How to cope with home isolation like the Finns

Others try it too hard. These people though find it very natural!

We are talking about the Finns. And how they respond to extreme situations like this one with the coronavirus. Yeah, yeah, we don’t want to talk about that. It is a serious public health issue and you should only listen to the scientists, experts and local authorities.

But today, we got some inspiration from our friend Varpu, from the most popular blog about Finland, Her Finland.

She wrote about how Finns should avoid catching the virus, based on the local authorities instructions.

This is a positive story, on a lighter tone, yet true. We all need to cheer up a little bit these days and see things from their bright side.

So, how natural do the Finns find it to take all these precautionary measures to stop the spread of the virus? Read on!

Trust

Finns trust institutions a lot. Like a whole lot. They are among the people who trust institutions like the government, the parliament or the police, the most.

This is good and has always been a win-win situation in Finland. People trust the authorities and authorities stay assured that people follow their instructions in case of an emergency.

Finns regularly check their phones and the internet for the latest news and instructions about the coronavirus and how to stop it from spreading further. Job is done! Easy peasy!

No panic

Despite the emergency, life runs smoothly (until further notice). People remain calm and don’t panic. They don’t feel the rush to go to the supermarket and empty the shelves.

This is a crisis and staying calm can really save the day. They follow all the personal hygiene instructions and even continue to travel, always within the limits authorities have placed as to the travel ban to certain countries.

Personal space

This is something that is almost inherent in the Finns. Ingrained into their DNA. They value personal space. Literally. They will never get too close to you if they want to talk to you.

At the bus stop, there is usually a queue with commuters standing at least 1,5 meter apart from each other. Hugs and kisses in meetings? Meh! Handshakes? Usually yes but OK, no big deal.

These were a couple more times when Finns won’t get too close to people they hardly know. Too much intimacy? Meh… for the Finns. Good news for the health system!

Low illness tolerance level

Feeling sick? Stay at home. Fever? Definitely home. Don’t even think of going to the office. It’s contagious and disrespectful. Coughing or sneezing? The same. They are a perfectly good reason to stay away from work.

In general, there is a very low tolerance for situations like this. And for the Finns, it is also a win-win situation. You don’t spread the viruses around, so people are more healthy and happy. Productivity is up!

Easy peasy for the Finns, right? And then they have their sisu, that inner strength and perseverance to endure all the difficulties and stay afloat. They may not be able to travel far far away as they love to do, but hey, wait!

Finland is a vast country, very sparsely populated. So they have the opportunity to enjoy their short breaks or holidays anywhere around the beautiful Finnish nature. By the lakes or the rivers or on the coasts of the Finnish archipelago. And they won’t miss the chance.

Image: Mikko Nikkinen / Visit Finland