How Living in Finland Impacted My View of Mental Health & Emotions
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- čas přidán 7. 09. 2024
- Since I've already talked about how living in Finland can be hard as a foreigner, in this video I'll talk more about the overall struggles I faced living there and how they changed my outlook on how I'd always been living my American life.
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Very important video, thank you Mikaela! ❤Personally I love the winter here in Finland! Lots of cool outdoor activities like cross country and downhill skiing, skating, ice hockey, snow shoeing, etc. Taking a walk in the snowy forest in the evening is simply magical. During the winter I am out and about every day and never suffer from any seasonal depression. On the contrary, the summers are difficult for me nowadays.. way too hot.
Love Finland 🇫🇮 from Russia 🇷🇺
I hope we could be a friends again one day. Peace ☮
As a Finnish person, i hope that too. But i feel that, we will never achieve permanent world peace and a permanent good world situation, because human has not allowed it (humans had time to do that over 300,000 years and many many humans before us have wish same thing, good world and world peace), because human is human's enemy number one.
I hate happy pills. I don't think they heal the underlying issue. I think happy pills should be used for temporarily bandaging the issue, and you start doing things to improve your life like improving diet and exercise, among other things.
Markus J. Rantala, a docent in evolutionary biology from University of Turku, has a great book called "The Biology of Depression", which you can borrow from Finnish libraries. Rantala has also published scientific articles - for example, in one of the abstracts of his articles, he lists the 12 causes for depression. The article is called "Depression subtyping based on evolutionary psychiatry: Proximate mechanisms and ultimate functions " and the causes he lists are as follows: We identify discrete depression subtypes that are induced by: 1) infection, 2) long-term stress, 3) loneliness, 4) traumatic experience, 5) hierarchy conflict, 6) grief, 7) romantic rejection, 8) postpartum events, 9) the season, 10) chemicals, 11) somatic diseases and 12) starvation.
Rantala says that before starting to work on healing your depression, you should first identify the underlying issue.
I live in the far North of Finland. When I arrived many years ago things were friendly but most needed drink to chat which being a once a week (if that) glass of wine with dinner or sauna cider person it was a situation I did not join in with.
Since Covid times the mental health of most of the people I know has plummeted, most are on meds and are quite frankly zombies, the fun has gone entirely and they dwell on sad experiences.
Myself I have found my social circles decrease to the point of not seeing anyone else apart from family for a month or more. I keep myself occupied with things like walking, camping, amateur radio, evening classes along with family life.
I feel overall mental health is very much in decline here.
Hey that’s what’s happening in Illinois/Chicagoland
As a finn I'm puzzled about this weather and different seasons thing because I like the summer, I like the fall, I like the winter, I like the spring. It might be just me.
From my point of view weather isn't a problem. Weather just is. 😊
@@karisalonen12 depends also where you live. And year also. Last year at the southern coastal area was like "oh, nice colors are starting to come...and puff" Ruska was basicly over in a week and next 3 months of gray rainy darkness.
@@EiraAimo the weather still just is. 😊 It will be there no matter what, just embrace it.
Well, the weather or seasons more precise are also similar in North half of Russia, Canada and Sweden & Norway, so..
In Finland SAD is a given if one has all the risk factors. Even reverse SAD (having the low in the summer) which is very rare isn't unknown. Mental health services are readily available on both public and private sectors, but getting oneself out of the pit of depression enough to enable seeking the help can be very hard. And that's just the start of the road to recovery, while therapy helps, its effectiveness is diminished while the worst stages are on. Medications take several weeks to do anything but exhibit all the side effects, and finding the right one can take years.
Great observations! Finns has always been seen as quiet and not talking about their feelings, which I find very odd. I don't know why is that. I liked your approach to the subject. For me as a Finn, it has always been the priority to go deep in the conversations with interesting people or with people you feel you can trust. Or sometimes with totally random people. That being said, I also like to have small talks if I have a feeling they might open up more deep connection.
