5 Takeaways from The Art of Danish Living by Meik Wiking
“Live life today like there is no coffee tomorrow.
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If you’ve ever had a Danish pastry in Copenhagen, you’ll understand why Denmark consistently ranks as one of the happiest countries in the world.
Aside from delicious-tasting Kanelsnegles and Spandauers, there are many other things about the Danish way of living that you can learn something from.
The best-selling author Meik Wiking has done a lot to introduce his country’s philosophy to a wider audience with his books, The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way To Live Well and The Art of Making Memories: How to Create and Remember Happy Moments.
His newest book, The Art of Danish Living: How To Find Happiness In And Out Of Work, explores how happiness is closely tied to balancing our work and personal lives.
Meik's insights go beyond the terms ‘hygge’ and ‘lykke’, which he helped to popularise and dive into themes like trust, purpose, and the future of wellbeing.
Here are five takeaways from the book:
1. Trust is the foundation of happiness
Meik highlights how high levels of trust within Danish society contribute significantly to overall happiness.
Whether it’s trust in their colleagues, country leaders, or the national social systems, this sense of reliability and safety creates a strong foundation for both work and personal joy.
Tourists visiting Denmark for the first time are often shocked to see babies in prams left outside coffee shops while their mothers drink lattes.
High levels of trust are also present in Norwegian, Swedish, and Finnish societies, which also rank highly in happiness surveys.
Meik recommends that you “Build your own reputation of trust by being consistent, transparent, and dependable. Whether it’s in your workplace or your local community, trust is a key ingredient for feelings of good connection and effective collaboration.”
2. Finding joy in your work really matters
The book emphasises that finding joy in work isn’t just about loving what you do.
It’s also about feeling a sense of purpose and alignment with your colleagues.
Danish workplaces often prioritise autonomy, teamwork, and meaningful tasks to help with this.
Even if you don’t love your job, you can still find meaning if you “Reflect on what aspects of your work bring you joy or purpose. Maybe you can make small changes to bring your daily tasks more in line with what matters most to you?”
3. Freedom outside of work is just as important
Meik discusses how pursuing freedom outside of work—making time for hobbies, family, and relaxation—is a cornerstone of happiness.
Danish policies, like flexible working hours and generous parental leave, help to support this balance. The Danes are also great at sticking to set working hours and leaving the office at 4 or 5 pm every day.
Meik suggests, "Protect your personal time and set aside time to pursue what recharges and gives you a sense of fulfilment outside of your work role.”
4. The work-life balance myth
The idea of achieving the much-talked-about perfect ‘work-life balance’ is often misleading.
Meik argues that it’s less about balance and more about integration. Instead of dividing life into strict categories, it’s about finding harmony and flow between the two.
He suggests you “Reframe your idea of ‘balance’. Are there ways you can integrate your work and personal values, so they support rather than compete with each other?”
5. Redefining success and wellbeing
In the book, Meik challenges traditional notions of success tied solely to financial or professional achievements.
He encourages us to take a broader viewpoint that considers our well-being, relationships, and personal growth as true markers of a successful life.
It’s important to “Take a moment to think about what success means to you. Think about what really makes you feel that you’ve accomplished something and gives you a true sense of fulfilment. Now let that guide your decisions and goals for the future”.
Reading The Art of Danish Living might make you think about how some of Meik’s suggestions could reshape your work and life.
The book's ultimate message is that happiness isn’t about chasing an ideal but about making intentional choices, trusting others, having a purpose, and feeling free to shape your own life.
We’re such big fans of Meik and The Happiness Research Institute that we’ve made two courses with him: The Happy Course and The Even Happier Course.
Each is packed with interesting facts and figures about happiness, as well as practical tips for bringing more feelings of well-being into your life.
