Mastering Finland

You may remember Matti, a Finnish-American from last week’s episode, and his tales of service in the Finnish Defense Forces. This week, we continue our conversation with a preview of Matti’s forthcoming book, 347 Mornings. At Mastering Finland, we are big believers in the power of stories to help people overcome difficulties and face tough challenges - we are often inspired by our guests’ stories and by the stories our listeners share. That is why we are so excited about Matti’s book, in which he recounts and reflects on his experience serving in the Finnish Defense Forces. By sharing his story, Matti hopes to make the path a little easier for those who come after him. To hear about Matti’s writing process, and for a discussion of the practical and societal benefits of Finland’s conscription system, give episode 37 a listen. Also, be sure to check out our new website, linked below.  Links: Matti's Startup Episode 36 - Matthew's Story & Military Service During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Joining Petra in this episode is a Finnish-American named Matthew (or in Finnish Matti) who moved from New Jersey to Finland in 2019. Matti received Finnish citizenship through his grandmother’s descent when he was a child, and moved to Finland in 2019 to complete a year of military service. During this time, Matti learned more about his own leadership abilities and his family’s culture. His unconventional time in the military was transformed when the COVID-19 pandemic began, complicating the normally by-the-book operations of the Finnish military. To hear more about Matti’s time in the army, give this episode a listen. Be sure to check out the links section below for more information about the Finnish military. Tune in next week to hear more about Matti’s life in Finland, and for a sneak peek at his recent book! Links: Finnish Defence Forces Conscription Information Training and Career Opportunities in the Finnish Defence Forces Coronavirus FAQ For Finnish Defence Forces

In this week’s short and sweet episode, Petra has a chat with Mehri, who is a contributing writer at Foreigners in Finland magazine. Founded by Mae Lehto, Foreigners in Finland is a local online magazine aimed at foreigners living in Finland. The magazine caters to an international audience and covers topics like lifestyle, food and drink, business, work, study, and traveling. Mehri’s areas of expertise are home and lifestyle, and you can read her work at the link below! Finally, in this episode we announce the collaboration between our podcast and the Foreigners in Finland magazine. We hope we can build a bigger community together and maybe even work on some bigger project together. You can also read an article about us and our collaboration on Foreigners in Finland's website. Press ‘play’ or visit our blog to learn more about Mehri’s role at Foreigners in Finland, and to hear our chat about the importance of international collaboration. Links: Foreigners in Finland Homepage (scroll down to subscribe to their newsletter) Foreigners in Finland December Issue

Welcome to our first episode of the New Year 2021! 2020 brought many challenges and we are looking forward to a chance to turn things around in 2021. However, with the Brexit transition period expiring at the end of the year, UK citizens may have a tough time doing just that. To offer some guidance on navigating the transition, we sat down for a chat with Mark, a UK citizen living in Finland. A desire to travel to the Nordic countries for some time off and a bit of snowy weather landed Mark in Finland, where he fell in love with the Finnish culture (and a Finnish girl!) and decided to stay. After building his own wilderness tour business, Mark’s life in Finland was turned upside down by the COVID-19 pandemic and the expiration of the Brexit transition period. Despite these hardships, Mark maintains a positive attitude, and a sense of gratitude for all that Finland has done to make the transition easier on UK citizens. To hear more about Mark’s experience fighting to remain in Finland, as well as a review of the steps you’ll need to take as a UK citizen living in Finland, give this episode a listen. If you are a UK citizen residing in Finland, be sure to take a look at the links below for resources regarding the Brexit situation in Finland. Links: https://migri.fi/en/brexit/en https://migri.fi/en/frequently-asked-questions

Petra talks to Dani, who had been struggling with her mental health during a process of job-seeking in Finland. In Dani’s words: ’I am a recently graduated expat who's looking for a job and living in Finland on borrowed time. The pressure and countless rejections resulted in a loss of motivation, imposter syndrome, and even depression. Come to think of it, I literally went through all 5 stages of grief.’ Tune in to hear how she managed to overcome the struggles, who helped her, and what kind of strategies has she been using to get a better chance on getting a job whilst keeping her sanity intact.

In this episode, we look through scientific lens on the impact of migration, and discrimination on mental health, and the representation of these topics in media. To learn more about these issues we spoke with Shadia Rask, research manager at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL). During more than a decade of work in the field, Shadia has contributed to important research impacting the lives of vulnerable individuals. She continues to work towards improving mental health services for all residents of Finland. Press play to hear Shadia’s take on the impacts of media representation on the stigmatization of mental illness, the need to increase accessibility to mental health services, and more. LINKS: Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare Homepage Recent Study Mentioned by Shadia on the Underrepresentation of Immigrants in Finnish  Mental Health Services and Rehabilitation Recent THL Mental Health Research

In this episode, we continue our mental health series with a foreigner’s perspective on mental health care in Finland. We reconnected with Davide from Episode 13 to hear about his experience overcoming anxiety and isolation through professional mental health support. Leaving behind the comfort of university life to start a career is challenging enough; for Davide, this transition was made more difficult by the loneliness of trying to find support and community in a new city. Finding the courage to reach out for help allowed Davide to find strength in vulnerability; now, he feels liberated from the anxiety that used to keep him up at night. LINKS: Headspace app Mental Health Finland (Mieli)

During these unusually stressful times, we could all use a little help improving our mental well-being. Whether you’re suffering from workplace overload or relationship woes, Mervi Lamminen’s easy access to mental well-being service is here to help! Auntie Solutions offers one-on-one video meetings with mental health professionals to help you keep your mental health in tip-top shape. To learn more about her company's mission, Petra sat down to talk with Mervi this week. Press play to hear about the importance of linguistic diversity in mental wellness services, the benefits of workplace mental health services, and more! LINKS: Auntie's Website Other Mental Health Care Services Available in Finland

Petra talks to an occupational health psychologist, Sinnu about mental health and the services available in Finland. Sinnu sheds light on the specific types of help one can receive, through what channel and the general costs. She also gives practical advice for mental health prevention and care, addressing issues that may arise specifically in the time of Covid and heightened social media usage.  LINKS MENTIONED:  Psykologiaa ja Kaikenlaista podcast Sinnu's website 

Katerina talks about her wedding woes in Finland and the last minute obstacle which unfortunately forced her to cancel her wedding! Find out what document she was required to present from her home country in order to marry her Finnish-Greek husband and how they were surprised to experience a not-so-smooth side of Finnish bureaucracy as foreigners.