Был такой человек Рудольф Абель... для вас он русский шпион, для нас он Вильям Генрихович Фишер - советский разведчик-нелегал, полковник. Так вот когда его запугивали смертной казнью в США, где он был пойман, у него спрашивали: Почему вы не боитесь смерти? Вам разве не страшно? А он любил повторять: А это поможет?) Вот со сменой настроения на погоду или сезонность та же самая ситуация, которая просто прорабатывается без всяких психологов, врачей и антидепрессантов! Если вы не можете влиять на погоду или холод зимой, а летом на жару... какой смысл об этом вообще думать и тем более как-то эмоционировать? Это просто бессмысленно! А для компенсации нехватки солнечного света зимой, достаточно просто чуть больше принимать витамина Е или продуктов его содержащих! А все остальное... психологи, врачи, антидепрессанты... это все надуманно! Человек в состоянии заниматься самооценкой, самодиагностикой, саморегуляцией и самосовершенствованием без посторонней помощи и психотропных препаратов! Это просто ваш выбор! Что касается того что тебе больше нравится в Финляндии, а именно социализироваться... То в этом нет ничего удивительного, просто как ты сама говоришь, в США общество очень управляемо... я объясню свою точку зрения! Людей загоняют в условия постоянного воплощения "американской мечты", это навязывают все, начиная от политиков, СМИ и заканчивая целями которые хотят ваши родители от своих детей! Все сводится к получению хорошей работы! Не денег, например с инвестиций, не построения собственного успешного бизнеса на оригинальной идее, в общем не к системе где вы получаете большой доход за малое количество времени, а к продолжительному труду где сами деньги уходят на второй план или вообще не обсуждаются! Как будто главная цель успешной реализации человека сводится к хорошему рабочему месту! В то время как вознаграждение за выполненную работу не так важно и оно постоянно обесценивается! Получается что вы работаете на нескольких работах, но обеспечить свои базовые потребности вам все сложнее и сложнее! Это кабала! Именно по этому и отчасти в силу твоего возраста тебе интересно поговорить не только о этой мнимой успешности американцев, но и на другие... социальные, культурные, духовные и прочие темы с людьми у которых есть время и опыт их обсуждать! У тебя как у любого молодого человека есть потребность в познании, в учении... мозг задает вопросы на которые ты не знаешь ответов и начинается интуитивный поиск!
О сколько нам открытий чудных
Готовят просвещенья дух
И опыт, сын ошибок трудных,
И гений, парадоксов друг,
И случай, бог изобретатель.
Александр Сергеевич Пушкин!)
Admitting to oneself that there is a problem, be it alcoholism, a physical illness or mental health issue, takes a lot of courage. If you make it to that admitting stage, you're already on a positive path. It seems to me as a Finn who's traveled a lot and lived abroad, that in Finland there is not SO much of that mentality of "keeping up appearances", maybe? Here you can more freely admit that everything's not A-OK, and that it's OK in and of itself, if that makes any sense. I think it is a good thing and let's people get back on track with their lives quicker. I think it actually somehow is linked to the Nordic tale telling tradition, as you mentioned: not all tales end well and "they lived happily ever after" and all that jazz. And I think that's a really important lesson to be learned as a child.
also i saw a saying on the internet attributed to Dostoyevsky maybe, that thinking in russian has to be somewhat anarchistic or something, seems like something somewhere on point
Thanks again for your insights, I really like hearing your thoughts as I think you make interesting points!
Few comments from my side: I have had few separate occasions lately where a foreigner has ended up in Finland and found it to be the perfect place to heal from burnout or other over-stress situation. Walking in the completely quiet nature has been a game-changer for them. Would you agree with that?
Secondly, your comments on being a work-a-holic; I don’t think that is something that is even respected looked up to in Finland, as it seems to be in the US. In general I think people here have this idea that working is just something you need to do to be able to fullfill your ambitions outside work. ”Life happens after office hours” kinda thing. Of course loving your job is important and not everyone thinks like this, but in general I think that is the case. As in US I think life revolves around work, your status and so on…?
Спасибо большое за новое видео! Очень интересно было! Лайк поставил! 🙂
Расплата за белые ночи летом - темные дни зимой. В Санкт-Петербурге самое грустное время - ноябрь и декабрь, когда дни становятся короче. После Нового года ощущаешь как день прибавляется и это добавляет радости. И ждешь, когда растает снег..
