Universal happiness: recipes of the peoples of the world

We spent most of the spring at home, without the usual pleasures. No bars, no cinemas, no travel… But even sitting within four walls, we are able to feel the fullness of life, satisfaction with ourselves, our activities and relationships.

This will help the experience of the Danes, Swedes and Japanese, whose national recipes for happiness are known all over the world. How can hygge, lagom and ikigai enrich our everyday life?

Hygge: an atmosphere of tranquility

This concept (hygge) came from Denmark, which ranks second in the list of the happiest countries in the world according to the UN, and translates as “welfare, well-being.” But meaning is not limited to the material world.

“Hygge is not so much in things, but in the atmosphere and sensations. Close to those we love,” says Mike Wiking, founder and CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen¹.

Hygge is comfort, warmth and simple pleasures that do not require big expenses. Cooking, knitting, caring for flowers, as well as picking mushrooms and talking around the campfire. Happiness in Danish implies slowness and maximum involvement in the process. To simmer a pig in the oven for a long time, to wait until the dough for the pie rises, is hygge. Ordering pizza is not hygge at all. To get carried away by the conversation, forgetting about the flow of time – hygge. Being distracted every two minutes by a vibrating mobile is a crime against hygge!

Everyone can organize a “hyggestun” or a moment of joy for themselves. It is enough to gather with loved ones in a “hyggekrow”, that is, in a cozy corner, and spend time with a “hyggesnack” – a pleasant conversation that does not touch on sensitive topics. Ideally, if at this moment you are dressed in “hyggebuksr”, that is, the most comfortable pants. Add homemade biscuits, candles and soft music… Do you feel how nice it is? This is hygge.

Lagom: moderation as a choice

Real happiness in Swedish is when you have everything, not too much and not too little, but exactly as much as you need. It is believed that the Vikings passed around a circle filled with mead horn, and each took a small sip so that everyone had enough, says writer Elisabeth Karlsson². Laget om is Swedish for “around”. Later, this phrase was reduced to a laconic lagom.

If you work too hard and rarely see loved ones, this is not a lag. If you, striving for good health, sit on strict diets and disappear in the gym, it’s also not a lag. But the balance between work and leisure and activity without fanaticism is a lag.

How to add a pinch of lag to your life? Start a garden on the windowsill: caring for it pacifies, and the result is edible. Arrange “fika” – a coffee break with a bun. Ditch cheap items in favor of more expensive, but also more durable. If what you have is enough for you, if you do not suffer because you do not have something, this is lag.

Ikigai: in search of meaning

This Japanese word consists of two: “iki” (to live) and “gai” (reason). You could say it’s “what makes you want to get up in the morning,” explains neuroscientist Ken Mogi.³. He identifies five principles that bring us closer to ikigai:

1. Start small. When we make small changes in our lives (for example, set aside time for a short exercise or a hobby), we gradually make it better.
2. Free yourself. By awakening the inner child, we become more courageous; we are ready to play and try again! In this state, finding your destination is much easier.
3. In search of your own path, do not forget about the world around you. We will not achieve harmony if we hurt people, harm nature.
4. Rejoice in the little things, not just the big ones. A delicious breakfast, a trip to a children’s party, a leisurely walk … We can thank fate for these pleasant moments.
5. Be here and now. Being carried away by our activity so much that everything else loses its significance, we experience incomparable pleasure.

¹ M. Viking “Hygge. The secret of Danish happiness” (Azbuka-Atticus, 2016).

² E. Karlsson “Lagom. Swedish secrets of a happy life” (Publishing house “E”, 2017).

³ K. Mogi “Ikigai: the meaning of life in Japanese” (Hummingbird, 2020).