As a Finnish woman, I dated a foreigner and he was amazed that I am such an honest person, said that it's so rare. I just want peace and a happy life, playing games and deceiving wont get me there.
I am the same way, but I am American and live in America, and it is not only challenging af but feels like the most immense burden and like you are alone and not safe at all. You never meet other genuine people. Everyone has an agenda, and your kindness is repaid with hate and theft. Humanity is lacking, and you get ridiculed and ostracized for being a sensitive, caring person. It is a quite hellish experience living here.
@@1YzeWhoaman6821wow, where do you live? I love it here in the US. I do not find it “hellish” at all. Try moving to a small Midwest town where most people espouse the same guidelines described in this video.
Broadly: 1. Make work just part of your life 2. Enjoy nature 3. Less is more - simplify 4. Live in, or design, a calm environment 5. Live with integrity and maintain healthy boundaries 6. Make a habit of finishing worthwhile projects/ activities 7. Be present and make every minute count 8. Solitude - see 4 &5 9. Silence - see 8 10. Create your safe, creative, relaxing, space 11. Community, collaboration and environmental responsibility 12. Quiet choices of peace and harmony over status and social comparisons So that you can thrive, not just survive, and experience psychological well-being.
I'm a born and raised US citizen, and often feel like the world just isn't made for someone like me. Watching this video made me realize that it's not the world that's not; but my culture is. I felt such a sense of relief just imagining living in a Nordic environment. You touched on pretty much everything that stresses me out about my current life.
i think we all feel like this in the US, where money is our ultimate value. Our entire existence is to enrich already wealthy people and then we are told that we haven't worked hard enough or aren't smart enough. Scandinavia in general values community and individual well being.
I also feel the same way. There’s so much unneeded pressure, stress, and stimulation in the American lifestyle. Hopefully I can visit Scandinavia one day and understand the solace it brings.
I lived in Nova Scotia, Canada for nearly 3 years and loved every moment of it. When we had to move back to the United States, I felt overwhelmed with everything and everyone. People in the US are "ME, ME, ME" focused, very few actually care about others and they are so impatient. It feels like everyone here is stressed and/or pissed off. It makes me not want to go anywhere. I truly miss the calm, quiet, beauty, peace, and abundant nature found in Nova Scotia. I also miss having fewer people around me. It was the first time, in many years, I actually felt safe when I lived there.
As an American, I’d love to leave here, especially since the 2024 election. But with so much family here, I’m staying. My compromise has been to move to a quieter community in a new state that isn’t quite as insane as the place I was from. Something is better than nothing. I would also add that there are millions of kind, thoughtful Americans. We just don’t make the evening news.
American here. You couldn't be more accurate. Entitlement and selfishness are everywhere around here. Honestly, I can't wait to become an ex-pat someday.
Whenever I think of America I shudder and am glad that I do not live there, but when I meet individual Americans (I live in Australia), I find them to be the nicest people.
It would be impossible to categorize all Americans under one definition. We are the great melting pot, and there are a variety of people all across our country. If you want to be in a quieter place, you have to be willing to put up with the inconveniences of rural living. I have lived in Montana, North Dakota and now live in Wyoming, the least populated state of the lower 49. I would not say anybody here is in a great hurry nor in the other two states either. Unless they’re tourists from somewhere else!
Yes, emphatically. Also, imho, the cold has a two-fold benefit on the society: 1. they are more habituated to interdependence for survival, and 2. they have to hunker down indoors for warmth, somewhat isolated from one another, and are more used to solitary hours (whereas solitude can induce panic in those who live in places where being around people most of the time is the norm).
#actuallyautistic person here 🙋🏻♀️ I lived in Estonia for a year, and the level of quiet & personal space was indeed heavenly… but sometimes lonely. Friends brilliant enough to speak English well enough to be friends with me were busy doing all the things their brain made it possible for them to do. but yes, it’s very quiet there. 😌
Same here and the ‘sensitive personality disorder’ Nordic countries refer to is actually just autism. I’m not sure if it’s stigmatised there but so many Nordic autists are diagnosed as being sensitive. It’s kinda funny but it’s got to be harmful to the misdiagnosed.
Love the idea of no scents and hardly noticeable music. Can’t imagine how much would l love that calm vibe. Loud music and strong fragrance carry a cheap feel. Wish more people knew this.
I am Spanish from Madrid, and I moved to Stockholm a few years ago. Early on when I was living there, I took a trip to Finland and I thought it was soooo boring haha But after living in the nordics two years, I came back to Madrid and it was totally overwhelming, the metro almost made me have panic attacks, the streets had people everywhere, all the time... I now live in a calmer neighbourhood in Madrid and barely go to the city center, it is awfully full with tourists anyway so it doesnt feel authentic anymore. What I miss the most from my life in Stockholm is that I lived 5 minutes walking from a beautiful forest with a lake/archipielago. I saw deer often, it was so crazy to me to see wild animals, living only 15 minute away from the city centre by metro. I really miss having a dose of nature everyday
Yo crecí en una casa en el bosque y las primeras veces que fuí a Barcelona me daba miedo salir a la calle. Siempre he sabido que necesito no vivir en el centro pero me ha costado muchos años aprender que puedo ser más feliz aspirando a la estabilidad que al entusiasmo.
@@ConnectionIsLost it was winter wonderland indeed ! take bus 40 and go visit the students in Lappis (Stora Lappkärrsberget) and ask directions to Lappis beach
@@belenlg5978Djurgården ok, try to take a visit to other places and enjoy the enrichment of every new culture! I can recommend: Skärholmens Centrum a late cozy evening, visit Sätra Badet in the evenings or Alby Centrum. STHLMS Central is nice also! There you can enjoy our new Afghans ;) And why not make a trip to the North and visit Kista or the other exiting places. :D
I'm an American. Throughout my life, I've naturally gravitated towards many of these habits and principles. I'm a reserved, private person who respects my own boundaries as well as the boundaries of others. I value a good work-life balance. I have to have a constant connection to nature. I love being solitary and quiet, especially out in nature. I keep my home a peaceful, uncluttered, relaxing space. It wasn't until I was in my 40's that I found out through a DNA ancestry test that I'm 1/4 Scandinavian, and met my best friend who is Finnish! I always had a sense that I should've been born in some wide, quiet, northern forest country. I guess our blood and bones always know the truth of who we are :)
I like peace and quiet too. I hate going into a shop or restaurant and having to listen to loud music. I took a DNA test and found a large proportion of my ancestry was Scandinavian to my surprise.
I was told by my Celtic Mystic Teacher Ger Lyons, an amazing man, and Soul, from Ireland, to move where my blood and bones are from, so I did. I was born in California to a Scottish father, who died when I was 11, so I never got to live in Scotland. From Maui, Hawaii, after 15 years living my dreams there, (working in Permaculture and Regenerative Farming Community Design) , I moved to the very western most Outer Hebrides, on The Isle of Lewis, where I can hear the storm, the loud, violent and whistling winds, and harsh rain pelting my windows all day today and even now (22:18). I am so happy!!! I found out I have Scottish roots going all the way back to Nordic Viking ancestors a thousand years ago. I spent 4 months in Orkney researching my family tree, and found this line from Clouston, back and back to Havard "Klo" (The Claw). It is an amazing thing to live where my bones and blood are from. I do feel better than I have ever felt being here, staring out at the storm. It feels like Home. I was always hiding in the shade, before living here.
I wish I could live in a Nordic country. I have always felt that Nordic societal values reflect mine much more than those of my home country (USA). Although it is not possible at this time of life for me to emigrate, your videos help show me I can live these values no matter where I am. Thank you very much for your relaxing and practical suggestions.
I feel very much the same as you do Deborah! I am a USA citizen as well. Hopefully we can begin to create at least some of this in our personal lives, where we stand…❣️❣️❣️
Please dont think that living here is a paradise. This is not true. It is true that there is a lot of social welfare, but this will change. For example the public health sector where I work, is really under pressure. The new generation suffers a lot with the stress in society, low self esteem and problems left to them by the older generation.
@@ThoseWhoDare this is true for almost every country in the world now. So better live in the Nordics, or at least trying to live the values described in this film
@@jerryyoung6494 I'm not going anywhere Jerry so best save that energy for something kind instead of trolling those you disagree with and whom you know nothing about. My father, a WW2 Navy veteran and my late husband, a Vietnam combat veteran (Purple Heart recipient) fought for the rights some would like to take away. I will also stay and fight for that in their memory. All the best to you.
Even in Birmingham UK there are those of us who live by this mindset. I am in the process of decluttering and simplifying my home, prioritizing nature and peace and helping nature where I can. I am lucky to live opposite a beautiful park where I can walk and observe nature. I also avoid the city and crowds where possible. You are so fortunate to live in a place where most people have this way of life instead of being one of the few.
I think a lot comes down to attitude! I know that I live in the best place in the world because that is how I see it here! The two things I have control over are my attitude and my effort! I feel very empowered,,,not much money, or property but I work hard on staying healthy at 72 and take nothing for granted,,I was blessed to have a rough young life I think 🤔 ❤
I am a foreigner living in Finland who have come to value all of these. I love it here ❤ I am now learning to talk less and not see the silence in conversations as awkward 😊
Pls can you share some tips how to move to Finaland as a foreigner? I am american citizen I can’t wait get out of here, I love Finaland pls can you share how did you move there?
