Slow life in Scandinavia

It’s early November and, although many Australians are making a beeline for the beach, I’m layering up from head to toe as the snow has arrived early in Norway’s capital, Oslo. Despite the limited hours of daylight in Scandinavia right now, Norway is marked as one of the happiest countries in the world due to the slow and conscious rituals Norwegians embrace that encourage a way of being with balance, ease and calm.

Connecting with cosiness

Hygge n. Danish & Norwegian “the practice of creating cosy and congenial environments that promote emotional wellbeing”

My first few days in Norway are spent in a plant-filled co-working space in Oslo where I find myself exposed to , the Nordic concept of cosiness. Root vegetables are roasting with rosemary in the open-plan kitchen-cross-office space and I am tasked with setting the table for lunch with an-esque candles. From candle-lit meals eaten together to staying warm with blankets and woollen socks, being cosy is integral to surviving Scandinavia’s cold, dark and long winters.