I looked for happiness in the world’s most contented nation – and learned the importance of pessimism | Lucy Pearson

Yes, Finland has nature and saunas in abundance. But more important is an attitude I've found lacking in the UK

When I was invited to take part in a masterclass in happiness on the shores of Finnish Lakeland, a few of my friends expressed their surprise. But, Lucy, said one, you're one of the happiest people I know. What are you hoping to learn from the Finns? I suppose she had a point. I've always been one of those annoying, glass-half-full people - not the most obvious choice for a four-day trip designed to teach me why Finnish people are consistently rated the happiest in the world. But, ever the optimist, I gladly accepted.

We Britons have about 60 words for happiness: blissfulness, ecstasy, pleasure, delight ... The list is as varied as it is surprising, given that we only just scraped into the top 20 happiest countries in the world this year. Finns, who have been named the happiest nation for the sixth year running, are either onnellinen or iloinen. The latter roughly translates as joyful or glad: you might be iloinen that you're heading off on holiday. Onnellinen, on the other hand, speaks to the notion of being content with your life, rather than describing a fleeting feeling.

Lucy Pearson is a freelance writer, book blogger and host of The Bondi Literary salon