🇩🇰 Two Months in Denmark: Notes on My Work/Lifestyle Experiment 🇩🇰 ​ I lately returned to Estonia after spending two months residing in Copenhagen. Surrounded by stunning structure and…

🇩🇰 Two Months in Denmark: Notes on My Work/Lifestyle Experiment 🇩🇰

I lately returned to Estonia after spending two months residing in Copenhagen. Surrounded by stunning structure and world-class cafés, I used the chance to experiment with a really totally different manner of working and residing.

🏢 A 4 p.m. workday really labored

At the coworking house Republikken, I seen that Danish individuals actually did end work and go away at round 4 p.m. Yet Denmark nonetheless ranks among the many world’s most efficient economies.

Having grown up with Japan’s hard-work tradition, I made a decision to strive working from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. for one month.

Surprisingly, every thing by some means labored!

The fixed deadline inspired me to shorten conferences, modify what “finished” meant, and resolve which duties to not do. It made me notice how usually I had labored slowly just because extra time was out there.

Exploring Copenhagen after 4 p.m. additionally made peculiar weekdays really feel nearly like weekends. Back in Estonia, I want to end essential work by 4 p.m. and use some evenings for the entrepreneurial tasks and PhD analysis that genuinely excite me.

🧖♀️ Hygge provides gradual moments a shared title

“Hygge” is tough to translate exactly, so I requested a number of Danish individuals what it meant to them.

One household described watching a film collectively beneath a blanket throughout a winter storm. A developer described studying at his favourite café after work. A graduate scholar mentioned it was strolling beside the river with buddies within the night.

They have been all small, gradual moments inside peculiar life. Giving these moments a reputation appeared to assist individuals acknowledge and shield them.

It jogged my memory of the Japanese sauna time period “totonou.” Once the expertise had a shared title, the cycle of sauna, cold-water immersion, and relaxation turned a part of well-liked tradition. I additionally wish to grow to be extra intentional about defending the quiet moments that matter to me.

💴 The weak yen made me take into consideration exports

Denmark was costly, however what stood out much more was the weak point of the Japanese yen.

When I began my import enterprise, one euro was round JPY 130. It is now roughly JPY 187, rising our yen-denominated prices by greater than 40 p.c.

At the identical time, this made me wish to discover the wrong way: exporting Japanese crafts, corresponding to glassware and woodwork, to Europe. I plan to start as a small private undertaking, so I might love to listen to your concepts.

🇪🇪Returning to Estonia with recent eyes

After 9 years in Estonia, my routines and relationships had grow to be comfy but additionally extra mounted.

Living in Copenhagen jogged my memory to rethink which moments I wished to embrace and which sorts of labor genuinely excited me. Now that I’m again in Estonia, I’ve left the workplace that I had been in for 5 years and moved into a brand new house as a recent begin.

I’m already contemplating staying overseas for a couple of months subsequent 12 months. If you might have any suggestions, please let me know!