Living a “lagom” lifestyle involves embracing a Swedish concept that is often translated as “not too much, not too little, just right.” This philosophy promotes a balanced, sustainable, and harmonious way of life. Lagom is a journey, not a destination.
If the journey sounds desirable to you, here are some tips to incorporate the lagom ethos into your daily routine:
- Know Yourself: Though not commonly included in the canon of lagom lifestyle content, I argue that the first step toward acheiving more balance is self-awareness. Knowing what is important and what makes you you—like personal values, strengths, and goals—helps calibrate the scale so you know what’s truly out of balance and why.
- Balance Work and Life: The Swedish work-life balance is a key aspect of lagom, emphasizing the importance of personal time and not overexerting yourself. Easier said than done, I know. This is one of the most common conversations I have with coaching clients, and the solution is often multifaceted and requires accountability mechanisms. But here’s one quick tip that might help: Set screen time limits, especially on work apps. Here’s how to accomplish that on iPhone.
- Live Sustainably: Be conscious of your environmental impact. This can mean recycling, composting, using public transportation, reducing energy consumption, or buying eco-friendly products. The idea is to use what you need without wastefulness. (I hear MGMT in my head singing, “take only what you need.”) It’s tough to improve your sustainability practices without awareness of where you stand. The Ecological Footprint Carbon Calculator is a quick way to gain that awareness.
- Prioritize Moderation in Consumption: Whether it’s food, shopping, or entertainment, practice moderation and avoid over-indulgence. Choose quality over quantity. This not only helps in reducing waste but also in appreciating what you have. One way to gain awareness of your current consumption is to see if your bank or credit card company offers a year-end overview of spending in various categories. Warning: This activity is not for the faint of heart, especially if you are a fan of meal delivery services.
- Declutter Living Spaces: Create a home environment that is functional, comfortable, and free of clutter. The Swedish design is often minimalist, focusing on what is necessary and functional, yet cozy and aesthetically pleasing. While Marie Kondo seems to be scaling back on tidying her physical space (perhaps embracing a lagom lifestyle herself), her litmus test is still compelling. If it doesn’t “spark joy,” it’s excess.
- Community and Social Wellbeing: Engage with your community and maintain a healthy social life. Lagom includes the idea of collective responsibility and wellbeing, emphasizing the importance of social connections and support networks. It can be really helpful to jot down a list of your communities (e.g., college friends, PTA, church group, neighborhood buddies, golf group). Which of those communities adds to your life? Which of those communities gives you energy and joy? Hop on the group chat and connect with those communities tonight.
- Prioritize Physical and Mental Health: Regular exercise and mental health care are important. This doesn’t mean extreme fitness regimes or constant self-analysis, but rather incorporating regular, moderate exercise and mindfulness practices into your routine. Many of my coaching clients have goals in this area, and here’s what seems to stick, as a rule: avoiding anything that feels like torture. It sounds obvious, but finding activities that are fun—or at least fulfilling—and making reasonable commitments (perhaps once per week) seems to set clients up for longer-term success.
- Appreciate Nature: Spend time in nature to reconnect and find balance. The Swedish lifestyle often involves outdoor activities and an appreciation for the natural world, which is seen as a way to find harmony and relaxation. Pro tip: Combine this with No. 7, and you’ve achieved a two-fer!
- Cultivate Contentment: Practice gratitude and focus on the positive aspects of your life. Lagom is about finding happiness in what you have and not constantly seeking more. I cannot overstress the value of regularly articulating or writing down what you’re grateful for. Gratitude is central to the lagom ethos in that it focuses on what we have rather than what we think we need. Gratitude has also been found to improve mental and physical health, promote better sleep, enhance resilience, improve self-esteem, reduce aggression, promote empathy, strengthen relationships, and improve work performance, among many, many other benefits. (See sources below for some light reading. Thank me later.)
Remember, lagom is not about perfection. Anyone who claims to be living a perfectly lagom lifestyle is likely missing the point. It’s about finding a personal balance that works for you, leading to a happier, more sustainable, and fulfilling lifestyle. Start with one small goal and build on once you’ve achieved some momentum.
Sources: Benefits of Gratitude
- Emmons, R. A., & McCullough, M. E. (2003). Counting blessings versus burdens: An experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(2), 377–389. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.84.2.377
- Wood, A. M., Froh, J. J., & Geraghty, A. W. A. (2010). Gratitude and well-being: A review and theoretical integration. Clinical Psychology Review, 30(7), 890–905. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2010.03.005
- Emmons, R. A., & Stern, R. (2013). Gratitude as a psychotherapeutic intervention. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 69(8), 846–855. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.22020
- Jackowska, M., Brown, J., Ronaldson, A., & Steptoe, A. (2016). The impact of a brief gratitude intervention on subjective well-being, biology, and sleep. Journal of Health Psychology, 21(10), 2207–2217. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105315572455
- DeWall, C. N., Lambert, N. M., Pond Jr, R. S., Kashdan, T. B., & Fincham, F. D. (2012). A grateful heart is a nonviolent heart: Cross-sectional, experience sampling, longitudinal, and experimental evidence. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 3(2), 232–240. https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550611416675
- Chen, L. H., & Wu, C. H. (2014). Gratitude enhances change in athletes’ self-esteem: The moderating role of trust in coach. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 26(3), 349–362. https://doi.org/10.1080/10413200.2014.889255