Да, в зимнее время жизнь сосредотачивается в домах, но все равно есть и зимние радости - ледовый каток, лыжи, сноуборды. Или, например, выкапывание машины из сугроба (у меня 4х4,мне не надо, у меня даже лопаты нет).
И всё равно Санкт-Петербург, на мой взгляд, лучший город на земле.
Микаэла, приезжайте в Санкт-Петербург! Неужели за время жизни в Финляндии не приезжали к нам?
Alchohol for northeners is just a means to cope with bad weather and long nights during winter season. To my mind, it's much better than antidepressants most of which are based on cocaine and make people addicted. Some people also use alchohol as a means to socialize. Sometimes, too much... I think, everything should to the measure. Living in Russia, as I do, sometimes it's hard to cope with nasty weather, especially the one like deep autumn just when winter is about to set in. I also believe, in order to make it easier though the autumn one should have a clean conscience, otherwise all those misdeeds you,ve done in your life all those wrong turns and etc, may come back to haunt you and for some there may be no escape... I know Americans don't believe mostly in those spiritual things, trying to explain everything with lack of sunshine, hormonal and chemical imbalances in one's brain, but it's so true here:)
Finnish summer is so short that it can build huge pressure to do "everything" because you know its going to end soon. Its like manic-depressivr by nature. You could sell a helicopter to fi nish person with phrase "Hey, summer is only once a year.."
have u taken up Tango ?? Was a 60 minute special on how Finns use Tango as a way to meet others cause they are "wound so tight" . Ditto for booze. Helps them "loosen up"....
I think there actually is more sport related activities, but maybe you didn’t find them. Seems odd that there only was couple kind of sports in uni.
Mikaela, you're so beautiful. I fell in love with you for first watching. Your telling is very interesting for me and it's helping to me to understand English. With love from russia❤
People in Finland are judged mostly by their caracter. So if you have a mental issue and work on fixing it, it's a good thing. Tobe able to fix an issue, you first have to find out the reason
Self improvement is to make yourself better both mentally and physically. Money is not the key to happiness, but will come to you once do are good at what yoy do, so focus on yourself first.
Also the mentality that you work your life to make yourself happy and fulfilled, instead of making your parents or spouse proud, is a big part of the culture.
There was a survay a while back in Europe, and to the question "My biggest goal in live is to make my parents proud" The big majority in Finland answered "No"...compared to the rest of Europe where the "Yes" was in some countries even past 90%.
The comments section was so overly revealing, as most finnish parents stated that if their kids would answer "yes", the have failed as a parent in teaching their kids to think for themself and follow their own path in life. As a parent myself, I stand with other oarent on this issue.
european roots call you 🚲🍷🧀
0:51 Russia does have a different attitude to money. In the USA, all meanings are directly linked to money. In business schools in Russia, they tell you directly that if you open a business to make money, it is a failure. Don't do that. Open a business to solve specific problems of people or other businesses, then there will always be money if you are useful and do good things for others. I suggest you look at these cultural differences through the lens of religion. The Protestant ethic says that if you are rich, you are pleasing to God. It doesn't matter how you earned the money. In Russian Provaslavism asceticism, modesty, justice are honored. In Russians it always matters how you earned it. If you are rich because you did not earn honestly - no one respects you and does not recognize you. The material side of life in Russia is not the main thing. If you know how to earn money honestly, you are good. If you demonstrate money as superiority over others, you are always a failure. As a difference of cultures, it is very clearly seen in sports. There is an American fighter Conor McGregor, there is a Russian fighter Fyodor Emelianenko. Both of these fighters are not poor people. But look how differently they behave. So you can see what I'm talking about.
Privet kak dela 😁
russians are quite a bit philosophical someone has said to me arent they
Микаэла, если вы боитесь ехать в Россию, то вам сам бог велел жить в Латвии или Эстонии. Эти страны похожи менталитетом с Финляндией. К тому же там большая русскоязычная община, как местная, так и новая, украинско - либеральная, да и просто там более разнообразная жизнь.
Самогон пьешь? И куришь крэк?😊