#35: Creating Happy Memories with Meik Wiking
13th Oct 2019
This week on the podcast I’m chatting to Meik Wiking - who founded the world’s first Happiness Research Institute in 2011, in Copenhagen, Denmark.
He consults cities, governments and organisations around the world on happiness. He has advised the Minister of State for Happiness in the UAE, the state of Jalisco in Mexico and the city of Goyang in South Korea, among others. He holds a degree in business and political science and has previously worked for the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Happy memories are representative of connections and undoubtedly related to human health. You might think what has this got to do with food, diet or nutrition but these are multi-sensory experiences that cannot be separated from the enjoyment of living. This is why my motto has always been flavour as well as function - its who’s around the table as much as what’s on the table.
A summary of some of the tips that we spoke about on the episode
- To be aware of all your senses when you are happy - think about the tastes, the smells the environment, and who you are with
- Use and create happy memory triggers - such as an item or anecdote from the experience
- Create a memory 'dish' and theming an evening- when meeting up with friends or eating out
And don’t forget to check out Meik’s new book - The Art of Making Memories: How to Create and Hold Onto Happy Moments
Episode guests
Meik Wiking founded the worlds first Happiness Research Institute in 2011, in Copenhagen, Denmark. He consults cities, governments and organisations around the world on happiness. He has advised the Minister of State for Happiness in the UAE, the state of Jalisco in Mexico and the city of Goyang in South Korea, among others. He holds a degree in business and political science and has previously worked for the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He is the author of two globally bestselling books: The Little Book of Hygge and The Little Book of Lykke. Meik Wiking’s new book The Art of Making Memories: How to Create and Hold Onto Happy Moments was published 19th September by Penguin Life, £12.99 hardback. Links: https://humanetech.com/ ITV interview – Borgen incident https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNeRObFIFbc
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