That’s right – friluftsliv. It’s not a typo and I didn’t fall asleep with my head on the keyboard. (I have, once or twice, fallen asleep with my head on the keyboard, (in case you are wondering) but the result has never been very interesting).It is a Norwegian concept, meaning “free air life”. It’s similar to ecotherapy, nature therapy, blue sky hospital and green gym but in Norway it’s part of everyday life, while we struggle to find time to include nature in our busy lives.
I say “busy lives” but in truth how much is “busy” and how much is just just useless clutter generated by emails and texts and Twitter?
According to a 2016 UN Report, Denmark, with hygge, is the happiest country in the world, with Norway fourth. The USA comes 13th and the UK 23rd. No disrespect to American readers but we have free health care, half the suicide rate and a quarter of the murder rate: how can we be less happy? Can a lack of wilderness make so much difference?
The ironic thing from my point of view is that we’ve just spent five years pushing the idea that getting outside is good for you and despite all the evidence that supports us, we weren’t able to get the idea across.
We know that working with soil combats depression, aggression, anxiety, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), bipolar disorder, irritable bowel and fibromyalgia.
We also know that getting outside has a wide range of benefits, such as increased self-esteem, reduced anxiety and aggression, increased energy, weight loss and improved mobility.
Various researchers have shown benefits in increasing overall health, decreasing anti-social behaviour, promoting healing and slowing the progress of long-term degenerative conditions. I can’t find my list of references and I’m having trouble tracking a link for the last one, sorry about that.
The availability of outdoor space even affects the development of children – there’s even a condition attached to lack of outdoor play – Nature Deficit Disorder. Generally I’m sceptical about this sort of thing, but having seen what happens when you put a group of kids in the middle of a field I’m a convert.
Sadly, the UK is slow to learn the benefits of being outside.
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That’s a great word and concept!
Yes, I’m surprised not to have heard it before.
One nil to the Norwegians then eh ?
I would say so. 🙂
We are not happy because right wing politicians and press keep telling us that we’re not happy and it is someone else’s fault.
Sounds right. 🙂
I know I feel better when I go outside to walk, garden etc but I often don’t go out because I think of it as a treat for when I’ve finished all my indoor jobs. I know that if I went out for ten minutes I’d deal with the rest of my chores more efficiently but I still don’t do it. Is this the Protestant ethic that I have inherited from my mother making my life more miserable than it should be?
Yes, we tend to do the boring stuff first and run out of time for the good stuff. That’s where we go wrong. 😉
😉
🙂
Excellent.
Thank you.
Great post! And great word! I wonder how it is pronounced. Very strange that we in the U.S. are happier than you in the U.K. I really can’t think why this should be because let me tell you, worrying about health care is no fun at all. And that’s just the tip of what we have to worry about. Well, life is mysterious, isn’t it? Or maybe people weren’t telling the truth.
Yes, I can imagine all the Brits muttering “Well, I’m not going to tell some stranger I’m happy…”
Even the Mexicans are happier than we are!
http://worldhappiness.report/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/03/HR-V1_web.pdf
Oh, too funny! In the end, I wonder what it all really means.
Yes, it’s difficult to see any logic in the table. 🙂
Your blog is always a breath of fresh air. I have never fallen asleep with my head on the keyboard, but quite often with my hand on the mouse 🙂
You are so kind. 🙂
I was sitting in front of the computer last night when I heard a grunting sound. It turned out I’d just woken myself up by snoring. Julia is using Google to look up Scandinavian words for “snoring in front of TV”.
Yesterday, I peeled myself away from my computer for a few hours to go on a hike in the snow. It really turned my day around! Thank you for sharing.
When you find a word like that you have to share it. 🙂