Synnevåg Løvoll says that the five documented ways to wellbeing can all be expressed through friluftsliv:
- connect (through outdoor activities with others)
- be active (through hiking, cycling, paddling et cetera)
- take notice (by being curious, catching sight of the beautiful)
- keep learning (get to know a new activity or try a new path)
- give (by helping others to have a good time outdoors)
Friluftsliv may help explain Norway’s ranking among the world’s happiest places. In UN’s 2020 World Happiness Report, Norway came in at number five, while Bergen and Oslo made the top ten of the world’s happiest cities.
“I think it is fair to say that friluftsliv is a contributor to Norwegians high level of happiness”, says Lier.
Four seasons, one mindset
But what about cold, dark and wet days?
In Norway, we have four distinct seasons – and a whole lot of weather. Friluftsliv, however, applies to 365 days of the year.
Using lousy weather as an excuse for staying indoors, is simply not an option in most Norwegian homes. If you happen to complain, you’ll likely hear the well-known quote: “There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing!” (In Norwegian, it rhymes.)
In an interview with National Geographic, Stanford University health psychologist Kari Leibowitz said that Norwegians are equipped with something she calls the “positive wintertime mindset.” People with this attitude “see the opportunities of the season”, stated Leibowitz, who learned to cope with the contrasting weather of Norway when she lived a year in the Arctic city of Tromsø.
Another person who knows everything about extreme weather and temperatures is Sigmund Andersen, who has spent the last 20 years in Svalbard as an IFMGA mountain guide and associate professor at UiT The Arctic University of Norway.
Sigmund Andersen.
Photo: Private
“What’s unique about our cultural approach to the outdoors is that we’re trained to be dynamic. We must always make, and often change, our plans according to weather”, he says.
To truly connect
For Andersen, friluftsliv is a lifetime project and dedication. He has spent more time in the wilderness than most of us can imagine and says that friluftsliv is crucial to his wellbeing.
“I feel calmer when I connect with nature. I experience a sense of accomplishment when I complete challenging trips, and joy when I see beautiful views or witness how the sky, colours and weather change.”
As a tour guide, Andersen’s mission is to convey that great nature experiences don’t need to be anything extreme.
“I think – first and foremost – that we must learn to slow down. We don’t have to be so ambitious about how far or fast we are moving. That’s not what friluftsliv is about.”
Instead, take your time …