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Essential Nordic Lifestyle Ideals Explained Quickly
- Fiona McKinna
- Apr 18
- 5 min read
Life in the Nordics is balanced, simpler, slower and generally happier than many other places in the world. The Nordic countries are almost always top of the World Happiness Report and with good reason. There are some lifestyle ideals and concepts that people here in the Nordics follow without thinking much about it and they contribute to a great quality of life.
It would be flippant of me to think I could explain an entire region's outlook on life in one short article, but we read so much about Nordic living that I want to share a few insights with you.
I have a lovely group of members in my Living a Nordic Life Facebook group and it's my go-to community on social media. We are always talking about the ways in which we can make our lives more Nordic, live more simply and spend time with more intention. It boils down to some simple lifestyle ideals that we can all adopt wherever we are in the world. We often think that we need to have lived in a place to embrace its way of living or we are wrongly borrowing another culture but in my opinion that's not true. To be so enamoured of another culture that you want to follow some of their ways of living is one of the greatest compliments. We can make a choice to live however we want to and choose the ways of living that speak to us most strongly.
With that in mind I thought it would be useful to share a little rundown of some of the more well known and how we can welcome them into our own lives regardless of where we live in the world.
Friluftsliv
Nordic countries certainly know how to get outside, and spending time in the fresh air surrounded by nature is a cornerstone of Nordic living. Friluftsliv (pronounced free-loofts-leev) is all about getting outside into the fresh air. We try our best to be in wild nature and away from civilisation where possible. Nature and the natural world are very good for our mental and physical health and in the Nordics it's something we do daily. I know that's not always possible, but it's healthy to make a conscious effort to spend structured time in nature and outside away from the hustle and bustle of urban life.
How to embrace friluftsliv:
Get outside every day.
Be mindful of the positive effect nature can have your mood.
Make a special day each week to spend more time than usual in the fresh air.
Explore some new sports or activities that will take you outside.
Hygge
There are entire communities on social media built on the concept of hygge and this is especially true of Facebook. So many people have read "The Little Book of Hygge" and decided that it's a lifestyle they need in their own lives. This often leads them further into the different ways of living and choosing a simpler, more intentional lifestyle. Hygge is something that was coined by the Danish. It's a way of life in Denmark that focusses on simple pleasures, making the most of everyday and enjoying the things in life that you already have without having to strive in a stressful way to constantly have something that someone else has. There is no right or wrong way with hygge; it's all about what you like and enjoy in your life.
How to welcome some Nordic hygge into your life:
Begin to look at the little things that spark joy and happiness.
Make moments of calm in your day.
It doesn't need to be anything big, but make special times to make the most simply being alive.
Make your home a welcoming and cosy nest that you want to spend time in and come home to.
Lagom
Enough is enough. Yes, quite literally that is the basic concept of lagom. It's not too much and not too little. It's a very Swedish lifestyle concept of all about finding the right balance in life. We are often told that we should not do things to excess and although it's great to treat ourselves we can keep everything in moderation and be more Swedish. A little lagom can go a long way in our lives.
How to bring lagom into your life:
Don't do anything to excess.
Learn to accept that enough is enough and we don't need to constantly strive for more and more.
Make a point of stopping when you feel like you have enough of something.
Consciously avoid consumerism and the pressure to have more "stuff".
Fika
Let's have coffee Swedish style! Fika is basically a Swedish coffee break, but to boil it down to that does it a bit of a disservice because it's much more than just coffee. Elsewhere in the world we might grab a takeaway coffee and perhaps a cake, take it alone or on the go or head back to our desk. But in Sweden fika is an important and respected part of the day. It's usually mid-morning and includes a coffee and a cake and a relaxed quiet sit down with other people. Fika is not simply about eating and drinking, it's also about meaningful connections.
How to have fika time in your life:
Make a set time each day to sit down and enjoy a coffee and a tasty treat.
Make that time sacred.
Invite a friend or some friends to join in with your fika.
Put away your phone during fika and talk and communicate in a meaningful way.
Sisu
Although sisu is a very Finnish concept, you see it everywhere in the Nordics. Sisu is all about grit, tenacity, purpose and bravery. It shows a resilience in the face of adversity and builds character and staying power when things are tough. I think of sisu almost weekly because Mia my youngest is in grade 1 and every Monday they have outdoor school. This is come rain or shine, warm weather or temperatures as low as -15C. It builds the kids up to a kind of hardy resilience to the weather regardless what it is like and it's something we can apply to our ow everyday lives. I'm not suggesting a hard attitude, but certainly a gentle and firm resilience and bravery towards what life throws our way.
How to embrace sisu:
Learn to be less thin skinned
Begin to look at each adversity as a chance to become stronger and more resilient.
Tackle every task with purpose and determination
Finish the job! Don't give up at the first hurdle.
Now you have some ideas of how to gently and easily bring a little bit of Nordic living into your life. It doesn't have to be huge sweeping changes, it can be simple and small but each step can take you closer to a life of intention.
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