To replace hygge: lagom, sisu and other secrets of Scandinavian happiness

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-13 00:26

Hygge is slowly going out of style, but the Scandinavian countries have something to offer instead.

Gluggavedur - cozy Icelandic weather

The Icelandic concept of gluggavedur has no literal translation, but literally it means "window weather", that is, the ability to enjoy the weather.

Gluggavedur is when you look out the window, and there is such a weather that it is much more pleasant to be on this side of the glass than on the other.

But Gluggavedur is by no means an annoyance for bad weather. On the contrary, it is the pleasure of being able to sit at home, drink hot drinks and watch the wind rage, rain knocks on the window, thick snow falls, tree branches are covered with frost from frost.

In general, it is a very familiar and understandable occupation for the majority of the inhabitants of Russia. But in order not just to look out the window, but how to properly observe the Gluggavedur ritual in Iceland, it is important to take care of the correct design of this window. At IKEA, for example, with the growing popularity of Gluggavedur, they have developed a whole range of window designs, including curtains, blinds, plant pots, candles and other decorative elements.

Because just looking out the window at bad weather is just looking out the window at bad weather. But if you are sitting on a wide windowsill, comfortably sitting on a pillow and wrapped in a blanket, drinking mulled wine, petting a cat, candles are burning next to you, and bad weather is raging outside the window - this is a real gluggavedur.

Lagom - Swedish moderation

The word lagom is Swedish, but the concept itself is universally Scandinavian. Lagom means not too much and not too little - just as much as needed. And this applies to absolutely everything: from coffee to candy, from clothes to cars and the weather. Lagom is the golden mean.

Lagom is something opposite to the modern crazy world, the rhythm of life in which a person rushes like a squirrel in a wheel and rushes from one extreme to another. Lagom is healthy eating instead of alternating gluttony and dieting, it’s a daily exercise instead of one-time trips to exhausting workouts, it’s relaxation with family or friends instead of Saturday drinking in a bar.

Lagom means not doing what is unnecessary or unnecessary, focusing on those things and phenomena that are absolutely necessary.

Along with the idea of balance in all areas, there is also the idea of conscious selflessness in lagom. The first step to lagom is to think more about people, and not about yourself, and understand that if it is better for the group of people to which you belong, no matter whether it is about the nation or about the residents of one entrance, then it will be better for you. personally as a member of this group.

Lagom means being fair and caring for each other. In the Scandinavian countries, especially in Sweden, the principle of the so-called "common boiler" is very much appreciated. Therefore, the Swedes do not complain so much about high taxes - and they are really high - after all, these taxes are needed in order for social guarantees to exist, such as free medicine, parental leave, and pensions.

Lagomists are content with what is really needed.

However, the lagom philosophy is not about constant savings. Its main idea is to maintain a balance, for example, between work and play, benefit and pleasure, modesty and brightness. To live in a lagom style, you need to stop loading your life with unnecessary details. To do this, you need to keep track of your income and expenses, give up unnecessary purchases, reduce water and energy consumption, and reuse things if possible.

Another key lagom principle is love for nature and respect for natural resources. It was the Swedes who became the pioneers of ecological fashion back in the 70s. But without fanaticism, because lagom is a balance. The Swedes, as it were, weigh on one side of the scale the passion for consumption, and on the other - its consequences.

Sisu - the Finnish art of resilience

"What needs to be done will be done, no matter what." This phrase can describe the Finnish national concept "sisu" (sisu), which unites the whole nation, without reference to geographic or social status, gender, age. This Finnish character trait contains endurance, perseverance, turning into stubbornness, endurance, stamina, perseverance, courage, courage and straightforwardness.

Roman Schatz Author of the book "From Finland with Love".

In an even broader translation, "sisu" is tough willpower, ruthlessness to oneself, perseverance, endurance, not momentary courage, but rational behavior in overcoming troubles. Stoic persistence in achieving a goal.

Arbidesgled - happiness from work in Danish

What is Arbaidsgled? It's easy to say - happiness comes from work. How should it look in practice? Just imagine: you wake up on Monday morning, turn off the alarm, understand that you have to get up, and … are happy.

• You think about five days of interesting work that you love and are proud of.
• You are looking forward to meeting with colleagues - wonderful people with whom it is pleasant to work together, who will always help if something does not work out for you, and will sincerely rejoice at any of your success.
• You are happy to see your boss - an excellent professional in his field, whom you truly admire.
• You think about clients, partners, customers, students - in general, about the people with whom you have to work - and you can't wait to see them, to help them solve their problems. You know that most of them come to you personally because they value your professional qualities.
• You know that in the evening after work you will feel full of energy, because work does not suck energy out of you, but on the contrary, feeds you.

Nice picture, isn't it? But is it really so? The Arbaidsgled philosophy claims that this is not just possible, but should be. And if it is not so with you and you are waiting for Friday evenings with much more enthusiasm than Monday morning, then something is wrong in your life. Therefore, it needs to be changed.