I live in the USA, people will say they want this but refuse to make changes in their lives and behavior so they refuse to live it ! There is so much greed, selfishness, self pity, abuse and neglect that even the good well intentioned people become guarded to protect themselves. It’s a viscous circle !
@@jackflanagle6079can I ask how you left? I read up on getting a visa and also got denied for residential permit in Canada. Apparently you have to have a degree or a job in the country. I have two kids and I hate living in the US as a mom. My soul needs to leave..
We live in Northern Manitoba, Canada. Lakes, rivers, and boreal forests surround it. Real estate is cheap; we don’t feel our mortgage payments. Spending time at the campsite at the lake in the summer and skiing, skating, and sliding in the winter is excellent. Unfortunately, the region has social issues that are not too bad. 5-10 minutes to get around the city. I know that for career- and business-minded people, it’s not a place, but we are different. We want to have enough to live and an opportunity to help others; wealth and riches for the sake of more $$$ are not our priorities. Thank you for sharing the beautiful Nordic principle that resonates with our family values.
I live now in one of the most rural places I've ever lived, and yet it's often the noisiest. Trucks with no mufflers, ATVs, motorbikes, buzzsaws, bulldozers, fireworks, nonstop barking dogs, sirens, helicopters, boom cars, stereos, and loud parties 24/7, especially in summer. It definitely correlates to the political leanings of the people who live here. They are all about their personal freedoms taking precedence over community serenity. I'm miserable and can't wait to move.
@@patriciasalem3606 That sounds awful!!! Pun intended. I am so sorry. I am happy you are moving. Quiet is such a luxury and so important. I live in the quietest place ever, no sirens, no cars, no traffic lights, no noise, except the wind, the cattle grid, and the songbirds. And, me walking and singing to the deer and swans, in The Outer Hebrides, Scotland. Isle of Lewis, after living in USA all my 59 years prior, noisy L.A., and quiet Maui, Hawaii.
Here in America we just celebrated Thanksgiving. I went to my family's gathering and sat for hours without saying a word, and no one even noticed. They were too busy talking over one another to even listen to anything else. It was stressful. I enjoy people, but very much enjoy my solitude.
U.S. is totally screwed up. No boundaries to work and office managers expect work is given preference over life. Trickle down corporate greed pits Just stress at the bottom most worker. And everything else is just so stressful
Realizing you are nature, instead of being separate from it, is key. That’s one of the main principles focused in Buddhism with this way of living. I’ve discovered that I’m much happier, more bliss, more understanding and more in harmony. You will become much wiser with nature as your teacher.
You have a great presentation, clearly spoken directly at the camera with no artificial camera angles or fast edits. The lighting is sympathetic & natural, relaxing & a joy to watch.
This is the way. Take note that the majority of the top 10 on the happiness index are some of the most non-religious countries in the world. Common decency, respect, and living in balance and harmony actually work. Who would have thought?! Excellent video!
Nothing to do with religion. You’re talking horse sh:t. Greece, Italy, Taiwan, Okinawa Japan, South Sea Islands, etc. all very happy and all religious or have cultures based on religious philosophy like Confucianism. I’m also curious, once clowns like you have banned religion, who will feed the poor, adopt children, care for the disease ridden?!?! Well, who??? Are you? You’re very young but better to get the facts right. 4.5 billion Asians, go on travel there and tell me they don’t have it figured out. All based on their religious beliefs. I can go on. STOP WATCHING CNN!!!
Religion is founded on division, and then there were the centuries of atrocities, and the usurping of sacred dates and celebrations, renaming them, rebuilding square temples on our healing-energy-circles, and telling tales from a book we never needed to know love, and respect and reverence for God, instead of living the truth:we are nature, so happy in nature as it is our natural habitat, all of it. No church required. I love love, God and Nature, and feel very much that religion is harming our humanity, as it denies the truth of its history of harm, genocide, and division, in the name of a God that is not God. God is Love.
Am 3/4 Scandinavian - maybe 100% with Irish. All the Nordic habits described here are my natural preferences/personality. Now I understand I’m missing my people/culture -born and living in the US. Always have dreamt of being somewhere that fits me better. Hope to visit and maybe live there soon. Thanks for validating my perspectives.
I am sensitive to smells and this sounds like heaven! (Already did for all the other reasons, but that one got me.) So many people in the U.S. smell like fabric softener 🤢
Same here - this is the most toxic our society has ever been! Dryer vents in my neighbourhood are spewing toxic, disgusting over-concentrated “fragrances” which stick to anything they come in contact with. It should be illegal. People are so oblivious how bad it is to breathe this in, let alone wear it all day. This is the main reason I want to leave my beloved home to be far away from other homes.
The stink of fabric softener is most often vile. For about 40 years I have used cleaning and washing products without added scent or artificial colouring, also unbleached toilet paper. For what is the point of all these added synthetics? - All is readily available and mostly less expensive in Denmark and I guess in other Nordic countries, but are not as heavily advertised as the scented and dyed international brands. All my cosmetic products are unscented - occasionally I take pleasure in a hint of perfume - carefully chosen.
Those are all good reasons, but a big part is money. The thing that makes us capable of taking so much freetime and live how we do, is the money. So of course the nordics are happy and peaceful, we have the economic stability to be so.
Yeah I think that is true as well! But at least I feel like we have a more balanced understanding of what is enough money for us to live a content life and where getting more of it while sacrificing other areas of life (like mental health) is not anymore smart. Could be that I am wrong but that's how I've experienced it
I think it is great that you have such an insight. You must be one of those people who appreciate what they have. If someone from a not so economically lucky country said what you said many people would say they're simply "mean" or "lazy" to make changes for the better. I am from Hungary and I consider myself to live in the mid-range financially in a global perspective. Have visited northern countries (aka better than mine) and poor countries too and I have noticed that money does not make miracles but definitely has an impact on education, sense of planning, gratitude, respect to other cultures, openness etc etc meaning that society as a whole is more relaxed, has more tolerance and has more insight. Long story short: I appreciate your comment 😊
It's the distribution as well. I'll go out on a limb and assume the differences in lifestyles among people are not as contrasting as in other countries so people are more content.
@@johannespuggaardpoulsen1976 exactly. Your life becomes better when you do not need to worry about healthcare or education. Ppl do not seem to see this, but these are the principles of social democracies. Without these, the Nordic countries would descend in the same misery they were before they struck oil and gas, or their industries were average. The climate and especially the winter darkness would really become a “happiness “ (or lack thereof ) problem.
In September, I went to Iceland for a week. I had never felt more relaxed in my life. It was a drastic contrast to the hustle at home in the US. Here in North Carolina we have beautiful and diverse nature, but finding the time to enjoy it is a massive task. I think I’m Nordic at heart.
I hate loud music in public spaces (stores/cafes/etc.). I make a habit of asking the manager to have it turned down, and the employees are always SO grateful!
I visited Finland in November 2014 and had a great solo trip traveling through the county. It reminds me in many ways of my home state, Wisconsin. I thought Finland was great and I loved how quiet and calm it was.
Would love to live in a Nordic country! The scent part really got me. Here in the US I am often inundated with strong laundry products scents that make me sick. 😢
Me too! A house two down from me was bought and rented out. There are 10 family members there that do laundry every day, most of the day and night, and my God, they use the most offensively strong possible. I’m sure they add several scoops to one load. Febreeze, bouncey, beads, pine-sol Tide etc.. it’s sickening and I cant sit out, garden, or even walk out of my house and open a window during these times. And it lingers in the air for hours too!! So sad, I will probably move from my beloved home because of them.
I am from Puerto Rico, very different culture. At least I value that I can start a conversation with a random person on the street or a store with the expectation that they are going to be friendly. Most of them are like that to me, a fellow Puerto Rican. If they can help you, they will, in the street.
@@mariaperez-i9n imagine the warmth of the Latin/indigenous ppl of PR, their climate and add to this picture a social democratic system that provides life basic essentials to all that live there, from basic citizen income to free healthcare and education. You’d win all the happiness awards of this planet, for sure.
Your perfect little utopia. Youve never been there, a scandelous third world country full of crime. You think your going to change that by enslaving them then giving them free stuff?
I live in the US and so absolutely wish we had calm public spaces. It seems like all public spaces here are noisy, brightly-lit, and smell strange or nasty. Even libraries - which, when I was young, used to feel like quiet sanctuaries of hallowed knowledge and entertainment...now they are just as noisy as anywhere else. Parks are filled with energetic children, adults, and dogs (which is great actually, but not very calm). Shops are crowded, music plays too loudly, and lights are too bright. Cafes and restaurants are also crowded and loud. Sometimes you're seated within inches of other tables and it's impossible to speak quietly enough not to be overheard, or to overhear. It seems like the only escape is to just go/stay home, but...yea.
