The Lagom Life

Book excerpt: Discover lagom—the Swedish idea of balance, harmony, beauty, and sufficency. Our love affair with all things Scandinavian shows no signs of letting up. Having embraced the Danish concept of hygge, we’re now looking to Sweden and one of their essential philosophies, lagom. It’s best described as “not too much, not too little; just the right amount,” which, in practice, is balance—and isn’t that what we’re all looking for? In this delightful book, Elisabeth Carlsson, a Swede who has been living in the UK for many years, lets us in on the secrets of the enviable Swedish lifestyle and shows us how we can all be a little more lagom.She explains what lagom means to the Swedish and then explores how it can relate to all areas of our life, starting with our separation of work and home and how we manage our time. She suggests taking a more balanced approach to how we eat, never depriving ourselves but not overindulging and avoiding waste. Elisabeth also explains what makes a home more lagom in style and function and how we can take care of it sustainably. We also need to appreciate and look after our bodies with moderate exercise and care. Lagom has the potential to change our approach to life as a whole, and help us realize that what’s good for the world can also be good for us, too. Filled with advice and ideas, this thoughtful guide provides the key to a lagom way of living—healthy, harmonious, and happy.