Live your life the 'lagom' way

It may just beth enewhygg e–find your inner balance by adopting the swedish frame of mind

What’s the key to happiness? That’s a tough question without a simple answer. However, with a reputation for being the happiest beings on earth, it seems that Scandinavians may be closer to the answer than the rest of us. The Swedish word ‘lagom’ is the new wellbeing buzzword on everyone’s lips, following the popularity of the Danish word ‘hygge’ last year. Lagom is a very simple concept: to live a life of moderation. However, there’s more to it than just pinning a word on a Pinterest board. It’s a frame of mind that could benefit you greatly by helping you find your inner balance.

The wellbeing trend

There’s no denying that looking after your wellbeing is definitely on trend. For those of us who use social media on a daily basis, we constantly find ourselves surrounded by healthy hashtags, aspirational photos and motivational quotes for us to live by. It’s essential that we take care of ourselves, but where has this sudden surge in popularity for wellbeing come from?

‘Wellbeing has become a lot more important in the UK in the past few years,’ says Sharon Mccracken, sustainability life at home leader at Ikea UK and Ireland. ‘People are starting to realise that there is more to it than just exercising and eating well.’ As a result, we Brits have turned to Scandinavian cultures for guidance on how best to live our lives, and have introduced words such as hygge into our common vernacular.

‘One of the reasons that these trends have become so popular lies, in part, in the fact that, according to the World Happiness Report, Scandinavians are the happiest people in the world,’ explains Frida Harju, in-house nutritionist at health and fitness app Lifesum. ‘Trends such as lagom and hygge have become so popular because they provide insight into the Scandi way of life, promising comfort, wellbeing and contentment.’

We live in a world of excess everything, which can become overwhelming at times. So, it makes I think people like lagom because there is a trend towards less waste, and not overdoing things sense that we would try to emulate a way of life that has proven to lead to greater happiness. So what, exactly, does lagom mean?

What is lagom?

Whereas hygge is an emotional state of being that centres on feeling content and relaxed, lagom focuses on the importance of maintaining balance in all areas of your life. The word may have only recently started gaining traction in popular culture, but its origin stems all the way back to the time of the Vikings. ‘The word comes from the old Norse word “laget om”, meaning going around,’ says Brontë Aurell, author and owner of the Scandikitchen. ‘It originated when the Vikings were sharing mead, and it needed to go all the way around so that there would be enough for everybody – so, you’d only take a lagom amount.’ The lagom concept is very simple – not too much, not too little. It’s a way of life that Swedes have followed for many years, with people from around the world now beginning to follow suit.

Hygge and lagom, although commonly referred to in the same conversation, mean completely different things. ‘Hygge is about creating warmth and an inviting atmosphere within your home through accessories and furniture, whereas lagom is a lifestyle concept that determines the choices you make day to day,’ explains Sharon. By taking inspiration from lagon and making small tweaks to your life, there’s no reason why you can’t find happiness by adopting this Swedish frame of mind and living your life with a touch of moderation – not too much and not too little.

Finding your balance

Balance is something that many people strive for, but ultimately find difficult to maintain. However, with a little dedication, it is something that you can achieve. Embracing the lagom mindset could be the catalyst to making your aspiration of living a balanced lifestyle a new reality. ‘I think people like lagom because there is a trend towards less waste, and not overdoing things,’ says Brontë. ‘It can be having a lagom amount of lunch, a lagom dress or a lagom behaviour at home when it comes to food waste.’ Lagom isn’t a fixed construct. It varies from one person to the next.

While some lifestyle trends may come and go, lagom is a form of living that you can keep up in the long run – as long as you become more aware of the way you’re living your life and the changes you need to make in order to find your version of balance. ‘The concept itself is more permanent than a trend,’ says Frida. ‘To really understand and experience lagom, it needs to be applied to your everyday life over a period of time.’ You can apply lagom to your life in any way you choose, whether that be serving yourself better-sized portions for dinner, spending less time in the shower or reducing the number of hours you spend working overtime in the office. Why wouldn’t we take a leaf out of the Scandis’ book to live a better, happier life? You never know – you may just discover your own road to happiness.