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If you have not yet heard of Swedish lagom then you are in for a treat. Last year, the word of the year might as well have been hygge (the Danish word for a way of life around coziness). This year, I hope that lagom is your word of the year. Get comfortable, make yourself a cup of tea (or coffee or cocoa) and I will tell you why everyone needs to embrace a lagom lifestyle.
Pronounced lah-gum, lagom means “just right,” or “enough.” In other words, not too much or not too less, or even, “less is more.” Lagom is all about living a balanced life. I typically call this “simple living,” but lagom is more than that. It is about living a life that is less stressful, simpler, and above all; happier. While simple living is mostly about the how that we live, lagom often focuses on the why that we live. There is more of an emphasis on personal happiness, while simple living seems to focus more on contentment. Lagom is about finding a way of life that is just right for you.
Lagom may apply to anything from our digital life, to work, to home, to the way we spend our money, travel, and live our daily lives. While hygge is about appreciating life’s simple pleasures, lagom is focused around a complete lifestyle. It is a way of life.
Lagom is the love child of positive psychology and simple living.
Simple ways that you can bring more lagom into your life:
- Create set times for work and leisure. Strike a balance. While you’re working, work. While you’re relaxing, relax.
- De-clutter your living space. Lagom is all about living with enough, not too much.
- Rearrange the furniture in your living space to make your home feel less cluttered and have more flow.
- Be kind to yourself. Instead of saying, “should I do more? Should I work harder?,” ask yourself, “Have I already done enough?” Chances are, you have. Instead of pushing to do more, realize that Rome was not built in a day. You don’t have to do it all at once.
- Shift your mind set from over-achieving and accumulating to living a more balanced life with enough instead.
- Unplug. Make a commitment to giving yourself a digital time-off every day. It can be as simple as unplugging for lunch, other meals, when with friends or family, or for an hour in the morning or night.
- Keep everything digital, from televisions to cell phones, out of your bedroom. That is your cozy place.
- Simplify your wardrobe or create a capsule wardrobe. When everything has a place, is organized, and there is less to choose from, getting dressed in the morning becomes a much calmer and easier task.
- Take time in the morning to nourish your body and mind. It can be with a work out, a solid breakfast, a good book, a walk, or even meditation. Find twenty minutes of time (or more) every morning for you.
- Do something every day that brings you joy.
