & drink + Dating & relationships + Health & fitness + Tech + Money + Design & home + Motoring * IndyBest + Home & garden + Kids + Books + Travel & outdoors + Fashion & beauty + Food & drink + Tech + Sports & fitness * Long Reads * AIDSFREE * indy100 * Vouchers + TUI + Groupon + Argos + Mobiles.co.uk + Just Eat + Currys + Gymshark + Clarks + Myprotein + boohoo * Please wait.... * + UK Edition + US Edition Join us? Subscribe / register Join us? Subscribe * News + InFact + UK + US + World + Politics + Final Say + Science + Education + Environment + Health + Long reads + Business + Obituaries * Politics + Brexit + Conservatives + Labour + Lib Dems + SNP + DUP + Ukip + US Politics + Theresa May + Jeremy Corbyn * Voices + Robert Fisk + Mark Steel + Janet Street-Porter + John Rentoul + Jenny Éclair + Chuka Ummuna + Shappi Khorsandi + Editorials + Letters * Final Say + Gina Miller + Our view + Sign the petition + Spread the word + Steve Coogan * Sport + Football + Rugby Union + Cricket + Tennis + Golf + Motor racing + Cycling + US sports + Rugby League * Culture + Books + Film + TV + Music + Art + Theatre & dance + Geoffrey Macnab + Podcast * Indy/life + Travel + Fashion & beauty + Food & drink + Health & fitness + Love & relationships + Tech o iPhone o Tech news o Tech culture o Gaming o Cryptocurrency + Design & home + Motoring + Women * Video + News videos + Explainer videos + Sport videos + People + culture videos * IndyBest + Sports & Fitness + Home & Garden + Kids + Books + Fashion & Beauty + Food & Drink + Travel & Outdoors + Tech * Money + Mortgages + Loans + Savings + Pensions + Money transfers + Health insurance + Money Deals * indy100 * Extras + Corrections + Competitions & offers + Puzzles + Crosswords + Apps + The Independent Books + Jobs + Voucher Codes * Subscribe + Subscription offers + Subscription sign in + Read latest edition * UK Edition + UK Edition + US Edition Please wait.... Log in using your social network account OR Log in directly with The Independent {{message}} ____________________ Please enter an email address Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address ____________________ Please enter a valid password [ ] Keep me logged in (BUTTON) Submit Forgotten your password? Try Independent Minds free for 14 days See the options Hi {{fullName}} * My Independent Minds * Account details * Help centre * Logout Getty Images/iStockphoto Is ikigai the new hygge? The Japanese concept of finding purpose in our lives You've tried hygge and lagom - but it turns out ikigai is the key to happiness * Kashmira Gander * @kashmiragander * Tuesday 19 September 2017 16:30 * * {{^moreThanTen}} {{total}} comments {{/moreThanTen}} Click to follow Indy/Life We’ve snuggled up in knitted sweaters and filled our rooms with wood-scented candles in the pursuit of hygge - the Danish concept of finding contentment in cosiness. When that didn't work, we turned to the Swedish idea of lagom, or moderate living, and it turns out we’re still not happy. So maybe it’s ikigai, the lifestyle concept from Japan, that will help us live our best lives. In some ways, Ikigai is the antithesis of hygge. Instead of encouraging us to slow down, it’s about find striving to find purpose in life, or raison d’etre to use a French equivalent. As such, it is a notion often adopted by those unhappy at work or who have retired. The word is composed in Japanese using the characters iki, or life, and kai, meaning the result of a certain action," explains Hector Garcia, the co-author of Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life. Read more * The age adults are at their happiest, revealed This all sounds rather fluffy. But studies show that losing one's purpose can have a detrimental effect. For instance, those who lose their raison d'etre when they retire become more prone to contracting illnesses. Join Independent Minds For exclusive articles, events and an advertising-free read for just £5.99 €6.99 $9.99 a month (BUTTON) Start your free trial Get the best of The Independent With an Independent Minds subscription for just £5.99 €6.99 $9.99 a month (BUTTON) Start your free trial Get the best of The Independent Without the ads – for just £5.99 €6.99 $9.99 a month (BUTTON) Start your free trial But Ikigai isn’t an individualistic concept either focused on self-preservation. The social connections that we form are as important as any sense of inner peace, according Ken dos Remedios of the Hyper Japan cultural festival. Created with Sketch. The top 10 happiest places to live in Britain Show all 10 Created with Sketch. Created with Sketch. (BUTTON) Created with Sketch. The top 10 happiest places to live in Britain 1/10 Outer Hebrides The happiest places to live in Britain according to the latest well-being analysis released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Rex/Patrick Dieudonne / Robert Harding 2/10 Mid and East Antrim 3/10 Newark and Sherwood 4/10 Purbeck 5/10 Orkney Islands Chmee2/Creative Commons 6/10 Winchester Wikipedia 7/10 Fylde 8/10 Antrim and Newtownabbey 9/10 Lichfield 10/10 Fermanagh Rex 1/10 Outer Hebrides The happiest places to live in Britain according to the latest well-being analysis released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Rex/Patrick Dieudonne / Robert Harding 2/10 Mid and East Antrim 3/10 Newark and Sherwood 4/10 Purbeck 5/10 Orkney