Estonia offers itself up as post-2020 mental health recovery spot for ICT-talents

You’ve heard of hygge. If you’re a Scandinavia enthusiast, you may even have heard of friluftsliv. But are you ready for the lifestyle trend that’s so quintessentially Northern that the people who invented it don’t even have a catchy term for it, much like fish presumably don’t have a word for water?

It’s the Estonian phenomenon of “just sort of getting on with life, we guess?”

Triggered by the widely spreading adverse mental health effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, the small Northern European nation of Estonia is launching a campaign to help people shake off 2020 and recover emotionally by adopting the Estonian way of life.

“Skip 2020” campaign open to global IT specialists

The Estonian national foundation Work In Estonia launches the campaign “Skip 2020” which calls primarily IT specialists, who can work from anywhere,  to participate in the campaign to win free accommodation in Estonia for up to 6 months to work from here, while enjoying the beautiful and relaxing nature. The campaign aims to offer relief from the year 2020 in an emotional and comic way (characteristic to Estonians) while introducing the world to Estonia’s favorite pastimes that include forest and bog walks, cold water swimming, and a hot sauna combined with a refreshing dip in icy water.

Free accommodation close to nature

Known for their closeness to nature, this sparsely populated country is offering free accommodation in particularly calming environments to people who need a breath of fresh air and invigorating outdoor activities after a mentally taxing year.

2020 brought with it a surge in depression and anxiety, in addition to the global loss of life and jobs. While work is underway around the world to stop the spread and limit the effects of the pandemic, mental health has become a topic that many people can’t afford to ignore. Because plenty of research ties time spent in nature to improved mental wellbeing, Estonia wants to share its secrets for a healthy, outdoorsy life and further break down the stigma around discussing the mental health effects of Covid-19.

Digital government services

Aside from the abundance of untouched nature, the country also offers hassle-free, online-first government services and reliable internet coverage for efficient remote work even in the most distant corners of the Estonian wilderness. As such, the country is perhaps the poster child for rethinking life and work in a post-pandemic world.

How to participate in the campaign?

(1) go to the landing page https://workinestonia.com/step-into-the-future/
(2) write down your “only in 2020” moment. The one that made you want to cancel your free trial, unsubscribe, and skip to 2021.
(3) that’s all – now keep your fingers crossed for a win. Meanwhile, read the stories others have shared and upvote the ones you feel for.
(4) winner’s will be selected by Enterprise Estonia from the 10 most upvoted stories