In
the darkest of times, with cold winds and raging storms all around, the
Danish have devised a weapon of first resort. A weapon that can
eliminate, or at least diminish, the feelings of stress, sadness, and
hopelessness that often arise in their long, dark, cold winters. That
weapon is “hygge.”
Pronounced
“hue-guh,” the concept is not easily translated into English but is
most often equated with “cosiness.” Hygge is further associated with a
comfortable conviviality and contentment.
Hygge
encompasses not only the ambiance of the room (think cushy chairs and
wood-burning fireplaces) but also includes dress (flannels and woolen
socks), food (porridge and hot cocoa), and company (close friends and
meaningful conversations). Their propensity for creating hygge is one
reason why the Danish, in spite of their long winters, have been called
“the happiest people on earth.”
The United Nations has recognized happiness as a “fundamental human goal” and declared March 20th as the International Day of Happiness.
To do our small part in boosting the art and science of happiness,
Harmony Moon will be posting suggestions and happy thoughts on our facebook and twitter
pages throughout the month of March. Please join us in helping to
increase happiness, health, and hyyge for all the world’s people.
To get you started, on the right is the GREAT DREAM poster from the Action for Happiness. It is a science-based “10 Keys to Happier Living." To read more about the Danish concept of "hygge," try these resources:
Here's another idea whose time has come: a national Happiness Index. We all know that money doesn't buy happiness, and with the current state of the economy, that message has hit home, hard, for many of us. So if happiness doesn't come from financial prosperity then where does it come from? The little country of Bhutan seems to think it knows.
Bhutan has implemented a national Happiness Index, called the Gross National Happiness, to measure the success of its people and its government policies. Built on the "four pillars" of sustainable development, environmental protection (more than 25% of its landmass is protected forest), cultural preservation, and good governance, Bhutan has seen dramatic improvements in literacy, infant mortality, and the general health and welfare of its population.
Now other countries are studying the model, hoping to develop their own models of health and happiness that go beyond economic success. Both Great Britain and Canada have implemented national indices of well-being. Perhaps it's time for the U.S., too, to shift its focus away from increased consumption towards an increase in quality of life.
For more on Bhutan's Gross National Happines index:
