“How happy we are with our lives is often tightly connected to how safe we feel, our financial conditions, and our degree of access to meaningful work and social relations”, says psychologist Ragnhild Bang Nes.
She is a renowned happiness researcher in Norway and the lead on well-being at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH).
“In Norway, we have a welfare system that takes care of us and saves us from a lot of worries. The inequality is low when it comes to the standard of living. We feel safe and free and have a strong sense of belonging”, she adds.
She points out that free education for everyone, equal access to healthcare, the fair distribution of goods, and a healthy work-life balance are some of the key factors that contribute to Norwegians’ sense of happiness, and to Norway for several years ranking among the top countries in the World Happiness Report.
The power of nature
Our beautiful, contrasting, and easy-accessible nature is also an invaluable source of well-being.
“We have long known that spending time in nature has a positive impact on our physical and mental health – and thus our level of happiness. In fact, we’ve seen through research that simply sitting in green nature is mood-lifting.”
If there's one thing Norwegians do a lot, it's spending time in the outdoors – whether in the mountains, in the forest or at the coast – or in a green lung in the middle of a bustling city. Alone or with others, all year round. This untamed love of the outdoors is an ingrained part of our national identity that we callfriluftsliv.
Small steps to happiness
“When we spend time in nature, we can easily tick off all of the five documented ways to well-being”, says Bang Nes.
