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the swedes are onto something
Too much of anything is too much. Yes, even the good stuff.
Coffee is delicious, but too consuming many cups will leave you anxious over nothing. Chipping away at personal projects on a daily basis can be rewarding, but overdo it and you could fall victim to burnout. A glass of wine may ease your nerves at a networking event, but one too many will see you suffering from hangxiety the next day. You see my point.
“Everything in moderation” sounds easy enough, but it really isn’t when the societal pressure to achieve, accumulate, and impress has never been more intense. Pretty much everyone I know is in the habit of using their evenings and weekends to stay on top of work, and most of us are guilty of engaging in the financially and environmentally destructive habit of buying things we don’t need.
After more than a decade of widespread overconsumption – rather grossly coined ‘the age of indulgence’ – many of us are sick of this unsustainable obsession. Instead of continuing down the never-ending path of consumption, many of us have begun looking for ways to declutter our lives to create space for what really matters. People everywhere are starting to become more intentional with their behaviours, picking up on trends like underconsumption and de-influencing to rely less on ‘stuff’ for our own happiness.
With these trends touted as improving our wellbeing, many will find mindfulness and gratitude meditations useful for slowing down and noticing all we have to appreciate. Old habits die hard, though, and these methods will require diligent practice to be effective. Could there be a way to train our brains to recognise that true happiness stems from simply having what we need?
Allow me to introduce you to lagom, a Swedish concept and way of life. Translating to “just the right amount” the word lagom promotes a sense balance in life by finding satisfaction in what we already have, rather than constantly yearning for more. Unlike de-influencing and ‘underconsumption core,’ it isn’t framed as a fleeting trend, but a lifestyle.
