Finland, deemed the happiest country in the world for the sixth year in a row, wants to share with you its secret to living a happy life.
The country’s tourism board announced a four-day retreat for 10 lucky applicants to immerse themselves into the Nordic country's culture and lifestyle. The retreat encourages the applicants to follow their “inner Finn.”
The Visit Finland website says your experience will be about “themes such as nature crafts, food for the soul and body, exercise in forests and lakes, calming sounds and music and the Finnish way of life in general. All this takes place in exclusive sessions with Finnish experts working as your personal coaches.”
The website where you can apply says that anyone over the age of 18 is eligible for the experience. They prefer for people to be fluent in English and are private individuals not looking to promote a brand or company.
In addition to filling out the application, they ask that you fulfill their social media challenge by posting on TikTok or Instagram explaining why you want to take the master classes and “what things make you believe you may be secretly a Finn.”
Others who are not able to travel to Finland and experience the retreat in person will have access to a virtual tour of the retreat this summer in hopes of spreading happiness to a larger audience.
Oracle News shared a global report on happiness. The report found that “45% of people have not felt true happiness for more than two years. ... 88 % are looking for new experiences to make them smile and laugh. People are prioritizing health (80%), personal connections (79%), and experiences (53%) to gain happiness.”
Heli Jimenez, senior director of international marketing at Business Finland, said of the retreat, “A question we often get is: ‘How are you so happy?’ We believe Finnish happiness stems from a close relationship with nature and our down-to-earth lifestyle: it’s not some mystical state, but a skill that can be learned and shared.”
He continued, “Now we want to help people find and master that Finnish state of mind. We’ve chosen the best coaches, one of the most breath-taking resorts in Finland, and a time in the early summer amid the beautiful Finnish nature for our master class. We feel it’s a really unique opportunity to discover something wonderful and valuable: Anyone curious should definitely apply.”
Participants will have their own private housing with their own personal spa and sauna to relax in.
According to NPR, “Because the program emphasizes good sleep and a digital detox, organizers say, the villas have no TVs (though in-room WiFi will be available) and even the bedding has been approved by sleep specialists.”
The experience encourages participants to wind down and reduce technology usage.
The master classes will be completely free for participants and are set to take place June 12-15. Travel days are not included in the four-day experience and Travel Finland will be filming the program to advertise the kind of experiences tourists could have when visiting their country.