What Denmark, the Netherlands, and the World’s Longest-Living People Know About Happiness
This is just one of many beautiful Dutch streets I frequented while living here as an expat - talk about gezelligheid!
Gezelligheid, Hygge, Blue Zones, and the Analog Life
Across cultures, people have found ways to describe a feeling that is difficult to translate but easy to recognize: a deep sense of comfort, connection to others, and presence that feels rejuvenating. The Dutch refer to it as gezelligheid. The Nordics call it hygge.. In certain long-lived regions of the world, researchers talk about Blue Zones. And in modern American culture, a growing social media movement calls it the analog lifestyle.
At first glance these ideas might seem unrelated. One is a Danish word, another a Dutch cultural concept, a third a research title, and the last a lifestyle trend made famous by TikTok. But look closer and they all point toward a similar human truth about wellbeing.
While each concept emphasizes different elements, together they form a powerful reminder that happiness and health do not come from overstimulation, immediate gratification or constant entertainment. Let’s break it down further.
Gezelligheid: The Dutch Spirit of Atmosphere & Belonging
The Dutch concept of gezelligheid is famously difficult to translate (and pronounce). It can mean cozy, sociable, inspiring, welcoming, or simply “a good atmosphere.” But the word captures more than just those things. After living in the Netherlands I like to think it’s about the feeling of being deeply connected to people and a place at the same time.
My favorite gezelligheid moments as an expat would be sitting out on a crowded terrace with my favorite people, sipping glasses of wine from a shared bottle just as the sun began to settle across the river. The dinner would stretch late into the evening thanks to good conversation, often spilling us into busy cobblestoned streets with music peaking through cafes that lured us in for a nightcap.
Or the COVID-19 days when we’d convene in each other’s homes with baked goodies and a costume (because it was always a themed event to shake up lockdown boredom), sharing food we made from scratch and belly laughing at memories made on travels past.
Or simply biking together through the city to run errands. These were effortless gezelligheid moments.
My first year back in the United States was tough. I craved the environmental part of gezelligheid despite having my closest friends within arms reach again. Feeling a cozy sense of warmth and inspiration is a bit more difficult to do when you go from pedestrian-only historic alleyways like the one pictured above, to parking decks and picnic tables. And yet, much of my disdain was in my mindset. I had to learn, and am still learning, how to emphasize gezelligheid in people and find the beauty that does exist around me. Luckily, the concept of “hygge” was something I learned shortly after my move back which made gezelligheid feel way more within my control, primarily because hygge starts at home
Hygge: The Nordic Art of Comfortable Living
Denmark, Norway and Finland are known for having the “happiest people on earth.” A word called hygge is likely responsible. The guiding principles of hygge make harsh, dark and frigid winters magical, serene and even desired in these parts of the world. Hygge describes a feeling of coziness, peaceful ambiance, enjoyment and togetherness. It often looks like candles lit on a winter evening, soft music in the background, a crackling fireplace and something baking in the oven. Hygge can also be a long dinner with friends or a pleasurable outing on a cold day. It isn’t about luxury or aesthetics, although fashionable lamps and fuzzy throws are sooo hygge compared to bright overhead lights and bare couches. At its core, hygge is about creating spaces and moments with others that encourage calm and connection.
People practicing hygge deliberately slow down and savor simple experiences like moody lighting, tasteful decor, potlucks, story swapping or simple hobbies. This cultural mindset is often cited as one reason Nordic countries consistently rank high in global happiness surveys. Hygge promotes rest and social bonding in a climate that begs for it. Rather than secluding yourself away and rumbling against the winter, Nordics embrace Winter and lean into the magic it can create inside their homes and communities.
Hygge is one thing I have loved cultivating since being stateside again. Although the Carolinas don’t experience harsh winters, I savor the colder months because of the cozy feeling I get to play up inside my home. In the spring and summer I bask in sitting on our string-light lined deck enjoying the ambiance as much as the company I have over. While gezelligheid is a reaction to an atmosphere that is naturally inspiring, hygge is the outcome of making that atmosphere cozy and inspiring.