Yeah it must be tough when public spaces don’t really give you a sense of calm anymore, libraries especially. I hope you can find those rare quiet corners when you need them even if they’re few. Sending you some calm vibes! 🌿
My library is barely useable anymore. Parents let their kids run wild through the shelving. Drug users take up all the comfy chairs and bathroom stalls. Not much good for reading or studying. 🤷♀️
I do my best to live this way in California. One can adopt these practices but may feel left behind by society. Like in my workplace, I don’t relate with large majority of people because I don’t watch most of the common movies and TV and pay attention to that kind of stuff. It seems like that’s the only way people talk to each other anymore…. I would rather talk about a tree or a squirrel. 🐿️ It’s tough to find silent/quiet in public spaces. The worst is when you go for petrol and all of the pump starts telling you the bad news of the world or yelling at you to buy things or advertising a terrible offensive movie. Sporting events are constantly blaring noise and yelling too, baseball used to be enjoyable for me to attend, the calm, methodical actions of the game and silences..but no!now most ballparks fill every second with noise and apparently if you’re not screaming loud, you’re not having fun.
Agreed. We glorify materialism and debauchery. Also, the development of new communities is purely based on greed, not on providing enough green space for the health and mental sanity of people.
#actuallyautistic person here 🙋🏻♀️ The 🇺🇸 is very loud everywhere, all the time. I keep ear plugs on me all the time- in every bag, in my car, etc. I don’t feel badly for leaving a room or scene when I get overwhelmed! 😰 We all have our limits, as he said.
. Not so much in rural America! If I had headset on all the time, I would miss the greetings from neighbors and sounds of birds...it's not all bad here 😊
It is a constant struggle in America to achieve even a majority of these benefits. Took me a half to two thirds of my working life. The worst thing was companies cutting back on the number of employees to the point that everyone was constantly overworked and/or expected to work overtime on a regular basis.
I am a US citizen. I retired from the medical profession three years ago, and I thank god every day! It felt like I was working in a factory! It was awful, we were constantly understaffed and overworked! I don’t miss working one bit!
This video showed up in my feed and I am very happy about. I was born and raised in South America and in the Latino culture (for the most part) we have different approaches to life; for instance, we are loud, we do not understand the concept of personal space, we want to know (for the most part) everyone business, we like parties, get together, and know everyone business 😉. All of this bothered me when I was a child and teenager (like quietness, simplicity, personal space, and not feeling conversations need to happen all the time). I moved to the US when I was 20 to a big city and although this is an individualistic city, there are many things that I wish are different. I practice many of the items mentioned here. I love having time for myself and being in nature the most. I work as a mental health therapist and I always encourage my clients to cherish their time on their own and in nature, to always speak the truth, to feel comfortable in the silence, and mostly, to have balance. Thank you again for this great video and your channel. I can’t wait to explore it more.
I live in rural Vermont USA and share all these values in the video--but so much of American life encourages the opposite (consumerism, competition, fast talking, bright lights, speed, aggression) ... I would feel so at home in Finland! (Except for language barrier.) Thank you for the inspiring beautiful video!
I’m American but I believe that in my soul I’m Nordic. All of these ways of living perfectly represent me and my way of living. Thank you for sharing this information.
My dream is to live in Scandinavia. Even here in the countryside in Germany it's too loud for me, everything is moving faster and faster, few people pay attention to nature and its animals... I love the Scandinavian way of life.❤
Sounds like I'm living very close to the scandinavian culture. Many of those points got into my live as I started to improve my life by spirituality and looking over many things + changing them. I needed it and feel that it gives me more quality in life. Thanks for this video and best greetings from Germany 🙏🏻
Canadian by birth, living in UK, and I've said that for years... No bad weather only bad clothing. I work outside and layer and bundle up on cold days. I like working outside
Great topic and video. I live in the southeast United States. I had good parents who taught me well and had good values. These values and lifestyle are still practiced here. Not by everybody and maybe known by different names or titles. But still here. I guess I’m pointing this out for the people who are disappointed they don’t live in a Nordic country. Hope. Also, I think that “ content” is a better word than “happy”. J.M.O.
I'm in college to become an exploration geologist. I plan on living in Norway and traveling for my job. Exploration geologists basically hike around all day and look for rocks and formations, they do some studies and research, sometimes take samples, and some other things. I love hiking, rocks, and animals, which is perfect! I'll be able to help learn about the earth that animals live on so I can help protect the animals homes. I'll be able to stay active and happy, I'll be making a lot of money by enjoying my daily hobbies. I can't wait to start working!
As a geologist going to Norge, you might enjoy the film, "Troll", which is on UA-cam. In the fjäll, not all rock formations appreciate being disturbed!
I love the Nordic ways. This is a very healthy lifestyle I wish it was encouraged more in the United States. I think one reason I am happy is I immerse myself in the seasons with nature.
Looks like a perfect place for me…I live in Colombia and it’s crazy here, specially for someone highly sensitive as me. Someone that enjoys silence, not party and stuff like that are not normal here so it’s hard to be like that here.
Wow, very insightful! I need to adopt many of these ways of living into my own lifestyle. Being 64 years old, I came across The Swedish Death Cleaning model and I have been trying to adopt it for myself lately, so I can see how Nordic habits of living falls in line with a much better standard of living. I’ve always said, “simple is best” anyway. Thanks for sharing this video.😊
Its so crazy how you mention the music in public places being very low in 🇫🇮, I live in the 🇺🇸, every place here has extremely loud music, sometimes it’s so hard to have a conversation while having dinner at a restaurant. I was in 🇫🇮 in April, fell in love with the country, its people and the culture!
This is so true. Though, the correct word is _'contentment'._ Happiness is a transient state. I moved to Denmark from London, England 34 years ago, and this is _exactly_ what I have experienced living here. I work 32 hours a week, say 'no' without guilt, and find beauty and pleasure in the mundane. Visiting London has now become a bit traumatic and I literally need a week off work in order to recover😅🇩🇰
Excellent video - I was lucky to be able to spend 2 years living and working in Finland. I truly loved it , I've missed Finland. Was great to see the nature and beautiful scenery again thank you
Thank you for this good presentation of Nordic countries mindset and culture. I was in Finland for the first time this year and loved every minute of it, there is so much the world should learn from you guys.
How beautiful and full of content it is. There could not be anything better to watch on a Sunday morning with my cat and coffee. The video flowed. The eighth topic and the topics that came after it are great. A little silence, a little nature and a little distance in every topic. My friend, thank you for sharing this video, you expressed our feelings.
That’s because of the high number of Nordic settlers. It’s in your DNA. I was born and raised in MN, moved to Oregon about 8 years ago and I miss many things about home. Mostly, the people, their sensibilities, and respect for boundaries. For the most part, West coasters suck
I am so happy to know that Japan is trying their best to learn from Nordic countries in order to improve lives here! I really hope I can become a Japanese citizen! I love this country so much! But I also deeply admire and look to Nordic countries for inspiration in my life~
Everytime I watch one of your videos, I feel at peace, it's hard balance everyday life, thanks for videos like this that helps me realize I'm on my own personal trip step by step. Thank you so much.
Super happy to hear that! 🌱 I try to keep the vibes calm and peaceful in the videos while still talking about things I find important and valuable. Sometimes it's easier said than done but I feel like I did a really good job with this one 😊 Thanks for watching!
What a beautiful honest insightful video. Solitude in nature is so important to mental well-being. Silence in conversation is so important for allowing the other to speak and finish their thought. I loved so much of what you said. Thank you for you video and honest reflections.
8 hours of work is crazy long. I understand that humanity once fought for the 8 hours (as opposed to being worked to death) and we need to keep fighting and keep reducing the working hours and offer more flexibility and shift work (with support and benefits).
Seve, thank you so much for sharing these; they are all awesome concepts which contribute to mutual contentment without forcing us to 'go backwards'. You're a lucky man to live in a Nordic culture.
THANK YOU Thank you thank you, Steve. You are young and yet so wise and calming to listen to . I am so very greatfull for your life and living suggestions, I find them so good and nourishing for body mind and soul. Blessings to you and thank you once again.
I live in the US and it is the opposite here. I have all of these lifestyle aspirations (as in the video), and it is hard to fit into an opposite world. One thing I would love is a restaurant where it is quiet, calm, and peaceful. (Not a bunch of people constantantly talking as loud as they can with food in their mouths, employees banging dishes and utensils, and sweeping the area near you while they bang your seat with the broom)
Restaurants here in the US quit focusing on quiet dining. Now they open the ceilings so we have to look at all the pipes and ductwork and it makes the rooms very noisy. I wish they used sound deadening materials on the walls and ceilings.
Wow. I am so thankful for this video to have shown up in my timeline. It feels soothing to me, to hear clear values and principles, that are so easy and human. Thanks for sharing!
The personal space was such a difference than what I was used to; I did think that Finns didn’t have to make much adjustment space-wise during Covid. I smiled when you mentioned it.
In Sweden there was a private space joke when they stopped the 2m distance rule during the pandemic that finished with "so now we can finally go back to five meters."
Having lived in Finland (Tampere) for 7 years I really enjoyed this video. it highlights all the aspects of what i loved about living there and what values really have become engrained in me. Moving back to Scotland I have tried for the last 10 years to really try and keep these values , but i have been fully aware of the struggles that I 've had in doing that, because most of these lifestyles and habits are not engrained in our UK lifestyle.
