Hygge and lagom– wellness the Scandinavian way

Hygge, lagom, fika, sisu … These words characterize wellness the Scandinavian way. Nordic lifestyle concepts from Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Finland are taking the world by storm.

Scandinavian people are consistently ranked by the UN as one of the happiest nations on earth, and the Scandinavian countries top the list of the best states to live in. That’s why Nordic lifestyle concepts are taking the world by storm. Let’s see why that is so and what we should learn from them.

Scandinavian holistic balance

All these concepts are about finding the balance in life and beauty. Scandinavian women have a very holistic approach to life and beauty trying to find the balance in all the important aspects of health and lifestyle: exercise, diet, makeup, beauty care, and socializing are all connected. They embrace all things in life as intimately interconnected and explicable only by reference to the whole. Spending hours outside in fresh air, eating healthy food, and being active is built into the traditional Scandinavian lifestyle. It’s what the Scandinavian women have and do that the majority of the world doesn’t.

Hygge, lagom, fika and sisu – wellness the Scandinavian way

Hygge, lagom, fika, sisu and more unfamiliar words describe the Scandinavian lifestyle. What do they really mean? What is the difference?

All of them are about appreciating the simple things in life. Instead of looking inwards as in a traditional meditation, they are centred on looking outwards, restoring yourself socially and having small pleasures and indulgences every day. Work, life and everything in between is delicately weighed out. It’s not being concerned with perfection; it’s all about appreciation and living life happily, but not necessarily by the book.

While hygge is about creating a cozy and comfortable environment in which one feels content, lagom is about finding a more manageable, comfortable, balanced way of doing things. Sisu is about determination, a drive to stick with something, to see it through. More than just a commitment to an idea, sisu means to fight for something even if the odds are against you.

The biggest secret of Scandinavian beauty

According to Scandinavians, nothing contributes to female beauty more than quality time spent alone or with friends and relatives. An evening with a book and your favourite aromatic tea, a walk through the snow-covered forest with your dog, or a weekend with your loved ones are moments that boost the happy hormones productions that help us resist stress, and therefore improve our overall health.

Millions of Scandinavian women enjoy a healthy work-life balance, low stress levels and more time for the things they love. If you want to change your life for the better too, learn Scandinavian principles of thinking.

Hygge

Hygge is probably the most known Scandinavian lifestyle concept that embraces positivity and enjoyment of everyday experiences. Hygge is a feeling closely associated with relaxation, happiness, contentment and harmony with oneself, no worries or excitement in it.

This Danish and Norwegian word means feeling content with the present moment and finding joy in the simplest things in life – reading a book by a fireplace, adding a woven blanket on your couch, setting candles on the windowsills, walking a dog in the forest or having a cup of tea with close friends. Instead of looking at daily life as something routine, Scandinavians turn it into something to enjoy.

Hygge is when you enjoy life with friends and family, enjoying the current moment and not thinking about the future. The moments, when you are not in a hurry to switch from one activity to another. The moments, when you enjoy the comfort of your home and understand that you are safe and can relax.

Lagom

Lagom is a sort of the Swedish equivalent of hygge meaning “enough, sufficient, adequate, just right.” The balance between work and play or time spent together or alone – not too much or too little but just right. Balance and moderation.

No need to kill yourself with a 60-hour work week and get stressed. In Sweden there is a saying “Lagom är bäst” that means “The right amount is the best”, but it can also be translated as “In moderation is wisdom”.

You are probably already practicing lagom in many aspects of your life. However, for Swedes, lagom is a way of life, a mindset. They live lagom by default. And this is the secret of happiness: don’t bother too much.

While hygge is all about staying in with family (and potentially never changing out of your cashmere pyjamas), getting cosy and chatting with friends in a coffee shop, lagom is about balancing colors, textures, and natural elements in your home.

Sisu

The word “sisu” comes from a Finnish root meaning “inner”. In Finnish culture, it means constancy and determination, a drive to stick with something, to see it through. It’s not momentary courage, but the ability to maintain courage in oneself. It defines the Finnish people and their character. It denotes the philosophical idea that everything that needs to be done will be done even if the odds are against you.

Sometimes this worldview is called stoic determination, perseverance and endurance. It is a form of courage that comes out in situations where people succeed no matter what. To live according to the philosophy of sisu means to achieve what you want, even if it is very difficult.

Fika

Fika is a break in the day, a time to have a cup of coffee to recharge and to reset the mind. Fika helps to be productive, to feel better and to be more efficient throughout the entire day.

According to statistics, the Swedes drink more coffee per capita than in any other country, and it is not by chance that the fika tradition has developed here – a coffee break, which has its own characteristics and important aspects. Alone or in a company, outdoors or indoors, traveling or at home – Scandinavians will always find time and opportunity to put aside all their business and drink coffee, supplementing it with pastries or sweets. It’s their way of achieving harmony, slowing down the frantic pace of modern life and giving yourself a little pleasure. This custom is so important that the time for it included in every schedule, even in the most official one.

Balance in every aspect of life is at the core of Scandinavian culture that makes people happy, healthy and beautiful.