Our Swedish friends have passed more well-being wisdom our way. It’s called lagom (pronounced lah-gom), but is it really the next new lifestyle trend some make it out to be?
Lagom is about finding balance across all aspects of your life. It’s about consciousness and fulfilling your needs without going overboard. If you can find the happy medium, then you can live lagom.
Moderation is not mainstream
I find the idea of a happy medium, middle ground approach refreshing. As a young woman, I do feel the pressure to achieve and it appears I’m not alone.
Studies show that young women are increasingly feeling the pressure to be perfect. A 2009 study revealed that we are failing to reach our own high standards. By being hard on ourselves we are not finding balance. Lagom is not about being perfect all the time. It’s not about being the ideal mother or high-achieving friend. By living in moderation, you can reign in that drive to always be the best and breathe a sigh of relief.
But I do feel this begs the question, does lagom mean we should abandon our goals and just settle?
When Lagom gets criticised
In 2016 Britain borrowed a Danish trend called Hygge which became ‘a thing.’ When Lagom was touted as the new lifestyle trend to follow, it had its critics. Those not loving the Lagom lifestyle feel it ‘puts a constraint on self-expression.’ Sometimes you do need to apply the pressure and show off your big personality!
The idea of self-restraint is also a tricky area. I struggle with the idea of living in moderation. It’s a positive idea in some respects but could be conflicting. I worry that by trying to maintain balance all the time I would be applying a new type of pressure. During my research, I did get the feeling that this was yet another aspirational lifestyle that would be difficult to maintain. We all like to overindulge now and then and I wouldn’t want to feel guilty for doing it!
Tapping into lagom values
In the spirit of lagom I think I’m going to try and take it all in good spirits and apply some of the values to my everyday life. If it’s part of Swedish culture, then I respect that and I do believe there are learning moments here.
I don’t think I personally have enough self-control to take on a full lagom lifestyle but I will take away the following:
Trying to be more sustainable
A sustainable, balanced lifestyle is good for you and the environment. By making a conscious effort to not be wasteful you are channeling the lagom life. It involves planning meals, only buying what food you need and saving or re-purposing leftovers.
Less is more
I love to declutter and I think it’s a great away to realise how much stuff you own. As an online shopping enthusiast, I accept that I’m not ready to give up my e-shopping cart. I do however like the idea of being conscious of what I own. I have been guilty of buying the similar thing twice because I forgot I owned it! This is an area in my life that can benefit from lagom.
Finding balance
Now and then we all need a bit of balance. Whether it’s after a busy week at work or during a stressful time when you feel under pressure. From researching Lagom, I’m still calmed by the idea of finding balance. It says to me that you might not have achieved everything that you set out to that day but that’s okay.
Take it how you will, Lagom is currently getting a lot of attention which shows there are people at least interested in the practice. Will you be trying to live lagom? Let us know and share your thoughts in the comments below or tweet us @totmorganic.
This post was written by Fee, Marketing Executive at TOTM