When you mentioned "Finish what you start" I immediately wanted to return to the task I have to do at my job, but then I thought I should wait till the end of this video first! :D
This is all well and good, but I am afraid it is only viable in very few countries around the world. I have been to Norway, Sweden and Denmark, and I certainly did appreciate the things you mentioned in your video. Bergen, Norway, in particular. But I also couldn't help my self from realizing that, for example, Norway is a geographically-isolated, oil-wealthy nation with a fairly homogenous population (outside of Oslo, that is). These are critical sociological factors to enabling a certain type of lifestyle uniformly across a nation. A country has to be wealthy enough to afford generous and flexible benefits for its citizenry, and must maintain cultural consensus around issues like government subsidies, work-life balance, personal boundaries and liberties, and the rights and responsibilities of the individual. Without all of these factors in play, I am not sure such a delicate balance would be sustainable.
I feel a huge respect for the nordic culture. I so much relate to many of its principles. Unfortunately the latin culture is the opposite and can be overwhelming many times. Thanks for sharing. ❤
All of these points remind me of my RV life. Good sleep every night, living in the moment, getting out in nature, time spent alone, enjoying the quiet. Of course the work life balance is easy when you’re retired!
This is the first time I've come across your channel and it's a lovely introduction. My family is Scandinavian and living in the USA where so much focus is on ambition, I never really understood it. I very much align with the Scandinavian energy. ❤
I not only find your video inspirational, but very educational to people who may travel to or work with Nordic people. It's so important to research and understand cultural norms and meanings so as Americans we don't unintentionally come across as rude.
I needed this video. It shows me so many ways i can implement these strategies into my life. All i want is peace and no anger. Just to live a simple life. ❤from Kansas
You make me want to move over there! It sounds as though your employers and government are very thoughtful and take more seriously peoples personal health and wellness over them working a 60 or 70 hour work week. It’s so sad to see Work being the main priority that makes you miss your children growing up miss seeing your friends, miss helping your family because it’s all about money. These tips are so beautiful. I love that people consider others as much as looking after one’s own holistic health.
@ChanceBerryman Not sure if you're joking, but if that's what's most important to you, then this lifestyle is not for you. Even your choice of words (impact: forceful contact, collision) is antithetical to what this video is about.
@ChanceBerryman ummm... Ikea? Volvo? 😂 But I agree with the other commenter. You're talking about making a big impact on the world, US style. He's talking about peacefully being a part OF the world, Nordic style.
Thank you dude for taht video. It has so much truth in it. And yes we have an use of speech in Germany: Es gibt kein schlechtes Wetter, nur schlechte Kleidung. And dude the 'Why Silence Speaks Volumes' part made me think. I'm a person who talkes a lot even if other ppl talk with interrupting them... ur absolutly right in this point.
Here, in the states, it is a monumental challenge to find a restaurant, store, cafe', etc that doesn't have some type of sensory stimulation. Much of the time that stimulation is music with the volume at a pretty high level.
This is true. I once asked if the music could be turned down a bit so I could hear my friend's conversation without straining. And they responded, "We don't do that here." So disheartening.
A lovely philosophy of life. I am trying to create most of this, despite living in the UK. Avoiding shops seems to be a general path to sanity - especially around Christmas!
This is an excellent video of ways to improve life for all. Most of these are things which I have worked on intuitively. Connecting to nature has always been huge to me and my sense of peace and sanity. Very well done!
07:25 I love this! ❤ An interesting video overall, both in terms of Minimalism and as a Norway (Norwegian?) cultural perspective. Great stuff man, thank you for sharing. 🙏🏻 Born & raised in the USA 🇺🇸 and have now added Nordic countries to my places-to-visit bucket list. Might end up staying there, in fact. 😃👍🏼
We move to Finland by end of January and I am really excited about this new chapter in life. Thank you for sharing this awesome views and habits of the Nordic countries. I also noticed that this lifestyle is very much is represented not only in the Nordic architecture and calmly interior design, but also how tidy the homes of most people there are compared to other countries I have visited.
This was very interesting. Thank you for sharing. I am from Canada, and will we share a number of values and commonalities that sound to me like Finland is populated by the best qualities of introversion. I would genuinely enjoy trying you as my neighbor rather than my hyper extroverted one to the South 😊
Hey, one of your downstairs neighbors here 🖐. Sorry my roommates are so noisy, unfortunately I can't do a thing with them.......they only listen to the sound of their own voices and don't care about anything or anyone else. I just put on my headphones and try to help where and when I can.
For me, this is like music to my soul. I would love to have more of this in my life. Nature is the place, where I recharge and quiet my mind. I am resonating with all the priciples, except for the timing :)
As a Finnish woman, I dated a foreigner and he was amazed that I am such an honest person, said that it's so rare. I just want peace and a happy life, playing games and deceiving wont get me there.
💯❤️🙏
I am the same way, but I am American and live in America, and it is not only challenging af but feels like the most immense burden and like you are alone and not safe at all. You never meet other genuine people. Everyone has an agenda, and your kindness is repaid with hate and theft. Humanity is lacking, and you get ridiculed and ostracized for being a sensitive, caring person. It is a quite hellish experience living here.
@@1YzeWhoaman6821wow, where do you live? I love it here in the US. I do not find it “hellish” at all. Try moving to a small Midwest town where most people espouse the same guidelines described in this video.
@laurenflowers2023
That's most likely what is needed. I'm just so apprehensive and pessimistic now. All I have to talk about is negative experiences.
@@laurenflowers2023I live in the Midwest and most of the people in small towns are right wing bigots 🙄
No bad weather, only bad clothing. I like that
Very true.
We say this in the uk. There are extremes of course, but this has proven a point. Dress appropriately. Thank you.
In Norwegian weather (vær) rhymes with clothes (klær) so the saying makes more sense than when translated 😊
Said in swedish, it rhymes
So where can we get good clothing in America?
Broadly:
1. Make work just part of your life
2. Enjoy nature
3. Less is more - simplify
4. Live in, or design, a calm environment
5. Live with integrity and maintain healthy boundaries
6. Make a habit of finishing worthwhile projects/ activities
7. Be present and make every minute count
8. Solitude - see 4 &5
9. Silence - see 8
10. Create your safe, creative, relaxing, space
11. Community, collaboration and environmental responsibility
12. Quiet choices of peace and harmony over status and social comparisons
So that you can thrive, not just survive, and experience psychological well-being.
Thank you paragraph guy. Love your work 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
I'm a born and raised US citizen, and often feel like the world just isn't made for someone like me. Watching this video made me realize that it's not the world that's not; but my culture is. I felt such a sense of relief just imagining living in a Nordic environment. You touched on pretty much everything that stresses me out about my current life.
America is a hellscape.
Your racial sensibilities are giving you the anxiety.
i think we all feel like this in the US, where money is our ultimate value. Our entire existence is to enrich already wealthy people and then we are told that we haven't worked hard enough or aren't smart enough. Scandinavia in general values community and individual well being.
I think a very small, somewhat remote town in America might suit you well
I am from the US, and I feel the same way.
I also feel the same way. There’s so much unneeded pressure, stress, and stimulation in the American lifestyle. Hopefully I can visit Scandinavia one day and understand the solace it brings.
I lived in Nova Scotia, Canada for nearly 3 years and loved every moment of it. When we had to move back to the United States, I felt overwhelmed with everything and everyone. People in the US are "ME, ME, ME" focused, very few actually care about others and they are so impatient. It feels like everyone here is stressed and/or pissed off. It makes me not want to go anywhere. I truly miss the calm, quiet, beauty, peace, and abundant nature found in Nova Scotia. I also miss having fewer people around me. It was the first time, in many years, I actually felt safe when I lived there.
A wonderful response to a great video. Thank you both..
As an American, I’d love to leave here, especially since the 2024 election. But with so much family here, I’m staying. My compromise has been to move to a quieter community in a new state that isn’t quite as insane as the place I was from. Something is better than nothing. I would also add that there are millions of kind, thoughtful Americans. We just don’t make the evening news.
American here. You couldn't be more accurate. Entitlement and selfishness are everywhere around here. Honestly, I can't wait to become an ex-pat someday.
Whenever I think of America I shudder and am glad that I do not live there, but when I meet individual Americans (I live in Australia), I find them to be the nicest people.
It would be impossible to categorize all Americans under one definition. We are the great melting pot, and there are a variety of people all across our country. If you want to be in a quieter place, you have to be willing to put up with the inconveniences of rural living. I have lived in Montana, North Dakota and now live in Wyoming, the least populated state of the lower 49. I would not say anybody here is in a great hurry nor in the other two states either. Unless they’re tourists from somewhere else!
These 12 habits sound so sane and normal. I only wish they were practiced all over the world. Makes me want to move to Finland today.
Hope one day you will, or at least be able to practice these in some other place 🌿
❤❤❤
Carole there is an area in Grey County called The Blue Mountains in Ontario where people live with many of these attributes. You should visit!
@@therichbuddha3277 Thank you for the information. I will look into that.
