8 HAPPINESS TIPS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

Happiness and mental health go hand and hand. The following countries and places have cultural practices for happiness baked into their daily life. May learning about these global happiness traditions inspire you to adopt some happiness-boosting activities in your own life!

1. Denmark

Denmark consistently ranks among the top two or three happiest nations around the globe, according to the annual World Happiness Report. There’s no doubt that the concept of Danish hygge (pronounced “hoo-ga”) adds to the mental wellness and happiness of its people.

Hygge translates to something akin to “cozy contentment” in English. Hygge is the feeling that comes from snuggling up inside when it is dark and cold outside. The word is derived from the 16th-century Norwegian root hugga, which means “to console or comfort.” It’s also the root of our modern word hug.

Hyggelig evenings involve cooking with others, gathering around a table for a hearty meal, then clearing the table of dishes and breaking out board games. Thus, hygge is amplified by gathering casually with family and friends.

Create greater happiness with hygge:

Add a little hygge into your own life at any time of year. Light candles around your home. Candlelight can also bring a simple celebratory quality to sharing a meal.

If it is cold outside, take pleasure in creating warm, inventive beverages to sip and relax to.  Put digital devices away and enjoy curling up with a good book and a soft blanket.

Gather with friends around your dining table for a meal that all contribute to. Linger afterwards and talk.

2. Turkey

Turkish people have an expression called keyif (pronounced kay-eef), which translates to “pleasure” or “joy” in English. It is about taking a moment away from busyness to experience pleasure or savor a moment of life.

For example, Turks may practice keyif by sitting on a park bench to watch the sunset while enjoying gypsy musicians busking on a street corner or feeding birds a little bit of bread. Keyif is not just a pause but also enjoying a moment to do nothing at all.

Create greater happiness with keyif:

Try playing a game of backgammon with a friend or partner in the middle of the day just for the fun of it.

If you work from home, depending upon your interests, take a moment to play a musical instrument, knit for 10-15 minutes, or add a few jigsaw puzzle pieces to a jigsaw you have going. You can also have a cup of tea and enjoy a quiet moment to look out the window.

It’s good for the brain to get out of your chair and focus on something else pleasurable before going back to work.

You can enjoy keyif socially too! Join some friends at an outdoor cafe and people watch.

3. Nigeria

Nigerians follow an ancient philosophy known as ubuntu (pronounced oo-BOON-too). It is derived the Zulu phrase, “Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu,” which loosely translates to “a person is a person through other people.” In other words, community is the building block of a society.

Archbishop Tutu of South Africa is credited with introducing the concept of ubuntu to the West. In an Amnesty International report, archbishop Tutu explains ubuntu “is the essence of being human. It speaks of the fact that my humanity is caught up and is inextricably bound up in yours. I am human because I belong.”

Ubuntu is a reminder that no one is an island and every single thing we do, good or bad, has an effect on our families, our friends, and the community around us.

Create greater happiness with ubuntu:

Get involved with community service. Find a “Community Serve Day” sponsored by a local church or charity. Do a beach cleanup, make gift bags to show appreciation for first responders, clean up a baseball field, or paint a single mom’s house.

Seek out ways to celebrate the positive things that happen in your friends and loved ones’ lives that may go unnoticed. Live by this African proverb: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

4. The Netherlands

The Netherlands (also known as Holland) have a happiness concept called gezelligheid (pronounced guh-ZELL-eek-hite), which refers to a sense of well-being that encompasses comfort, ease, and togetherness. In different contexts, gezelligheid can refer to a social or relaxed situation but it also conveys conviviality, fun, and coziness. 

The Dutch believe the word gezelligheid (the noun form) and gezellig (an adjective) are not translatable because they are more about a feeling that happens in ordinary moments in life. An evening, a place, or a person can all be gezellig. In these contexts, it usually means something like quaint, lovely, cozy and time spent with loved ones or friends after a long absence or in general fellowship.

Gezelligheid is considered the Dutch secret to happiness by some. Gezelligheid is about creating a sense of belonging, a space where we can truly relax, be ourselves, and connect with those around us.

Create greater happiness with gezelligheid:

Consider taking a fun outing with friends and/or loved ones such as a boat ride or an enlivening walk. Put away your phones! Enjoy conversation. Relax.

The Dutch also have a phrase called: “gezelligheid kent gee tijd,” which means, “coziness knows no time.” So, there’s a lingering quality to this form of happiness. Don’t keep a tight schedule, instead leave ample time to enjoy your activities so you don’t have to rush and can savor the experience.