Islands Chmee2/Creative Commons 6/10 Winchester Wikipedia 7/10 Fylde 8/10 Antrim and Newtownabbey 9/10 Lichfield 10/10 Fermanagh Rex "Although it is not impossible to have ‘ikigai’ without social connections, it is easier to feel ‘ikigai’ by creating social connections, perhaps because of the ingrained social connections Japanese society promotes and Japanese individuals are conditioned to seek," the Remedios says. Now we're convinced to try it, how does one go about finding their ikigai? "Flow" is the first step, says Garcia. "When we enter a state of 'flow' we lose the sense of time passing. Have you ever been so absorbed in a task that you forget to drink and eat? What type of task was it? Notice those moments when you enter flow, and your ikigai might be embeded in those moments. If you increase the daily time at flow you will increase your connection with your ikigai. Read more * The world's happiest man says one thing is making him unhappy "Your Ikigai is at the intersection of what you are good at and what you love doing." Since incorporating the ideas of ikigai into his life, Garcia says he has become better at appreciating and understanding what he finds joy in. “I stop several times through the day and I ask myself: why am I doing this?” Which, frankly, sounds exhausting. But Garcia stresses that “noticing is only the first step.” The next is implementing changes - and this is where most of us trip up. “Then I have to learn how to make changes in my lifestyle to tilt towards more and more meaning. For example I've become stronger at my daily job when it comes to saying ‘no’ to things I know dislike and I'm not good at, and putting myself into situations where I'm doing things that I love and I'm good at. “I've also put more time and dedication into my hobbies: yoga and photography, and I'm enjoying them more than ever.” Still, it's hard not to feel that ikigai - like hygge and lagom - is another sticking plaster we've reached for to help patch over the problems in our lives that run deeper than any buzzword word can solve. “Although the words might be new, I think all the concepts are not really new," says the spokesperson for HyperJapan. "Just as humans have lusted after objects and money since the dawn of time, other humans have felt dissatisfaction at the relentless pursuit of money and fame and have instead focused on something bigger than their own material wealth. This has over the years been described using many different words and practices, but always hearkening back to the central core of meaningfulness in life.” More about Happiness lifestyle well-being Ikigai Hygge Lagom Japan Raison d'etre Reuse content INDY/LIFE newsletter Be inspired with the latest lifestyle trends INDY/LIFE newsletter Be inspired with the latest lifestyle trends ____________________ Enter your email address (BUTTON) Continue (BUTTON) Continue Please enter an email address Email address is invalid Fill out this field Email address is invalid Email cannot be used. Try another Register with your social account or click here to log in receiveindylifestyle [ ] I would like to receive the best features and trends across the world of lifestyle every week by email Update newsletter preferences Comments Share your thoughts and debate the big issues Learn more (BUTTON) {{value_p}} Independent Minds comments (BUTTON) {{value}} open comments Open Comments Join the discussion (BUTTON) Please be respectful when making a comment and adhere to our Community Guidelines. * You may not agree with our views, or other users’, but please respond to them respectfully * Swearing, personal abuse, racism, sexism, homophobia and other discriminatory or inciteful language is not acceptable * Do not impersonate other users or reveal private information about third parties * We reserve the right to delete inappropriate posts and ban offending users without notification You can find our Community Guidelines in full here. {{^nickname}} Create a commenting name to join the debate ____________________ (BUTTON) Submit Please try again, the name must be unique {{/nickname}} {{^nickname}} ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ {{/nickname}} {{#nickname}} ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ {{/nickname}} {{^nickname}} (BUTTON) Post {{/nickname}} {{#nickname}} (BUTTON) Post {{/nickname}} (BUTTON) Posting... * Newest first * Oldest first * Most liked * Least liked Loading comments... {{^comments}} There are no comments yet - be the first to add your thoughts {{/comments}} {{#comments}} {{sender.name}} {{dateTime}} {{{commentText}}} Reply {{#sender.isSelf}} Delete {{/sender.isSelf}} {{posVotes}} {{negVotes}} {{#replies}} {{sender.name}} {{dateTime}} {{{commentText}}} Reply {{#sender.isSelf}} Delete {{/sender.isSelf}} {{posVotes}} {{negVotes}} {{#replies}} {{sender.name}} {{dateTime}} {{{commentText}}} {{#sender.isSelf}} Delete {{/sender.isSelf}} {{posVotes}} {{negVotes}} {{/replies}} {{/replies}} {{/comments}} {{#showMore}} (BUTTON) Load all comments {{/showMore}} Minds Comments Join the discussion (BUTTON) Please be respectful when making a comment and adhere to our Community Guidelines. Community Guidelines * You may not agree with our views, or other users’, but please respond to them respectfully * Swearing, personal abuse, racism, sexism, homophobia and other discriminatory