OmG... this is sooo considerate and healthy... Wish I could enjoy this too. 🥹🥹🤍
I think the connection to nature is what leads these countries into healthy habits.
I think that is one key part 🌱❤️
Yes, emphatically. Also, imho, the cold has a two-fold benefit on the society: 1. they are more habituated to interdependence for survival, and 2. they have to hunker down indoors for warmth, somewhat isolated from one another, and are more used to solitary hours (whereas solitude can induce panic in those who live in places where being around people most of the time is the norm).
Also I think there’s less bastards in Nordic countries
Thats why Sweden is sinking in the mud. Trust me, it is bad and people are naive.
Sweden is the greatest example of these rules and nordic countries tolerance XD Check Internet where this leads ;)
As an autistic person, these "rules" sound like heaven to me.
#actuallyautistic person here 🙋🏻♀️ I lived in Estonia for a year, and the level of quiet & personal space was indeed heavenly… but sometimes lonely. Friends brilliant enough to speak English well enough to be friends with me were busy doing all the things their brain made it possible for them to do. but yes, it’s very quiet there. 😌
Same here and the ‘sensitive personality disorder’ Nordic countries refer to is actually just autism. I’m not sure if it’s stigmatised there but so many Nordic autists are diagnosed as being sensitive. It’s kinda funny but it’s got to be harmful to the misdiagnosed.
@@curlycat4991 Sometimes, being alone is a way of being at peace.
"Autistic" in America is just the Finnish baseline normal tbh. I'm not even kidding.
I think you sound pretty normal to me
Love the idea of no scents and hardly noticeable music. Can’t imagine how much would l love that calm vibe. Loud music and strong fragrance carry a cheap feel. Wish more people knew this.
Silence and time for yourself without others and noise around you is so underrated!
I think my soul is Nordic. Love all of this.
Mine too. But maybe because I've worked in Nokia and got to know many finns, this all makes total sense to me. Great video! Subscribed!
Have your DNA tested. I was shocked n it made more sense why I feel this way too 🙂 💫
I am Spanish from Madrid, and I moved to Stockholm a few years ago. Early on when I was living there, I took a trip to Finland and I thought it was soooo boring haha But after living in the nordics two years, I came back to Madrid and it was totally overwhelming, the metro almost made me have panic attacks, the streets had people everywhere, all the time... I now live in a calmer neighbourhood in Madrid and barely go to the city center, it is awfully full with tourists anyway so it doesnt feel authentic anymore. What I miss the most from my life in Stockholm is that I lived 5 minutes walking from a beautiful forest with a lake/archipielago. I saw deer often, it was so crazy to me to see wild animals, living only 15 minute away from the city centre by metro. I really miss having a dose of nature everyday
completamente de acuerdo contigo
Yo crecí en una casa en el bosque y las primeras veces que fuí a Barcelona me daba miedo salir a la calle. Siempre he sabido que necesito no vivir en el centro pero me ha costado muchos años aprender que puedo ser más feliz aspirando a la estabilidad que al entusiasmo.
Liar! I live in Stockholm and born here, you live in Disneyland.
@@ConnectionIsLost it was winter wonderland indeed ! take bus 40 and go visit the students in Lappis (Stora Lappkärrsberget) and ask directions to Lappis beach
@@belenlg5978Djurgården ok, try to take a visit to other places and enjoy the enrichment of every new culture! I can recommend: Skärholmens Centrum a late cozy evening, visit Sätra Badet in the evenings or Alby Centrum.
STHLMS Central is nice also! There you can enjoy our new Afghans ;) And why not make a trip to the North and visit Kista or the other exiting places. :D
I'm an American. Throughout my life, I've naturally gravitated towards many of these habits and principles. I'm a reserved, private person who respects my own boundaries as well as the boundaries of others. I value a good work-life balance. I have to have a constant connection to nature. I love being solitary and quiet, especially out in nature. I keep my home a peaceful, uncluttered, relaxing space. It wasn't until I was in my 40's that I found out through a DNA ancestry test that I'm 1/4 Scandinavian, and met my best friend who is Finnish! I always had a sense that I should've been born in some wide, quiet, northern forest country. I guess our blood and bones always know the truth of who we are :)
💯%
It's interesting about you). From Ukraine.
I like peace and quiet too. I hate going into a shop or restaurant and having to listen to loud music. I took a DNA test and found a large proportion of my ancestry was Scandinavian to my surprise.
Hello soul mate 😊
I was told by my Celtic Mystic Teacher Ger Lyons, an amazing man, and Soul, from Ireland, to move where my blood and bones are from, so I did. I was born in California to a Scottish father, who died when I was 11, so I never got to live in Scotland. From Maui, Hawaii, after 15 years living my dreams there, (working in Permaculture and Regenerative Farming Community Design) , I moved to the very western most Outer Hebrides, on The Isle of Lewis, where I can hear the storm, the loud, violent and whistling winds, and harsh rain pelting my windows all day today and even now (22:18). I am so happy!!! I found out I have Scottish roots going all the way back to Nordic Viking ancestors a thousand years ago. I spent 4 months in Orkney researching my family tree, and found this line from Clouston, back and back to Havard "Klo" (The Claw). It is an amazing thing to live where my bones and blood are from. I do feel better than I have ever felt being here, staring out at the storm. It feels like Home. I was always hiding in the shade, before living here.
I felt calmer just by watching this video
same here, did realize also the transitions between videos were so smooth and calming
@@Joel-i4nhis voice is too
I wish I could live in a Nordic country. I have always felt that Nordic societal values reflect mine much more than those of my home country (USA). Although it is not possible at this time of life for me to emigrate, your videos help show me I can live these values no matter where I am. Thank you very much for your relaxing and practical suggestions.
I feel very much the same as you do Deborah! I am a USA citizen as well. Hopefully we can begin to create at least some of this in our personal lives, where we stand…❣️❣️❣️
Please dont think that living here is a paradise. This is not true. It is true that there is a lot of social welfare, but this will change. For example the public health sector where I work, is really under pressure. The new generation suffers a lot with the stress in society, low self esteem and problems left to them by the older generation.
@@ThoseWhoDare this is true for almost every country in the world now. So better live in the Nordics, or at least trying to live the values described in this film
I’d like to wish you a big goodbye from the US.
@@jerryyoung6494 I'm not going anywhere Jerry so best save that energy for something kind instead of trolling those you disagree with and whom you know nothing about. My father, a WW2 Navy veteran and my late husband, a Vietnam combat veteran (Purple Heart recipient) fought for the rights some would like to take away. I will also stay and fight for that in their memory. All the best to you.
Even in Birmingham UK there are those of us who live by this mindset. I am in the process of decluttering and simplifying my home, prioritizing nature and peace and helping nature where I can.
I am lucky to live opposite a beautiful park where I can walk and observe nature.
I also avoid the city and crowds where possible.
You are so fortunate to live in a place where most people have this way of life instead of being one of the few.
Well said, I totally agree. I'm the same as you & also live not far from a UK city.
I think a lot comes down to attitude! I know that I live in the best place in the world because that is how I see it here! The two things I have control over are my attitude and my effort! I feel very empowered,,,not much money, or property but I work hard on staying healthy at 72 and take nothing for granted,,I was blessed to have a rough young life I think 🤔 ❤
I am a foreigner living in Finland who have come to value all of these.
I love it here ❤
I am now learning to talk less and not see the silence in conversations as awkward 😊
Pls can you share some tips how to move to Finaland as a foreigner? I am american citizen I can’t wait get out of here, I love Finaland pls can you share how did you move there?
So happy to hear that ❄️❤️
Love the idea of shopping with no loud music:)
Yeah that's so thoughtful :)
Contrarily, I reside in Mexico and I love the festive music in the stores and shops.
@@Zenigma217 eating in restaurants, too! I have to wear earplugs in most “trendy” restaurants!
@@brian1204WHY not avoid these places?
Wht wud tht feel like?
I live in the USA, people will say they want this but refuse to make changes in their lives and behavior so they refuse to live it !
There is so much greed, selfishness, self pity, abuse and neglect that even the good well intentioned people become guarded to protect themselves. It’s a viscous circle !
I don't think it will get any better in the next 4 years😢
@@stevegreenwood8168 Unfortunately, I agree with you, the chaos has already begun…
I escaped the United Security States of Anxiety (USSA) 13.5 years ago. Ain't been back since.
It is unregulated Capitalism. Put the blame where it belongs: we live in an oligarchy with a corrupt government funded by corporate greed.
@@jackflanagle6079can I ask how you left? I read up on getting a visa and also got denied for residential permit in Canada. Apparently you have to have a degree or a job in the country. I have two kids and I hate living in the US as a mom. My soul needs to leave..
All of this sounds like heaven….. jealous from America… happy there is a place like this
We live in Northern Manitoba, Canada. Lakes, rivers, and boreal forests surround it. Real estate is cheap; we don’t feel our mortgage payments. Spending time at the campsite at the lake in the summer and skiing, skating, and sliding in the winter is excellent. Unfortunately, the region has social issues that are not too bad. 5-10 minutes to get around the city. I know that for career- and business-minded people, it’s not a place, but we are different. We want to have enough to live and an opportunity to help others; wealth and riches for the sake of more $$$ are not our priorities.