Blue Zones: Cultures of Longevity
Unlike hygge and gezelligheid, the concept of Blue Zones comes from research rather than language. These are regions of the world where people live significantly longer than average (I’m talking 109 years old, and still horseback riding!), which include Okinawa in Japan, Sardinia in Italy, Ikaria in Greece, Nicoya in Costa Rica, and Loma Linda in California.
Researchers studying these communities discovered that longevity, health and happiness wasn’t driven by one single factor but by a pattern of pretty obvious lifestyle values embedded in everyday culture. These rather simple yet hard to come by daily rituals of living include frequent exercise and natural movement, having a sense of purpose (or “Ikigaia” as the Japanese call it), consuming whole foods, prioritizing family and friendships, being present, soaking up the sun and having traditions rooted in faith or spirituality.
In Blue Zones, wellbeing is woven into the structure of life itself: Meals are pretty much always cooked at home. Meeting up with friends to play cards or chit-chat is more common than binging a TV series. Elders are valued members of society rarely excluded from daily happenings. Sunlight is seen as a cure to most ailments. Trust is placed in a higher power bigger than one’s self. Blue light glasses are not nearly as crucial because screens are reserved for work rather than fun. And fitness is achieved naturally from trekking across rough terrain, gardening and not relying on robots for housework.
I’ve been attempting to “blue zone” my life for the last year. The easiest switches have been ditching DoorDash to cook every meal at home, taking my bike to work and spending more time with friends. The hardest switch has been limiting my screen time to be more present. I try to read, breathe, stretch or play with my dog when I have down time, but grabbing for the phone continues to be the hardest habit to kick. Luckily, I recently discovered the “analog lifestyle” thanks to my phone use, which just might inspire some new strategies to get off of it.
The Analog Lifestyle: A Modern Return to Presence
The analog lifestyle is a relatively new term thanks to social media. As screens increasingly dominate modern life, many people are experiencing digital fatigue and craving unplugged activities, often nostalgic ones like scrapbooking junk found around the house, doing puzzles, baking banana oat pancakes or making crowns out of grass and daisies. Essentially, the random activities our brains came up with as 90s and 2000s kids when we were bored out of our minds is what our nervous systems are craving now. There is nostalgic comfort in these simple, whimsy activities. Analog living is also naturally stress reducing because of its grounded nature. Tactile, creative, and slow experiences like crafting, journaling and playing outside help us stay connected to ourselves, each other and the world around us.
Endless brain rot, doom scrolling and TV series binging are fun and dopamine-inducing in the moment, but in the long run make us feel more stressed, insecure, tired and “hooked” on the screen like an adult pacifier or slot machine. Analog life, on the other hand, helps us reclaim our attention spans and feel more sustained joy in daily life.
And notably, many analog activities recreate the same Hygge or Gezellicht conditions that also exist naturally in Blue Zone communities.
Bringing These Ideas Into Our Own Lives
We don’t need to live in Denmark, the Netherlands, a Blue Zone or time travel back to 2004 to adopt pieces of these philosophies. Small shifts can create meaningful changes in how we experience daily life.
You might experiment with:
Hygge-inspired evenings: Light candles, cook a meal, turn off the “big light” and plug in a lamp, and invite friends to linger around conversation, music and a game.
Gezellig gatherings: Prioritize shared experiences in scenic places that create warmth and belonging. Maybe it’s a local park picnic as the sun sets, or your favorite cozy coffeeshop or a room in your home that people naturally gravitate to.
Blue Zone habits: Drive less and walk more, eat whole foods, include older people in your life, invite your friends over, ditch the screen, garden and cultivate a sense of purpose or connection to the great beyond.
Analog time: Go screen-free and see what naturally spawns out of your boredom. Maybe it’s a random chore or a silly game or a creative project. Let your whimsy come to life without that blue light distraction.
These practices aren’t about perfection or productivity. They’re about reclaiming the quiet spaces where wellbeing naturally grows. Sometimes the secret to a better life isn’t a new invention or a new purchase, or even more therapy. Maybe it’s remembering the rhythms that cultures around the world have successfully practiced for generations and that we used to naturally do before social media.
Juliet McGee, LCMHC (Licensed therapist in Charlotte, NC and practice owner)
juliet@greyembraced.com
