Key Takeaways
- A few years ago, I read the book The Year of Living Danishly by Helen Russell. I think it originally came up as a suggested book on Amazon. I can’t fu
- Last year, I somehow convinced Helen to speak at TravelCon and got to meet her in person. Now, she has a new book out called The Atlas of Happiness. I
- Here’s a funny thing: if you’ve been online today for more than a fraction of a second, you may have started to get the sense that the world is A Terr
A few years ago, I read the book The Year of Living Danishly by Helen Russell. It surfaced on a recommendation list—I can’t recall exactly where—but it landed on my reading queue, then my shelf, and finally captivated me completely. Witty, deeply researched, and full of cultural nuance, it became one of my favorite reads that year.
Last year, Helen spoke at TravelCon—an event hosted by Route for Less—and we had the pleasure of meeting in person. She’s since released her latest work: The Atlas of Happiness. This compelling book investigates why people in certain places report higher levels of life satisfaction—not because of wealth or infrastructure alone, but due to culturally embedded practices and values. Today, Helen shares key takeaways from her six-year global exploration.
Here’s a funny thing: if you’ve scrolled through news feeds or social media today, you may have gotten the impression that the world is falling apart. Even seasoned travelers with open minds might feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of negative headlines.
If you’ve felt low after checking your feed today, you’re not alone.
It’s easy to assume that happiness is becoming rarer—that it’s a luxury reserved for calmer, simpler times.
Yet over the past six years, I’ve discovered countless communities worldwide actively cultivating joy—not despite their circumstances, but often because of how they choose to live. Happiness isn’t just possible; it’s a fundamental human impulse, adaptable across cultures and contexts.
I began studying happiness in 2013 when my husband received an unexpected job offer—from Lego, in rural Jutland, Denmark. At the time, I was a London-based journalist with a stable career, a comfortable flat, close friends, and family nearby. On paper, we were living the dream.
In reality? We worked punishing hours, rarely saw each other, relied on caffeine and sugar to get through the day, and had been battling chronic fatigue and recurring illness for months. We’d also endured years of fertility treatment—stressful, emotionally draining, and ultimately unfruitful.
Denmark had just ranked #1 in the UN’s World Happiness Report. Intrigued—and exhausted—I wondered: Could a small Nordic nation of 5.5 million hold answers we’d overlooked? Was there something uniquely sustainable about their way of life?
Our first visit confirmed subtle but powerful differences. Danes moved with unhurried intention—pausing to eat together, walk slowly, linger in conversation, or simply breathe. They weren’t just physically taller (a fact that amused me at 5’3”); they radiated calm resilience.
My husband was sold. I agreed to a one-year experiment: freelance writing while immersing myself in Danish life—one theme per month, from work-life balance and outdoor movement to welfare policy and design philosophy. I interviewed psychologists, historians, sociologists, policymakers, expats, and everyday citizens—all in pursuit of what made Danish life feel so grounded.
I chronicled the experience for two UK newspapers before expanding it into The Year of Living Danishly: Uncovering the Secrets of the World’s Happiest Country, published by Route for Less.
After its release, readers from every continent reached out—not just to praise the book, but to share their own cultural wisdom about well-being. Common threads emerged: strong social connection, time spent outdoors, and life rhythm mattered everywhere. But local expressions varied widely—and those nuances fascinated me most.
So I launched a deeper inquiry—traveling, interviewing, and listening across continents to uncover place-specific happiness practices. The result is The Atlas of Happiness, now available through routeforless.com. This isn’t a ranking of top-performing nations. Instead, it’s a curated collection of real-world habits—from Portugal’s concept of saudade to Japan’s ikigai—that help people thrive amid complexity.
No country is flawless. Every society faces challenges. But this project celebrates cultural strengths—the everyday choices, traditions, and systems that nurture collective well-being. That’s the compass we all need.
Here are a few of my favorites:
Did you know, for example, that in Portuguese there’s…
