The Happiest Place on Earth!

    In Finland, the weather won’t put a smile on your face. Temperatures in winter are cold enough to freeze your fingertips. And in the far north, the sun doesn’t rise for months at a time! It’s dark all day for much of the winter.

    But the Finns don’t seem to care. Every year, experts do a study called the World Happiness Report. They ask people around the globe to rate their lives on a scale of 1 to 10. On average, the Finns give themselves nearly an 8. That makes them the happiest people in the world.

    The weather in Finland won’t make you smile. The winters are very cold. And in the far north, the sun doesn’t rise for months at a time! It’s dark all day for much of the winter.

    But that’s OK. The Finns don’t seem to mind. Every year, experts do a study called the World Happiness Report. They ask people around the world to rate their lives on a scale of 1 to 10. On average, the Finns give themselves nearly an 8. That makes them the happiest people in the world.

    In Finland, the weather won’t put a smile on your face. Temperatures in winter are cold enough to freeze your fingertips. And in the far north, the sun doesn’t rise for months at a time! It’s dark all day for much of the winter.

    But the Finns don’t seem especially bothered by that. Every year, in a study called the World Happiness Report, experts ask people around the globe to rate their lives on a scale of 1 to 10. On average, the Finns give themselves nearly an 8—which makes them the happiest people in the world.

    Finns also keep work and play in balance. Companies in Finland have to give workers five weeks of vacation. In the summer, nearly everyone takes off for a full month. Teachers also take it easy on their students. Finnish kids spend only three hours a week on homework. American kids, on average, do six hours a week.

    Are Americans working too hard? They might be. American workers get much less time off than Europeans. And year after year, the United States barely makes the top 20 in the World Happiness Report.

    Maybe we could learn a few things from the people of Finland. 

    In Finland, there’s time for fun. Workers there get five weeks of vacation. In the summer, most people take a month off. Teachers take it easy on their students too. Finnish kids spend only three hours a week on homework. On average, kids in the U.S. do six hours a week.

    Do Americans work too hard? They might. We get less time off than workers in Europe. And then there’s the World Happiness Report. Every year, the U.S. barely makes the top 20.

    Maybe we could learn a few things from the people of Finland. 

    Finns also keep work and play in balance. Companies in Finland have to give employees five weeks of vacation. In the summer, nearly everyone takes off for an entire month. Teachers also take it easy on their students. Finnish kids spend only three hours a week on homework—approximately half the average workload that American kids have.

    Are Americans working too hard? It’s certainly possible. American workers get much less time off than Europeans—and year after year, the United States barely makes the top 20 in the World Happiness Report.

    Maybe we could learn a few lessons from the people of Finland.