I tried Denmark’s No. 1 secret to happiness for a year—it made me happier and more confident

2025-07-05 13:15:01

For more than four years, I was a professor at the Joiseta College at Emory University. Before that, I worked in the world of companies in organizations such as Coca-Cola and IBM.

Recently, to work, I went to Denmark, One of the happiest countries in the worldTo teach a course called “Happiness Plan”. While you are there, I discovered what many people learned before: The hobbies are an integral part of Life in Denmark.

From cycling to sewing, I saw Danish find joy every day Outside work. When I returned to the United States, I thought the hobbies could be the solution to help me take a break from my type A.A. last year, I decided to put this theory on the test.

I ended up experimenting with 17 hobby for one year-bread, cold raid, collage, embroidery, golf, home house, horseback, jewelry, Magong, decoration making, drawing, pickles, pottery, climbing rocks, sewing, fence, and wood.

I got out of my experience, stronger, brave, and More confident. After a year, it changed mainly. Here is how:

1. I kicked my super usual

To provide space for my hobby experience, I had to find the time – something I assumed that my mother had no busy. Surprisingly, there were pockets of time everywhere, especially as soon as I gave up the evening habit to watch TV while working half and Doomscrolling On the second screen.

When your hands are covered with flour, carry the paint brush, or sweep the climbing wall, your phone is simply not available. I realized that I have more agency and less pressure when I was putting my energy towards learning new skills, instead of getting it through a algorithm on social media.

2. I learned how to put a reference signal on my joy for the future

I loved wooden work, but it comes with a huge startup and does not comply with young children under the foot. Therefore, her height. Ironically, a friend of a friend heard about my experience invited me to his network, and a few months later, wooden works were given another snapshot.

This time, instead of feeling exhausted, I realized that the wooden carpentry is a “non -right” hobby for me. I can photograph a future where children grow up, we store the garage with tools, and we build books shelves for our dream library together.

Try the hobbies even if it does not fit your current season. You can put a reference signal on it at a later time.

3. I realized that someone’s work is to reduce the other stress

As a mother of two young children, one of the most stimulating questions in my life, “What do we eat?” For me, anything in the kitchen is a job.

But when I spent time with Sophie, senior senior in Emori, I found that each of us found a mitigation of tension from different activities. she has , The bread was the farthest of the work. It helped her decipher her from grinding being a student.

In fact, I also found that bread was systematic and calming. The activity was calm in a way that was not my family’s preparatory dinner, and my efforts led to a delicious treatment in the end.

Once I thought about the hobbies in this light, I understood that DIY at home was a hobby for me, but she was working for others. If you do something constantly and find joy in it, continue to call it!

4. I have changed the definition of “self -care”

For a long time, I had regular plastic surgery, facial treatments, and eyelashes dates. I believed that self -care would make me more balanced, but it created tension than having to be in more places at specific times.

There is nothing wrong with a transverse trip to the nail salon, but after a few months of my experience, I realized that instead of identifying one of these dates in an attempt to calm my mind, I was re -directed all my energy and my time to my hobbies.

A general base has an echo with me that you need one hobby Your mindOne hobby of creativity, and one hobby to keep you in good condition. For me who became Mahajong, Home DIY and tennis.

5. I felt lower lonely

Facing America a Epidem of loneliness. But I will tell you who is not alone: the amateurs I met during my experience.

When I was invited to experience horseback, I saw how tightly governed the barn community. What surprised me is that people of all ages were collected by their love for horses. When I spent time with rock rocks, I heard how they switched road information until other climbers succeed.

Each group of amateurs has a society and they are active Forming relationships And the identities outside the work. My tennis team has about 20 mother. We have something like 53 children under the age of 13.

Being with my team mates is always a reminder that I have time to follow my hobbies.

6. She stopped her fear of little conversation

Every time I asked someone about his hobby, they surprised me. I was once talking to the Dean of Admission to Emory, whom I knew as a meaningless professional, when I participated in the weekends full of competitive sailing boats!

Once people heard about my experience, I was Relepery from a small conversation. Instead, I found myself in a deep conversation with others, and understood those who were at their core, outside the obligations.

Thanks to my year of my hobbies, I feel better in my life.

Entering a hobby is the No. 1 secret of happiness and balance

Often, I hear from my former students that they suffer Exhaustion. They told me that once they find balance at work, they will enter into a hobby.

Unfortunately, balance does not work like this. It is not a shiny pebble you find on your way to work. If you want to balance, the secret is to get a hobby. Of course, you will have to determine your limits: as a worker, as a father, and an individual.

My experience has ended, but the hobbies are still an integral part of my life. I am in a tennis team, I have a permanent mahjong game and learn golf alongside my children.

The other night, while lying on the bed, my 7 -year -old turned to me and said: “I have a lot of hobbies.” And when I knew, without question, I was modeling something very true.

Marina Cole He is an assistant professor of marketing at Goizueta Business College at Emory and P&S 40 under 40 Master Professors in Business Administration. She is the author of the alternative book “The professor is outside the service“To get more visions about the balance of work/life, search for Marina on Instagram Marinacoley.

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