Living Happy Like the Danes

My daughter travelled to Copenhagen a few years ago for a leadership conference, her photos and those from any traveler blog will be enough to inspire a vacation to Denmark. She had left her iPhone on public transportation and got it back within hours! She said the Danes were friendly and the city was walkable for of all ages and locals’ bike everywhere. 

But did you know they are living in one of the happiest countries? 

According to data from the World Happiness Report 2023, the United States ranks 15^th in happiness, with Finland and Denmark in the top spots.

So how can we live like the Danes and stay where we are?

I remembered a book on my shelf American Cozy: Hygge-inspired ways to create comfort and happiness by Stephanie Pedersen. Today it’s a below-zero winter day, and the perfect day to revisit her tips.

“Without being (and feeling) calm, you will have difficulty consistently creating calm- no matter how much decluttering, smart scheduling, or feng shui-ing you do,” Stephanie coaches on page 16 of her book. 

I’ve flagged several areas in her book, and here are some of my favorites.

1. Decluttering: when one new item comes in two current items go out. 
2. Single task! Stop multi-tasking, you’ll be more effective focusing on one thing at a time. 
3. Visit the grocery often to buy fresh, eliminate waste and choose more whole foods.
4. Eliminate your throw pillows to reduce visual clutter in high-traffic rooms.
5. Clean daily for 30 minutes. 

#4 and #5 are going to be hard for me. 

Especially eliminating the throw pillows, but I am taking her advice and boxing them up for a month to see if our rooms feel larger. I spend most of my time fluffing them and picking them off the floors as the dogs knock them off! Clean daily for 30 minutes; I can’t say I will to this. But I will continue to think it through, lol. Stephanie also has recipes (and has authored numerous cookbooks) and additional lifestyle tips and tricks well worth the time to cozy on your couch and enjoy.

Thank you  Stephanie for your inspiration to strive for American Cozy.