From a coaching perspective, this lines up beautifully with models used in health and wellness coaching
- PERMA, particularly meaning, relationships, and accomplishment
- Self-Determination Theory (autonomy, competence, and relatedness)
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Let’s look at how they overlap, or differ.
1. PERMA = Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, Accomplishment
(You may have seen PERMA written with an extra P on the end. In many health and coaching contexts, that P refers to physical activity or physical health. We sometimes talk about this as Vitality — because movement, rest, energy, and recovery all contribute to how alive and capable we feel.)
Finland doesn’t maximise “positive emotion” — and that’s the point.
Where Finland scores strongly:
- Relationships → high social trust, low loneliness at community level
- Meaning → contribution to society is valued over individual status
- Accomplishment → mastery, competence, reliability (not hustle culture)
- Vitality → nature, walking, saunas, recovery built into life
Coaching insight:
Many clients chase feeling good. Finland shows wellbeing comes from life design that supports engagement, meaning, and recovery, even when emotions fluctuate.
2. Self-Determination Theory: autonomy, competence, relatedness (Deci & Ryan)
This model maps almost perfectly onto Finland.
Autonomy
- High freedom to make life choices
- Low micromanagement in work and education
- Strong trust = less surveillance
Competence
- Education focused on mastery, not constant evaluation
- Skill and reliability are socially rewarded
Relatedness
- Strong (but quiet) social cohesion
- Belonging without pressure to perform
3. Acceptance over avoidance: an ACT lens on Finnish happiness
One of the most interesting parallels between Finland’s wellbeing and ACT is the way discomfort is viewed.
Finnish culture doesn’t:
- Expect constant positivity
- Treat sadness or struggle as something abnormal
- Assume you need to feel good before you can live well
Instead, discomfort is simply seen as part of being human, not something that has to be fixed or pushed away.
This mirrors core ACT principles:
- Acceptance — making space for difficult thoughts and emotions
- Cognitive defusion — not being completely ruled by our inner stories
- Values-based action — continuing to live in line with what matters, even when life feels hard
People don’t wait until they feel better before engaging with life. They keep working, connecting, walking in nature, contributing, and showing up — with whatever emotions happen to be there.
That’s a powerful reminder for coaching:
A meaningful life isn’t about avoiding discomfort — it’s about learning how to move forward alongside it.
Meaning over mood
Finnish culture doesn’t chase happiness. Instead, it values:
- Enoughness rather than excess
- Contribution over status
- Reliability over performance
- Quiet resilience rather than emotional display
This reflects a more eudaimonic view of wellbeing — one that’s focused on meaning, purpose, and living well, rather than maximising pleasure.
For many clients, this idea can feel deeply freeing:
- My life doesn’t have to feel good all the time to be a good life.
- ACT-based coaching supports exactly this reframe.
A helpful shift for coaching conversations.
There’s an important lesson here for how we work as coaches.
Instead of asking:
“How can I feel happier?”
Finland quietly suggests a different question:
“How can I live in a way that aligns with my values, even when life feels uncomfortable?”
This gently shifts coaching away from:
- Fixing emotions
- Forcing positivity
- Endless self-improvement
And towards:
- Psychological flexibility
- Values clarity
- Choice and commitment
- Compassionate realism
It also reduces shame. When wellbeing is understood as something we practice, rather than something we achieve or maintain perfectly, people stop blaming themselves for being human.
Happiness isn’t loud
Perhaps the most important insight of all is this:
The happiest country in the world defines happiness as steadiness, trust, and meaning — not excitement or constant joy.
That’s a powerful counter-narrative in a culture that often equates wellbeing with productivity, positivity, or high energy.
As coaches, this gives us permission — and offers our clients permission — to rethink what “living well” really looks like.
There is much to be learnt from other cultures.
References
Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2017).
Self-determination theory: Basic psychological needs in motivation, development, and wellness. Guilford Press.
Hayes, S. C., Strosahl, K. D., & Wilson, K. G. (2012).
Acceptance and commitment therapy: The process and practice of mindful change (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.
Helliwell, J. F., Layard, R., Sachs, J. D., & De Neve, J.-E. (Eds.). (2024).
World happiness report 2024. Sustainable Development Solutions Network.
https://worldhappiness.report
(Data source: Gallup World Poll)
Seligman, M. E. P. (2011).
Flourish: A visionary new understanding of happiness and well-being. Free Press.
