When it comes to happiness, it’s well known that the Nordic countries often score highly in life satisfaction surveys. In fact, Finland has topped the World Happiness Report’s ranking of the happiest countries for six consecutive years, despite the country’s cold climate, long winters and lack of sunshine in some parts of the year. (FYI, the U.S. ranks 15th on the World Happiness Report.)

Mental health experts say that while these things may seem bad for the country, Finnish people’s life satisfaction levels are high for a number of reasons.

A large part of this is because Finland has systems in place to reduce stress in all aspects of life – education is essentially free, vacation time is plentiful and health insurance is guaranteed. Plus, the country is much smaller than the United States (with a smaller population than New York City), which also makes some things easier.

Beyond these institutions, however, Finns have habits and beliefs that help them regularly top the list of world happiness reports. Below, Finnish mental health experts share why they think the country’s people are happier and how you can use some of the country’s tools to achieve happiness.

There’s less of a desire to lie about emotions.

In the United States (and many countries) the answer to “How are you?” is expected to be “Okay” or “Okay.” Describing your struggles in too much detail can rub some people the wrong way and make others uncomfortable.

But in Finland, mandatory positivity is much less common. Saying “no” or “I don’t feel good” is more forgiving.

Overall, this is an observation based on time spent in the United States and Finland. But this emotional honesty may be part of Finland’s overall happiness.

All in all, we know that suppressing emotions does no good. You may feel overwhelmed, misunderstood, and even a little stuck. Some research suggests that suppressing emotions also affects social connections and is linked to early death.

Work-life balance is prioritized.

Although Finns work hard, they generally work reasonable hours, meaning most people have a good work-life balance. It gives you time to relax in your daily routine and gives you time to take care of yourself. Finally, they have time for activities outside of work.

Most people also have long commutes to work, which also increases their happiness at work and the amount of free time they have at work.

They have lots of access to nature.

Nature plays an important role in the lives and well-being of many people in Finland.

In fact, the country has regulations called “Everyone’s Rights” that allow Finnish people to use almost all forests, lakes and seaside areas with respect and for free. This means activities such as camping, berry picking, mushroom hunting, swimming, hiking, horseback riding and skiing are all free in these public spaces.

Whether you’re in one of the big cities or small towns, you can always get close to nature in Finland.

There are studies showing that nature can actually reduce stress, and this is also linked to happiness – it’s easier to feel happy when you’re less stressed. So a walk in a nearby park can help you convey this Finnish secret of happiness.

Learning new skills is encouraged.

Learning new things is good for your mental health. This doesn’t necessarily mean learning a new language or a job assignment, it can be something simpler like trying a new recipe or taking a course on how to sail.

There are many associations in Finland where people can enjoy hobbies together – from yoga to pottery classes.Joining these associations is not expensive and further allows people to learn new things.

Plus, learning new things can make you feel like you have more time. When you step away from your daily routine and look back on the past month or year, time will feel longer and you’ll feel like you made the most of every day.

It’s a very trusting society.

Finns have a very high level of trust among people.

This is a small country where people build networks between different people, which is called the “strength of weak ties.”

As mentioned above, the United States is much larger than Finland, which makes it harder to achieve total trust in the United States, but you can still be in a circle of trust.

Investing in social relationships plays an important role in happiness.

There’s a lot of research that shows that getting away from loneliness is one of the most important things you can do when it comes to feeling content. In fact, a 2021 study found that “loneliness was found to be one of the strongest negative predictors of life satisfaction”—and that close relationships with others are necessary for a fulfilling life.

To increase your overall satisfaction, spend time with friends and family who pour your wine. Cherish these relationships, follow these people and continue to build your connections.

In Finland, folks experience a feeling of contentment rather than overwhelming happiness.

If you focus more on the emotional experience of happiness, I think in Finnish culture, happiness does not necessarily mean a very strong emotion of happiness. Their philosophy is more about a constant feeling of contentment with your life and what you have.

It’s more of a quiet feeling. So maybe it’s easier to be happy in this way than to always seek out intense feelings and intense experiences of happiness.

Finnish people have high life satisfaction. In the World Happiness Report, they don’t actually ask people if they are happy, but if they are satisfied with their lives.

Instead of looking for euphoria, you could try looking for things in life that make you feel fulfilled, like a good cup of coffee or a trustworthy car that never breaks down, and try to maintain those feelings (and look for others) all day long.

But, it’s also important to remember that outside factors impact happiness, too.

In Western culture, we often talk about happiness and that it is the individual’s responsibility to live a happy life. We have the illusion that if you do everything right, then you will be happy and that is your only responsibility.

There is some truth to this, but it is not just the individual who controls happiness, but also their surroundings, life circumstances and social decisions.

This means that, for example, if you are a teacher and your district cuts pay for all teachers, your well-being may suffer. But the decision to cut your salary is out of your control.So while it’s important to try to do things that affect your mood, it’s not just up to you.

We can’t just hold individuals accountable, and I think it would be good for everyone to remember that as well. There are other factors besides the individual.