Thank you for sharing the beautiful Nordic principle that resonates with our family values.
Please adopt me. 😊❤️
It would be such a welcome way if everywhere were just quieter.
I live now in one of the most rural places I've ever lived, and yet it's often the noisiest. Trucks with no mufflers, ATVs, motorbikes, buzzsaws, bulldozers, fireworks, nonstop barking dogs, sirens, helicopters, boom cars, stereos, and loud parties 24/7, especially in summer. It definitely correlates to the political leanings of the people who live here. They are all about their personal freedoms taking precedence over community serenity. I'm miserable and can't wait to move.
@@patriciasalem3606 That sounds awful!!! Pun intended. I am so sorry. I am happy you are moving. Quiet is such a luxury and so important. I live in the quietest place ever, no sirens, no cars, no traffic lights, no noise, except the wind, the cattle grid, and the songbirds. And, me walking and singing to the deer and swans, in The Outer Hebrides, Scotland. Isle of Lewis, after living in USA all my 59 years prior, noisy L.A., and quiet Maui, Hawaii.
@@patriciasalem3606That doesn't describe rural at all.
@@patriciasalem3606where do you live?
You gotta get people to have less kids.
I am glad you consider a cat as part of an intentional home.
My wife would be impressed
I was having coffee with my cat while watching this.😊❤
Ha! Same. 😊@@veronicahildinger2018
Here in America we just celebrated Thanksgiving. I went to my family's gathering and sat for hours without saying a word, and no one even noticed. They were too busy talking over one another to even listen to anything else. It was stressful. I enjoy people, but very much enjoy my solitude.
It's called old age. I've notice that lately I enjoy my own home best.
I can totally relate to it
U.S. is totally screwed up. No boundaries to work and office managers expect work is given preference over life.
Trickle down corporate greed pits Just stress at the bottom most worker. And everything else is just so stressful
Realizing you are nature, instead of being separate from it, is key. That’s one of the main principles focused in Buddhism with this way of living. I’ve discovered that I’m much happier, more bliss, more understanding and more in harmony. You will become much wiser with nature as your teacher.
You have a great presentation, clearly spoken directly at the camera with no artificial camera angles or fast edits. The lighting is sympathetic & natural, relaxing & a joy to watch.
Thank you! 😊 Yeah my goal is to create calmness for the viewers while talking about how to live a simpler life practically 🌿
This is the way. Take note that the majority of the top 10 on the happiness index are some of the most non-religious countries in the world. Common decency, respect, and living in balance and harmony actually work. Who would have thought?! Excellent video!
Nothing to do with religion. You’re talking horse sh:t. Greece, Italy, Taiwan, Okinawa Japan, South Sea Islands, etc. all very happy and all religious or have cultures based on religious philosophy like Confucianism.
I’m also curious, once clowns like you have banned religion, who will feed the poor, adopt children, care for the disease ridden?!?! Well, who??? Are you? You’re very young but better to get the facts right. 4.5 billion Asians, go on travel there and tell me they don’t have it figured out. All based on their religious beliefs. I can go on.
STOP WATCHING CNN!!!
Wow. There's a divisive, unhappy person practicing ignorance and bias in every group. Thanks for outing yourself. I say this as a Christian Nordic.
Religion is founded on division, and then there were the centuries of atrocities, and the usurping of sacred dates and celebrations, renaming them, rebuilding square temples on our healing-energy-circles, and telling tales from a book we never needed to know love, and respect and reverence for God, instead of living the truth:we are nature, so happy in nature as it is our natural habitat, all of it. No church required. I love love, God and Nature, and feel very much that religion is harming our humanity, as it denies the truth of its history of harm, genocide, and division, in the name of a God that is not God. God is Love.
@ClaireCelticMystic Yet here you are being the one posting divisive comments.
I agree
Am 3/4 Scandinavian - maybe 100% with Irish. All the Nordic habits described here are my natural preferences/personality. Now I understand I’m missing my people/culture -born and living in the US. Always have dreamt of being somewhere that fits me better. Hope to visit and maybe live there soon.
Thanks for validating my perspectives.
I am sensitive to smells and this sounds like heaven! (Already did for all the other reasons, but that one got me.) So many people in the U.S. smell like fabric softener 🤢
Or perfume r deodorant here in Ireland 😵💫
Same here - this is the most toxic our society has ever been! Dryer vents in my neighbourhood are spewing toxic, disgusting over-concentrated “fragrances” which stick to anything they come in contact with. It should be illegal. People are so oblivious how bad it is to breathe this in, let alone wear it all day. This is the main reason I want to leave my beloved home to be far away from other homes.
@@suzKawasaki I have had the same thought. It's nice to hear that I am not alone!
The stink of fabric softener is most often vile. For about 40 years I have used cleaning and washing products without added scent or artificial colouring, also unbleached toilet paper. For what is the point of all these added synthetics? - All is readily available and mostly less expensive in Denmark and I guess in other Nordic countries, but are not as heavily advertised as the scented and dyed international brands. All my cosmetic products are unscented - occasionally I take pleasure in a hint of perfume - carefully chosen.
Would you rather have the smell of sweat and stale foods
Those are all good reasons, but a big part is money.
The thing that makes us capable of taking so much freetime and live how we do, is the money. So of course the nordics are happy and peaceful, we have the economic stability to be so.
Yeah I think that is true as well! But at least I feel like we have a more balanced understanding of what is enough money for us to live a content life and where getting more of it while sacrificing other areas of life (like mental health) is not anymore smart. Could be that I am wrong but that's how I've experienced it
I think it is great that you have such an insight. You must be one of those people who appreciate what they have. If someone from a not so economically lucky country said what you said many people would say they're simply "mean" or "lazy" to make changes for the better. I am from Hungary and I consider myself to live in the mid-range financially in a global perspective. Have visited northern countries (aka better than mine) and poor countries too and I have noticed that money does not make miracles but definitely has an impact on education, sense of planning, gratitude, respect to other cultures, openness etc etc meaning that society as a whole is more relaxed, has more tolerance and has more insight. Long story short: I appreciate your comment 😊
It's the distribution as well. I'll go out on a limb and assume the differences in lifestyles among people are not as contrasting as in other countries so people are more content.
@@SunnyKindJourney That is true, and like @betrion7 said, the distribution of of wealth plays a big role in this.
@@johannespuggaardpoulsen1976 exactly. Your life becomes better when you do not need to worry about healthcare or education. Ppl do not seem to see this, but these are the principles of social democracies. Without these, the Nordic countries would descend in the same misery they were before they struck oil and gas, or their industries were average. The climate and especially the winter darkness would really become a “happiness “ (or lack thereof ) problem.
In September, I went to Iceland for a week. I had never felt more relaxed in my life. It was a drastic contrast to the hustle at home in the US. Here in North Carolina we have beautiful and diverse nature, but finding the time to enjoy it is a massive task.
I think I’m Nordic at heart.
I hate loud music in public spaces (stores/cafes/etc.). I make a habit of asking the manager to have it turned down, and the employees are always SO grateful!
I visited Finland in November 2014 and had a great solo trip traveling through the county. It reminds me in many ways of my home state, Wisconsin. I thought Finland was great and I loved how quiet and calm it was.
This way of life is pure, spiritual wisdom. Especially the value put on silence.
Would love to live in a Nordic country! The scent part really got me. Here in the US I am often inundated with strong laundry products scents that make me sick. 😢
Yeah I am so glad we are more conscious about those here these days. It's a silent struggle for many 😥
I recommend Ecos! Live in the US as well. Ecos has never done me wrong.
I can't even tolerate walking or standing near a person who has such strong laundry fragrance smells on them!
Me too! A house two down from me was bought and rented out. There are 10 family members there that do laundry every day, most of the day and night, and my God, they use the most offensively strong possible. I’m sure they add several scoops to one load. Febreeze, bouncey, beads, pine-sol Tide etc.. it’s sickening and I cant sit out, garden, or even walk out of my house and open a window during these times. And it lingers in the air for hours too!! So sad, I will probably move from my beloved home because of them.
@@fruitascension5089me neither - instant headache!
I am from Puerto Rico, very different culture. At least I value that I can start a conversation with a random person on the street or a store with the expectation that they are going to be friendly. Most of them are like that to me, a fellow Puerto Rican. If they can help you, they will, in the street.
@@mariaperez-i9n imagine the warmth of the Latin/indigenous ppl of PR, their climate and add to this picture a social democratic system that provides life basic essentials to all that live there, from basic citizen income to free healthcare and education. You’d win all the happiness awards of this planet, for sure.
Your perfect little utopia. Youve never been there, a scandelous third world country full of crime. You think your going to change that by enslaving them then giving them free stuff?
I live in the US and so absolutely wish we had calm public spaces. It seems like all public spaces here are noisy, brightly-lit, and smell strange or nasty. Even libraries - which, when I was young, used to feel like quiet sanctuaries of hallowed knowledge and entertainment...now they are just as noisy as anywhere else.
Parks are filled with energetic children, adults, and dogs (which is great actually, but not very calm).
Shops are crowded, music plays too loudly, and lights are too bright.
Cafes and restaurants are also crowded and loud. Sometimes you're seated within inches of other tables and it's impossible to speak quietly enough not to be overheard, or to overhear.
It seems like the only escape is to just go/stay home, but...yea.
Yeah it must be tough when public spaces don’t really give you a sense of calm anymore, libraries especially. I hope you can find those rare quiet corners when you need them even if they’re few. Sending you some calm vibes! 🌿
I live in a nice little calm town in Central Kentucky. Peace is possible.
My library is barely useable anymore. Parents let their kids run wild through the shelving. Drug users take up all the comfy chairs and bathroom stalls.
Not much good for reading or studying. 🤷♀️
You have to get out of the cities.
@@riverbilly64which city, please and thank you?
I do my best to live this way in California. One can adopt these practices but may feel left behind by society. Like in my workplace, I don’t relate with large majority of people because I don’t watch most of the common movies and TV and pay attention to that kind of stuff. It seems like that’s the only way people talk to each other anymore…. I would rather talk about a tree or a squirrel.
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It’s tough to find silent/quiet in public spaces. The worst is when you go for petrol and all of the pump starts telling you the bad news of the world or yelling at you to buy things or advertising a terrible offensive movie.
Sporting events are constantly blaring noise and yelling too, baseball used to be enjoyable for me to attend, the calm, methodical actions of the game and silences..but no!now most ballparks fill every second with noise and apparently if you’re not screaming loud, you’re not having fun.
Agreed. We glorify materialism and debauchery. Also, the development of new communities is purely based on greed, not on providing enough green space for the health and mental sanity of people.
#actuallyautistic person here 🙋🏻♀️ The 🇺🇸 is very loud everywhere, all the time. I keep ear plugs on me all the time- in every bag, in my car, etc. I don’t feel badly for leaving a room or scene when I get overwhelmed! 😰 We all have our limits, as he said.
. Not so much in rural America! If I had headset on all the time, I would miss the greetings from neighbors and sounds of birds...it's not all bad here 😊
Everything you’re saying appeals to my soul.
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@@SunnyKindJourneyfrom where I come, those leaves indicate marijuana.
It is a constant struggle in America to achieve even a majority of these benefits. Took me a half to two thirds of my working life. The worst thing was companies cutting back on the number of employees to the point that everyone was constantly overworked and/or expected to work overtime on a regular basis.
Yeah that's such a pity and for sure decreases life quality. I am so grateful to live here in a country were you can't be obligated to work overtime
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The American dream became an American nightmare.
I am a US citizen. I retired from the medical profession three years ago, and I thank god every day! It felt like I was working in a factory! It was awful, we were constantly understaffed and overworked! I don’t miss working one bit!
This video showed up in my feed and I am very happy about. I was born and raised in South America and in the Latino culture (for the most part) we have different approaches to life; for instance, we are loud, we do not understand the concept of personal space, we want to know (for the most part) everyone business, we like parties, get together, and know everyone business 😉. All of this bothered me when I was a child and teenager (like quietness, simplicity, personal space, and not feeling conversations need to happen all the time). I moved to the US when I was 20 to a big city and although this is an individualistic city, there are many things that I wish are different. I practice many of the items mentioned here. I love having time for myself and being in nature the most. I work as a mental health therapist and I always encourage my clients to cherish their time on their own and in nature, to always speak the truth, to feel comfortable in the silence, and mostly, to have balance. Thank you again for this great video and your channel. I can’t wait to explore it more.
Excelente comentario. Comparto el sentir. Saludos desde Bolivia.
I live in rural Vermont USA and share all these values in the video--but so much of American life encourages the opposite (consumerism, competition, fast talking, bright lights, speed, aggression) ... I would feel so at home in Finland! (Except for language barrier.) Thank you for the inspiring beautiful video!
Your country will literally increase my lifespan..
I can agree to this
I’m American but I believe that in my soul I’m Nordic. All of these ways of living perfectly represent me and my way of living. Thank you for sharing this information.
I really enjoy your photos/short videos that you put in your videos, and as a finnish citizen I am happy that you show our beautiful, clean nature 🌲🌾
Thank you very much! 😊
My dream is to live in Scandinavia. Even here in the countryside in Germany it's too loud for me, everything is moving faster and faster, few people pay attention to nature and its animals... I love the Scandinavian way of life.❤
Wow I love this concept! As one who is hypersensitive to all senses I NEED this life.
Sounds like I'm living very close to the scandinavian culture.
Many of those points got into my live as I started to improve my life by spirituality and looking over many things + changing them.
I needed it and feel that it gives me more quality in life.
Thanks for this video and best greetings from Germany 🙏🏻
Canadian by birth, living in UK, and I've said that for years... No bad weather only bad clothing. I work outside and layer and bundle up on cold days. I like working outside
Makes me want to cry as I yearn for all of these things .. living in london is wonderful in many ways but it’s easy to get lost in the chaos .
Great topic and video. I live in the southeast United States. I had good parents who taught me well and had good values. These values and lifestyle are still practiced here. Not by everybody and maybe known by different names or titles. But still here. I guess I’m pointing this out for the people who are disappointed they don’t live in a Nordic country. Hope. Also, I think that “ content” is a better word than “happy”. J.M.O.
Omg, Nordic countries totally rock and suit my mindset so well. Just the weather!!
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I don't think there's a video that resonates with my soul as much as this video. Perfect timing too. Thank you so much for sharing ❤️
I'm in college to become an exploration geologist. I plan on living in Norway and traveling for my job. Exploration geologists basically hike around all day and look for rocks and formations, they do some studies and research, sometimes take samples, and some other things. I love hiking, rocks, and animals, which is perfect! I'll be able to help learn about the earth that animals live on so I can help protect the animals homes. I'll be able to stay active and happy, I'll be making a lot of money by enjoying my daily hobbies. I can't wait to start working!
Yeah sounds like Norway is a great place for you! I've visited there twice and the hiking spots are 10/10 🙌🌿
As a geologist going to Norge, you might enjoy the film, "Troll", which is on UA-cam. In the fjäll, not all rock formations appreciate being disturbed!
I love the Nordic ways. This is a very healthy lifestyle I wish it was encouraged more in the United States. I think one reason I am happy is I immerse myself in the seasons with nature.
Looks like a perfect place for me…I live in Colombia and it’s crazy here, specially for someone highly sensitive as me. Someone that enjoys silence, not party and stuff like that are not normal here so it’s hard to be like that here.
Wow, very insightful! I need to adopt many of these ways of living into my own lifestyle. Being 64 years old, I came across The Swedish Death Cleaning model and I have been trying to adopt it for myself lately, so I can see how Nordic habits of living falls in line with a much better standard of living. I’ve always said, “simple is best” anyway. Thanks for sharing this video.😊
Its so crazy how you mention the music in public places being very low in 🇫🇮, I live in the 🇺🇸, every place here has extremely loud music, sometimes it’s so hard to have a conversation while having dinner at a restaurant. I was in 🇫🇮 in April, fell in love with the country, its people and the culture!
This is so true. Though, the correct word is _'contentment'._ Happiness is a transient state.
I moved to Denmark from London, England 34 years ago, and this is _exactly_ what I have experienced living here. I work 32 hours a week, say 'no' without guilt, and find beauty and pleasure in the mundane. Visiting London has now become a bit traumatic and I literally need a week off work in order to recover😅🇩🇰
Yeah well said! Glad to hear you were able to find this peaceful place for you 🌱😊
Truth, boundaries and silence = Peace. Thanks for sharing. This content is nice.
Well put! Thanks for watching 🙌
Thanks! Nice to know there are people who share my values.
Thank you so much for the support, Rachel! I really appreciate it 😊❤️
Honestly, this sounds like paradise to me, I think I want to come and live in Findland! You have described everything I value!
You are very welcome! ❄️😊
Excellent video - I was lucky to be able to spend 2 years living and working in Finland. I truly loved it , I've missed Finland. Was great to see the nature and beautiful scenery again thank you
Thank you for this good presentation of Nordic countries mindset and culture. I was in Finland for the first time this year and loved every minute of it, there is so much the world should learn from you guys.
Thank you so much! 😊
How beautiful and full of content it is. There could not be anything better to watch on a Sunday morning with my cat and coffee. The video flowed. The eighth topic and the topics that came after it are great. A little silence, a little nature and a little distance in every topic. My friend, thank you for sharing this video, you expressed our feelings.
Nature makes me happy
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Me too and the communications with her and her animals ❤
I live in Minnesota and grew up here. I think we Minnesotans, as the most Nordic US state, share most of these values.
True. I came to u of m with scholarship in late 1990 and stay here since then. Developed all my hobby here, endless fun and outdoor activities
That’s because of the high number of Nordic settlers. It’s in your DNA. I was born and raised in MN, moved to Oregon about 8 years ago and I miss many things about home. Mostly, the people, their sensibilities, and respect for boundaries. For the most part, West coasters suck
I am so happy to know that Japan is trying their best to learn from Nordic countries in order to improve lives here! I really hope I can become a Japanese citizen! I love this country so much! But I also deeply admire and look to Nordic countries for inspiration in my life~
Everytime I watch one of your videos, I feel at peace, it's hard balance everyday life, thanks for videos like this that helps me realize I'm on my own personal trip step by step. Thank you so much.
Super happy to hear that! 🌱 I try to keep the vibes calm and peaceful in the videos while still talking about things I find important and valuable. Sometimes it's easier said than done but I feel like I did a really good job with this one 😊 Thanks for watching!
For me, animals, dmestic and wild, are the best part of nature.
Thank you so much for sharing.
Living in such a community sounds like a blessing.
Thank you so much for watching! ❄️😊
What a beautiful honest insightful video. Solitude in nature is so important to mental well-being. Silence in conversation is so important for allowing the other to speak and finish their thought. I loved so much of what you said. Thank you for you video and honest reflections.
Thank you so much! 🌿
8 hours of work is crazy long. I understand that humanity once fought for the 8 hours (as opposed to being worked to death) and we need to keep fighting and keep reducing the working hours and offer more flexibility and shift work (with support and benefits).
I agree because between getting ready for work, driving to work etc that takes 2 hours out of the 8 hrs of off time so it’s brought down to 6.
Also..."free time" is not always free, we need to do chores, clean the house, prepare food and so on.
@@BohemioGamingexactly!! Actual free time is probably about 2-4 hrs a day but i’m stressing about everything I need to do😂
How many hours do you think farmers and ( in the days ago..hunters would put into living)?
Watching and listening to you is calming. So, yeah, I agree with that 12 habits 💯. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching! 😊🌿
I grew up in a strongly Scandinavian culture in the States. What a useful privilege.
You affirm all the best in life, all that I appreciate, keys to mindfulness, meaningful living, kindness & peace. Thank you for sharing your wisdom!
Thank you so much ❄
Seve, thank you so much for sharing these; they are all awesome concepts which contribute to mutual contentment without forcing us to 'go backwards'. You're a lucky man to live in a Nordic culture.
Absolutely! Thank you for the support! :)
THANK YOU Thank you thank you, Steve. You are young and yet so wise and calming to listen to . I am so very greatfull for your life and living suggestions, I find them so good and nourishing for body mind and soul. Blessings to you and thank you once again.
Thank you so much 😊❤️
I live in the US and it is the opposite here. I have all of these lifestyle aspirations (as in the video), and it is hard to fit into an opposite world.
One thing I would love is a restaurant where it is quiet, calm, and peaceful. (Not a bunch of people constantantly talking as loud as they can with food in their mouths, employees banging dishes and utensils, and sweeping the area near you while they bang your seat with the broom)
Restaurants here in the US quit focusing on quiet dining. Now they open the ceilings so we have to look at all the pipes and ductwork and it makes the rooms very noisy. I wish they used sound deadening materials on the walls and ceilings.
Wow. I am so thankful for this video to have shown up in my timeline. It feels soothing to me, to hear clear values and principles, that are so easy and human. Thanks for sharing!
The personal space was such a difference than what I was used to; I did think that Finns didn’t have to make much adjustment space-wise during Covid. I smiled when you mentioned it.
In Sweden there was a private space joke when they stopped the 2m distance rule during the pandemic that finished with "so now we can finally go back to five meters."
That was a good one haha 😂😂
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Having lived in Finland (Tampere) for 7 years I really enjoyed this video. it highlights all the aspects of what i loved about living there and what values really have become engrained in me. Moving back to Scotland I have tried for the last 10 years to really try and keep these values , but i have been fully aware of the struggles that I 've had in doing that, because most of these lifestyles and habits are not engrained in our UK lifestyle.
So happy to hear you enjoyed my home country (and even home city haha) 🌱 Hope you'll be able to find peace there even if it's different
When you mentioned "Finish what you start" I immediately wanted to return to the task I have to do at my job, but then I thought I should wait till the end of this video first! :D
Haha that's awesome 😄😄
😂
This is all well and good, but I am afraid it is only viable in very few countries around the world.
I have been to Norway, Sweden and Denmark, and I certainly did appreciate the things you mentioned in your video. Bergen, Norway, in particular. But I also couldn't help my self from realizing that, for example, Norway is a geographically-isolated, oil-wealthy nation with a fairly homogenous population (outside of Oslo, that is).
These are critical sociological factors to enabling a certain type of lifestyle uniformly across a nation. A country has to be wealthy enough to afford generous and flexible benefits for its citizenry, and must maintain cultural consensus around issues like government subsidies, work-life balance, personal boundaries and liberties, and the rights and responsibilities of the individual. Without all of these factors in play, I am not sure such a delicate balance would be sustainable.
I feel a huge respect for the nordic culture. I so much relate to many of its principles. Unfortunately the latin culture is the opposite and can be overwhelming many times. Thanks for sharing. ❤
All of these points remind me of my RV life. Good sleep every night, living in the moment, getting out in nature, time spent alone, enjoying the quiet.
Of course the work life balance is easy when you’re retired!
I bet that's awesome lifestyle, especially if you live in a country where there is a lot to explore and see! 😊🌿
This is the first time I've come across your channel and it's a lovely introduction. My family is Scandinavian and living in the USA where so much focus is on ambition, I never really understood it. I very much align with the Scandinavian energy. ❤
That's awesome! Hope you can embrace the nordic lifestyle there somehow ❄️
@@SunnyKindJourney I actually already do in many ways.
I not only find your video inspirational, but very educational to people who may travel to or work with Nordic people. It's so important to research and understand cultural norms and meanings so as Americans we don't unintentionally come across as rude.
I needed this video. It shows me so many ways i can implement these strategies into my life. All i want is peace and no anger. Just to live a simple life. ❤from Kansas
Happy that this popped up in your feed! 🌿😊
Wonderful. This is not just a nortic way of life. Its practiced in many parts of the world. Thank you.
You make me want to move over there! It sounds as though your employers and government are very thoughtful and take more seriously peoples personal health and wellness over them working a 60 or 70 hour work week. It’s so sad to see Work being the main priority that makes you miss your children growing up miss seeing your friends, miss helping your family because it’s all about money. These tips are so beautiful. I love that people consider others as much as looking after one’s own holistic health.
Name a Nordic company that impacts your daily life in any way, the way American companies do
There’s a reason he’s speaking English in this video
@ChanceBerryman Not sure if you're joking, but if that's what's most important to you, then this lifestyle is not for you. Even your choice of words (impact: forceful contact, collision) is antithetical to what this video is about.
@ChanceBerryman ummm... Ikea? Volvo? 😂 But I agree with the other commenter. You're talking about making a big impact on the world, US style. He's talking about peacefully being a part OF the world, Nordic style.
Thank you dude for taht video. It has so much truth in it. And yes we have an use of speech in Germany: Es gibt kein schlechtes Wetter, nur schlechte Kleidung. And dude the 'Why Silence Speaks Volumes' part made me think. I'm a person who talkes a lot even if other ppl talk with interrupting them... ur absolutly right in this point.
Here, in the states, it is a monumental challenge to find a restaurant, store, cafe', etc that doesn't have some type of sensory stimulation. Much of the time that stimulation is music with the volume at a pretty high level.
This is true. I once asked if the music could be turned down a bit so I could hear my friend's conversation without straining. And they responded, "We don't do that here." So disheartening.
A lovely philosophy of life. I am trying to create most of this, despite living in the UK. Avoiding shops seems to be a general path to sanity - especially around Christmas!
I’m leaving this comment here so that every time someone likes it, it will remind me to come back!
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@@SunnyKindJourney Thank you
This is an excellent video of ways to improve life for all.
Most of these are things which I have worked on intuitively.
Connecting to nature has always been huge to me and my sense of peace and sanity.
Very well done!
07:25 I love this! ❤
An interesting video overall, both in terms of Minimalism and as a Norway (Norwegian?) cultural perspective. Great stuff man, thank you for sharing. 🙏🏻
Born & raised in the USA 🇺🇸 and have now added Nordic countries to my places-to-visit bucket list. Might end up staying there, in fact. 😃👍🏼
Thank you! Hope you'll be able to visit here one day. Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, all good options 😉
We move to Finland by end of January and I am really excited about this new chapter in life. Thank you for sharing this awesome views and habits of the Nordic countries. I also noticed that this lifestyle is very much is represented not only in the Nordic architecture and calmly interior design, but also how tidy the homes of most people there are compared to other countries I have visited.
This was very interesting. Thank you for sharing. I am from Canada, and will we share a number of values and commonalities that sound to me like Finland is populated by the best qualities of introversion. I would genuinely enjoy trying you as my neighbor rather than my hyper extroverted one to the South 😊
And how is that working with your new 🇮🇳 friends?
Hey, one of your downstairs neighbors here 🖐. Sorry my roommates are so noisy, unfortunately I can't do a thing with them.......they only listen to the sound of their own voices and don't care about anything or anyone else. I just put on my headphones and try to help where and when I can.
For me, this is like music to my soul. I would love to have more of this in my life. Nature is the place, where I recharge and quiet my mind. I am resonating with all the priciples, except for the timing :)