or inciteful language is not acceptable * Do not impersonate other users or reveal private information about third parties * We reserve the right to delete inappropriate posts and ban offending users without notification You can find our Community Guidelines in full here. {{^nickname}} Create a commenting name to join the debate ____________________ (BUTTON) Submit Please try again, the name must be unique {{/nickname}} {{^nickname}} ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ {{/nickname}} {{#nickname}} ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ {{/nickname}} {{^nickname}} (BUTTON) Post {{/nickname}} {{#nickname}} (BUTTON) Post {{/nickname}} (BUTTON) Posting... * Newest first * Oldest first * Most liked * Least liked Loading comments... {{^comments}} There are no Independent Minds comments yet - be the first to add your thoughts {{/comments}} {{#comments}} {{sender.name}} {{dateTime}} {{{commentText}}} Reply {{#sender.isSelf}} Delete {{/sender.isSelf}} {{posVotes}} {{negVotes}} {{#replies}} {{sender.name}} {{dateTime}} {{{commentText}}} Reply {{#sender.isSelf}} Delete {{/sender.isSelf}} {{posVotes}} {{negVotes}} {{#replies}} {{sender.name}} {{dateTime}} {{{commentText}}} {{#sender.isSelf}} Delete {{/sender.isSelf}} {{posVotes}} {{negVotes}} {{/replies}} {{/replies}} {{/comments}} {{#showMore_p}} (BUTTON) Load all comments {{/showMore}} (BUTTON) Follow comments Enter your email to follow new comments on this article. ____________________ (BUTTON) Subscribe Thanks for subscribing! {{errorMessage}} (BUTTON) Vote Are you sure you want to submit this vote? (BUTTON) Submit vote (BUTTON) Cancel You must be logged in to vote. (BUTTON) Report Comment Are you sure you want to mark this comment as inappropriate? (BUTTON) Flag comment (BUTTON) Cancel This comment has been flagged. This comment has been flagged. (BUTTON) Subscribe to Independent Minds to debate the big issues Want to discuss real-world problems, be involved in the most engaging discussions and hear from the journalists? Try Independent Minds free for 14 days. (BUTTON) Try for free Already registered? Log in (BUTTON) Report Comment Are you sure you want to mark this comment as inappropriate? (BUTTON) Flag comment (BUTTON) Cancel This comment has been flagged. This comment has been flagged. (BUTTON) Delete Comment Are you sure you want to delete this comment? (BUTTON) Delete comment (BUTTON) Cancel Deleting comment... This comment has been deleted. This comment has been deleted. (BUTTON) Register to The Independent to comment Anyone can post in open comments. Please continue to respect all commenters and create constructive debates. (BUTTON) Register Already registered? Log in Reply (BUTTON) ... {{^nickname}} Create a commenting name to join the debate ____________________ (BUTTON) Submit Please try again, the name must be unique {{/nickname}} {{^nickname}} ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ {{/nickname}} {{#nickname}} ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ {{/nickname}} {{^nickname}} (BUTTON) Post {{/nickname}} {{#nickname}} (BUTTON) Post {{/nickname}} (BUTTON) Cancel Comment posted! {{errorMessage}} Posting comment... (BUTTON) Subscribe to Independent Minds to debate the big issues Want to discuss real-world problems, be involved in the most engaging discussions and hear from the journalists? Try Independent Minds free for 14 days. (BUTTON) Try for free Already registered? Log in Reply (BUTTON) ... {{^nickname}} Create a commenting name to join the debate ____________________ (BUTTON) Submit Please try again, the name must be unique {{/nickname}} {{^nickname}} ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ {{/nickname}} {{#nickname}} ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ {{/nickname}} {{^nickname}} (BUTTON) Post {{/nickname}} {{#nickname}} (BUTTON) Post {{/nickname}} (BUTTON) Cancel Comment posted! {{errorMessage}} Posting comment... (BUTTON) About The Independent commenting Independent Minds Comments can be posted by members of our membership scheme, Independent Minds. It allows our most engaged readers to debate the big issues, share their own experiences, discuss real-world solutions, and more. Our journalists will try to respond by joining the threads when they can to create a true meeting of independent minds. The most insightful comments on all subjects will be published daily in dedicated articles. You can also choose to be emailed when someone replies to your comment. The existing Open Comments threads will continue to exist for those who do not subscribe to Independent Minds. Due to the sheer scale of this comment community, we are not able to give each post the same level of attention, but we have preserved this area in the interests of open debate. Please continue to respect all commenters and create constructive debates. (BUTTON) Try for free Already registered? Log in {{shortHeadline}} Most popular {{title}} Sponsored features {{title}} Popular videos {{title}} * Get in touch + Contact us + Jobs + Created with Sketch. Created with Sketch. * Our products + Subscriptions + Install our apps + Archive * Other publications + Evening Standard + Novaya Gazeta * Extras + All topics + Voucher codes + Advertising guide + Syndication * Legal + Code of conduct and complaints + Contributors + Cookie policy + Privacy notice + User policies