Over spring break, I took a trip to the happiest city in the world: Copenhagen.

They live an unhurried life in nearly every aspect, and as I try to walk past slow walkers, I realize I may need to be the one who slows down.

In line with the Danish concept of “hygge,” a foundational cultural value that embodies contentment, Copenhagen is home to the Happiness Museum, a 240-square-meter think tank focusing on the important things in life — well-being, happiness and quality of life.

​The museum has become increasingly popular since opening in 2020, and you may have even seen it on TikTok for its aesthetic room covered entirely with sticky notes. Guilty as charged, I walked in thinking these yellow papers were going to give me the best photo op.

​But after learning the simple — yet easily overlooked — aspects that brings happiness across cultures, I walked out wondering whether we are directing our energy toward what makes us happy or putting our happiness in the wrong things. 

​The museum begins to examine this by mapping the geography of happiness levels across countries. Using a scale from zero to 10, where zero is the worst possible life and 10 is the best, the United States is ranked at 6.8, whereas Denmark is 7.53.

​We all know numbers don’t serve any good without reasoning behind them. Here are the different dimensions I saw that can affect these scores.

​Trust and happiness

Research shows a link between trust in society and overall happiness. Generally, Nordic countries have high levels of trust. This helps explain why I saw parents leaving their babies in strollers outside coffee shops, women walking alone at night with headphones in, and why the Copenhagen metro system has no turnstiles and operates on the “honor system.”

​What I see as outrageous, dangerous and honestly a little crazy, they see as completely normal.

Now, ​we can’t change the world and control societal trust, but we can control the people we surround ourselves with. You and I probably won’t be leaving our child in a stroller outside, but the little differences in who we choose in our own circle make all the difference.

Wealth and happiness

​Money sets the stage — but it can’t buy everything. It can’t buy the feeling of making someone laugh after they cry. Definitely can’t buy waking up well-rested before your alarm goes off. Nor the feeling of being told you’re good at what you love doing.​

The common belief is that the richer a country is, the happier the people are. Richard Easterlin, a professor of economics, challenged this belief with the Easterlin Paradox. This concept argues that there is a positive correlation between income and happiness, but only up to a certain point. Easterlin said that as we become rich enough to meet our basic needs, the average wealth in society becomes less important to our happiness. 

As college students, we are eager to find a career that makes us filthy rich. Still chase this to an extent, but it’s important to remember the ceiling is only so high before it’s hit. 

Weather

Between 8 and 16 degrees Celsius (about 46 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit) improves your mood. The reality of Copenhagen is that most days are grey and windy, but the weather doesn’t keep people indoors or off their bikes.

​Copenhagen has an average of 1,780 hours of sunshine a year, which is about four hours of sunshine per day, while Knoxville has an average of eight hours of sunshine per day with 204 sunny days per year — yet Copenhagen still sits higher on the happiness index score.

​We like to label it as seasonal depression and let the weather determine our mood, but have we become too comfortable placing the blame there? I am not saying that seasonal depression isn’t real, because I feel an ultimate sense of optimism and joy when the sun peaks out, but let’s face it, it’s never really about the weather. Especially when in Knoxville it can snow and hit 70 in the same week. 

Work-life balance

I walk through Nyhavn at 12 o’clock on a Monday and I know I’m on spring break, but it looks like everyone else, of all ages, is too.

​The work culture in Nordic countries revolves around flexibility. Staying extra hours is discouraged. Taking five weeks of paid vacation a year is expected (with no guilt for actually using it). If you are sick, you are encouraged to stay home. Total parental leave is 52 weeks (generous, as the U.S. offers 12). And if you walk into a business in the later weeks of July, it’s going to be empty due to employees appreciating the short Danish summer.

​This doesn’t mean they’re not hard workers — the focus is just on results, and to them, that doesn’t need to correlate with long hours. I’m not shocked that a 9-to-5 won’t bring me ultimate happiness, but it’s a reminder that every day doesn’t need a set schedule. 

Even though I was not on the clock, my Type A self would be absolutely baffled that I threw my entire itinerary out the window (excluding the vintage shops I needed to hit. Those stayed put).

As students, it is extremely important, yet challenging, to have balance in our lives. Whether that’s juggling work, being a student, going out or taking personal time, it can be overwhelming to feel actually present in our hectic lifestyles. 

That being said — how we spend our days is how we spend our lives. 

I don’t know about anyone else, but I am a little terrified of how quickly this spring semester has flown by, and after seeing people blissfully drink cocktails at lunchtime in Nyhavn, I’m thinking maybe I should, too, just to make the most of my time left this semester (Dad, this is a joke)!

In all seriousness, you don’t have to do anything crazy to feel the “I’m living, I’m able, I’m breathing, I’m grateful” sense of accomplishment in life. 

As you notice the little joys throughout your days, celebrate and embrace them, because we’re all well aware that the little things add up — and noticing them is the first step in the right direction of appreciating the life around us. 

Toward the end of the museum, there were sticky notes (aesthetic photo op) where you could write what makes you happy. 

Here are some that I saw: The first time she told me she loved me. Being kreativ. My faith. Drugs, sex & side quests. A good meal with friends. My 3-year-old’s head on my chest falling asleep in my lap. A whiskey by the fire. When I feel needed. Diet Coke. The smell of fresh-cut grass. Big biceps. Good company.

The lingering question I saw throughout the museum was: Is there an architecture to happiness?

This concept, created by philosopher Alain de Botton, explores how our surroundings influence our emotions. Specifically, how the design of buildings and cities influences and shapes our happiness.

As the idea has stayed in the back of my mind, I’ve put my own twist on it by imagining that we live inside different intangible “architectures” that shape our happiness.

Friendships, family, self-awareness and routines all act as subtle frameworks to our lives. It is just a matter of how positively or negatively they affect us. 

If you see this as the case for you, how can you shape your own architectures to make your life more meaningful?

Veronica White is a junior at UT this year studying hospitality management. She can be reached at [email protected].

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