☀️ Spring is here – get outside! After a long, dark winter, sunlight isn’t just a mood booster; it actually makes you think and remember better. More daylight means more dopamine and serotonin, which helps fight off winter blues. Sunlight on your skin also kicks off vitamin D production, strengthening your immune system. But here’s the catch: you need at least 30 minutes outside daily to get the full benefits. Even on cloudy days, stepping outside helps. So go for a walk, soak up the light, and let your brain and body recharge.
🧘 How to stay sane in uncertain times. If the state of the world is stressing you out, you’re not alone. Psychologists say it’s natural to feel uneasy when everything seems unpredictable. The key? Stick to your routines, eat well, and get enough sleep. Balance your news intake; doomscrolling won’t help, but neither will total avoidance. Set a limit, like checking the news just once a day. Talk to others instead of bottling up worries, and most importantly, remember: good things are still happening.
🤝 More people in Denmark are volunteering. In 2023, 40% of the population engaged in volunteer work, reversing a 20-year decline. More active seniors and short-term initiatives drive the trend, with volunteers averaging 18 hours per month. Informal help is also rising; 63% assisted neighbors or friends in 2024, up 10 points from pre-pandemic levels. Volunteers report higher trust in institutions, suggesting that giving back might just boost optimism.
🎨 Hobbies are making a comeback. If work thoughts still buzz in your head after hours or you can’t let go of your screen, you’re not alone. More people are turning to ceramics and knitting as a way to unplug and reset. The appeal? You can’t scroll while shaping clay, and following a knitting pattern forces you to focus. Experts say the trick to finding a lasting hobby is to embrace imperfection, revisit childhood passions, or do something for others.
🌱 Get your garden spring-ready. As winter fades, it’s time to give your garden some care. Start by preparing the soil; adding Garden Lime early helps it absorb nutrients and reduces moss in the lawn. Resist the urge to clear fallen leaves just yet; they act as natural fertilizer while worms do their work. If you’re eager to plant, go for ranunculus, primroses, or violets, which thrive in cooler weather.
🏠 Yes, your toddler can help set the table. And your 4-year-old? They can hang laundry. Giving kids chores isn’t about free labor; it’s about teaching them responsibility and making them feel part of the family. Experts say even 2-year-olds can clean up toys and carry their own bag, while 8-year-olds can cook a meal or walk the dog. The problem? Many parents hesitate to enforce chores, fearing conflict. But setting expectations early helps kids navigate emotions and understand their role in a community.
🚒 Crocheted comfort for kids in crisis. A new initiative by Trekantbrand aims to bring comfort to children experiencing traumatic emergencies. Instead of plastic helmets, handmade crocheted teddy bears will be given out by firefighters to help soothe and distract young minds from distressing situations.
🕊️ Helping widowed men through grief. Losing a partner can be overwhelming, and men over 65 often struggle to seek support. That’s why the National Grief Center is launching Søndagsklubben: a space where widowers can meet over everyday activities like cooking lunch, with conversations about grief happening naturally. Studies show that widowed men face higher risks of loneliness and hospitalization, especially in the first year after loss.
🎃 Halloween beats Fastelavn among kids. While schools across Denmark celebrated Fastelavn this week with the traditional “slå katten af tønden,” most kids don’t see it as a big deal. A new survey shows that 61% prefer Halloween, while only 6% choose Fastelavn. The reason? Halloween is scarier, lasts longer, and involves more fun activities like trick-or-treating and haunted houses. And despite the ongoing political tension with the U.S., kids aren’t connecting Halloween to American influence.
🌍 Hitchhiking from Copenhagen to Australia on 35 DKK a day. After 130 days on the road, two Danish travelers have made it through Europe, Central Asia, and Singapore, relying on lifts, shared meals, and the kindness of strangers. They’ve been welcomed into homes, worked on farms, and made friends in places where hospitality is a way of life. But their journey has left them wondering: why isn’t it like this in Denmark? Experts point to the welfare state, where trust is placed in systems rather than neighbors.
📺 New DR series revisits Denmark’s role in slavery. “Slave af Danmark” dives into the country’s colonial past, blending historical facts with dramatization. The series focuses on Denmark’s most intense period of slavery in the late 1700s, using expert research, court records, and personal accounts to portray both the enslaved and the powerful plantation owners. While some creative liberties are taken, the goal is clear: to bring a complex and often-overlooked history into the spotlight.