5. Indonesia

Javanese people live by the principles of guyub (pronounced guy-oob), which has been called Indonesia’s secret to happier, healthier communities. Similar to the general meaning of ubuntu, guyub embraces the brotherly or sisterly bond shared between everyone in the community.

Joy is shared and pain is consoled by the community. Guyub is how the community cultivates a strong sense of belonging, compassion, and sincere support for one another. It is the idea that you’re glad for another’s good fortune and trust that your own existence matters to other people.

Create greater happiness with guyub:

Practice guyub simply by improving your listening skills with others. Speak less and listen more. Really listen.  You’ll learn more about the people around you.

Extend a kind or encouraging word or act to others when the opportunity presents itself. One compliment can go a long way in improving someone’s day. When was the last time you complimented your partner at home for making a meal? Offer a helping hand to your neighbor. Express kindness in your interactions throughout your community.

6. Philippines

The hard-to-pronounce Filipino compound noun pakikipagkapwa-tao (pronounced pah-kee-kip-ahg-kap-wa-tao) places great value on community happiness, harmony, and unity.

The Filipino mindset is one of getting along with others rather than standing out alone. The entire community benefits if progress is achieved—no one is left behind, and this increases happiness for all.

The ethos of pakikisama, which means “getting along with others,” is deeply embedded in the Filipino psyche and value system. That’s why multigenerational households or having family homes near each other is common among Filipinos. Church plays a vital role in the Philippines as a place for communal bonding as well.

Create greater happiness with pakikipagkapwa-tao:

Participate in a food drive. Sponsor a child in a poverty-stricken country with organizations that give a hand up, not a handout, such as World Vision or Compassion International. Explore how you can help international humanitarian efforts such as Doctors Without Borders.

7. Japan

Japan has a relatively new tradition known as shinrin-yoku, loosely translated as “forest-bath” or “taking in the forest atmosphere.” The idea took root in the ’80s to counter city-life burnout.

It inspired the Japanese people to reconnect with their many forests. The simple practice entails taking slow walks in the woods to convene with nature through the five senses.

It’s a bit like Norway’s friluftsliv, but forest-bathing has become a practical way to reduce urban stress and boost mood among the Japanese—and its benefits are confirmed by research.

Create greater happiness with shinrin-yoku:

Make your next getaway an area where you can forest-bathe. When you do, engage four of the five senses: sight, smell, hearing, and touch.

Look up at the canopy and observe how the light comes through the trees. Listen for the breeze and the chirping of birds. Smell the richness of loam and soil. If you can’t get to a forest, you can also simply go to the park and engage your senses on a quiet stroll.

8. Hawaii

Hawaii was found to be the “Happiest State in America” in 2024 by personal finance website WalletHub. Its analysis compared states across metrics, including the depression rate, productivity, income growth, and the unemployment rate.

Of course, Hawaii’s beaches, swaying palm trees, warm trade winds, and majestic mountains may have something to do with all that happiness, but its culture factors into well-being too. 

The Hawaiian people have continued to practice traditions handed down from their ancestors who inhabited the islands long before Westerners. The tradition of ho’oponopono (pronounced hoe-pono-pono) comes from the Hawaiian words ho’o (to make) and pono (right or correct). Saying pono twice makes it “doubly right,” and it applies to oneself and others.

Ho’oponopono is defined as “mental cleansing: family conferences in which relationships are set right through prayer, discussion, confession, repentance, and mutual restitution and forgiveness,” according to the Hawaiian dictionary. Ancient islanders believed that errors, guilt, or anger caused physical illness. Their cure was forgiveness.

Create greater happiness ho’oponopono:

Do you need to ask someone for forgiveness or is there someone you need to forgive?   If so, make use of the ho’oponopono-inspired prayer of forgiveness, which is based on four key phrases: 

“I love you.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Please forgive me.”

“Thank you.”

Write the prayer down on a piece of paper and put it somewhere you can see it every day.

Another way to embrace ho’oponopono is by having a family meeting known as a pule ‘ohana. That’s when the family gathers to review the day, discussing what went well.

HOW TO CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL HAPPINESS DAY

One way to honor this day of happiness would be to simply practice one of these eight happiness rituals on March 20. Of course, you can continue the good feelings by incorporating the remaining rituals that speak to you, one at a time, into your life gradually.