Here’s a little snapshot of the goodies in today’s episode…

– Happiness researcher
– Author of The Little Book of Hygge
– Meik had a major wake up call when both a close family member and a friend died at the age 49
– Meik decided to use his time to research and redefine happiness
– It’s well documented that Danish people rank among the happiest people in the world and Meik wanted to break down exactly why this was
– The main focus is quality of life
– Genetics matter, we are often born happy or born less happy
– Identical twins generally have similar happiness levels as adults despite often living in vastly different circumstances
– When you think about the genetic link with mental illness it makes sense that happiness also shares that same genetic link
– Happiness is definitely subjective
– Money rarely results in happiness
– Although Danish people are the among the happiest in the world this doesn’t result in lower suicide rates
– Discussion about the Suicide/Happiness paradox
– When there’s high level of life satisfaction there is usually a high rate of suicide which suggests that it’s harder to be sad in a happier environment
– The relevance of social comparisons
– Position in social hierarchy is of importance in happiness
– Hygge is a general feeling of well-being, happiness, contentment and comfort
– It’s part of the national identity, it’s acknowledged and is something that is a part of every day
– Danes consume more candle was than most other countries
– Little ways to bring Hygge into your life
– It’s the small, everyday pursuit of happiness
– Working over time is just not part of the culture in Denmark

Here are all the important links: