Is it difficult to make friends in Finland? Previous studies into the subject have found that newcomers often report feelings of social isolation.
We explore different paths to combating loneliness — from joining groups and activities to visiting the local dog park.
Listen to the episode via this embedded player, on Yle Areena, via Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
Big life changes and transitions often lead to circumstances where people experience loneliness, according to HelsinkiMissio, a group working to combat loneliness.
"When we have a friend or support person, we take it for granted. But when we lose one, we really know how it affects our health and wellbeing," Maria Lähteenmäki of HelsinkiMissio told the show.
The group's findings indicate that a tenth of the Finnish population experience prolonged loneliness, but that number rises to one in five among young foreign men, according to public health authority THL.
This week's guests suggested harnessing the power of collective interests when it comes to making new friends. Mustering up the courage to get out to meetups could foster some real connections.
"It's not only for immigrants. There were a lot of local Finnish people who also feel very lonely and they actually found their place here," explained Alaa Altamimi of community group MIITTI, which runs activities in Helsinki.
Joel Willans of the Very Finnish Problems franchise said he didn't subscribe to the idea that it was particularly difficult to get to know people in Finland.
"All the cities are quite small. So you can bump into someone and you can bump into them again accidentally on the street — that would never happen in London," he said.
Dogs can also improve your social life, according to Willans.
"The most shockingly easy way of meeting people so far is getting a dog and going to a dog park — suddenly everyone is chatting with everyone."
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This week's show was presented by Miyuki Jokiranta and Zena Iovino. The sound engineer was Juha Hjelm.
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