Finland has been named the happiest country in the world for the third time in the United Nations' World Happiness Report 2020. Finns are fond of their nature. 70% of Finland's land area is forest, the clean air, vastness and silence are in good taste with tourists. Denmark is the second happiest country in the world, followed by Switzerland, Iceland, Norway and the Netherlands. Visit Finland – the Finnish tourist board – gives people who are forced to stay at home because of the corona virus some tips to brighten up your mood.
TIP 1 – Take a cold shower at home
(instead of going to the sea)
Finns love both winter swimming and a sauna. The secret to a splash of ice cold water is that it stimulates the production of the happiness hormones endorphins, serotonin and dopamine, natural boosters to take your stress away. Everyone experiences that blissful feeling and the warmth that screams through your body when you get out of the icy water. So an excellent time in the current circumstances is to take a nice cold shower after getting up. Just persevere, you have to stand under the cold rays for a few minutes, we Finns call it 'Sisu', which translates as perseverance and perseverance. Then alternate the cold water jets with warm water a few times and you feel reborn.
TIP 2 – Read at home
(instead of the to library)
Finns are also fond of reading. The country has countless libraries and the Oodi library in Helsinki, which opened last year, has been voted the best library in the world. In 2016, the UN named Finland the most read country – the 5.5 million Finns borrow about 68 million books a year. A household name in Finland are the books and comic strips by the Finnish author Toven Jansson in which Moomins are the main characters, a kind of trolls that resemble hippos. Moomins are today an essential part of Finnish culture and an enormous source of inspiration for children and adults. Read a Dutch translation, much more fun and relaxed than following the corona news all day.
More info about Moemins
Tip 3 – Experience a beautiful walking path in nature at home on the couch
(instead of a walk through the woods)
The Finnish soul and the magic of forests are linked. The color green has a proven calming effect on body and mind:the rustling of leaves and the rustling of trees sound like a composer making music. Many Finns have a country house in the woods, where they do not feel alone and lonely, but peaceful and protected. It has been scientifically proven that after just 15 minutes of walking in the woods, your pulse will drop and you will feel more relaxed - which is a wonderfully simple way to lower your stress level. So take a seat on your couch or chair, close your eyes and go on an imaginary walk through a Finnish forest. On Spotify you can stream relaxed sounds from Finnish Lapland:
TIP 4 – Bring Finnish cuisine into your own kitchen:bake a Finnish cinnamon bun
(because you can't go to a Finnish coffee shop right now)
The Finnish word Korvapuusti means something like “a twist on your ears” but in Finland the name of a very popular sweet cinnamon bun. Just like the Dutch and Belgians, Finns are also addicted to coffee – about 10 kilos per person per year – and a cinnamon roll fits perfectly with that:so good that the Finnish language even has a word for it – 'pullakahvit that literally means 'coffee sandwich' " means. People make it at home, order it in a coffee shop, or share it with colleagues at work.
For many Finns, consuming this cinnamon roll is one of the highlights of the day and they don't worry too much about the calories - great comfort food. Here you will find a delicious recipe to pamper your taste buds in these difficult times. And for your next city trip to Helsinki, here's a list of delicious addresses
TIP 5 – Teleport your thoughts online
(instead of visiting a museum)
The art and culture scene in Finland is extensive, there are more than 55 museums and numerous galleries. Finns' strong bond with nature is reflected in their culture. Finns use art to calm a restless mind and teleport their thoughts to stress-free places. Log on to the website of a Finnish museum at home to experience how art can be a tool for happiness. For example, take a look at the site or the Instagram page of the visual museum Amos Rex in Helsinki, which recently won the prestigious Leading Culture Destination award in the category New Cultural Destination of The Year – Europe.
If you want to take a trip to Finnish Lapland, log in to the site of, for example, the Rovaniemi Art Museum with an emphasis on contemporary Finnish art. The Arktikum museum in Rovaniemi is also worth an online visit. and
The Atheneum Kunstmuseum in Helsinki is the leading museum in Finland with over 20,000 paintings, sculptures and drawings including more than 450 works by the Finnish artist Akseli Gallen-Kallela.
For even more inspiration about Finnish art, visit Visit Taiko, the world's largest online gallery and marketplace for uniquely Finnish art:
