Simple Pleasures, Slow Days: The Nordic Art of Doing Less Outside

My life has been pretty hectic recently. The kids just started back at school and I felt a pressure to get back into a routine and structure now that my days are my own again. But somehow that didn't seem to happen. Instead of regaining time I felt like I was pushing myself to get back into heavy duty work mode as quickly as possible. When we feel a pressure like that we lose sight of the things that make everyday precious and keep us grounded. The simple pleasures that come from taking time to look out of the window, walk in nature and take a cup of coffee outside.

It's when we feel this overwhelming pressure from the world that it's important to take time and make a few moments in our day for simple pleasures. They can be little refuges away from the craziness of modern life; moments of stillness and quiet when we remind ourselves to be present in the moment and not be constantly thinking about the next thing we are supposed to be doing.

In the Nordics this is something that many people use nature for. When I say "use nature" what I actually mean is simply to get outside. It's a kind of ritual here to tet outside every single day. In the UK or USA we might think that that means going for a jog or taking the dog for a walk or taking a hike, but in the Nordics it can just mean "being" in nature.

We don't need to have an agenda or even actually do anything. In fact in these moments it's better not. We can let nature seep into our souls in a gentle and slow way. Let the sound of birdsong or the wind in the trees, or the slow moving sound of a river calm and slow our heart rates and lower our blood pressure.

Instead of rushing out of the door and starting a fast jog, or a purposeful walk to somewhere why not take a calm and slow walk along a river bank or stop for a few moments outside and make a hot drink over a fire. Lighting a campfire and brewing coffee takes time. It's not like flicking the switch on a kettle and waiting for the water to boil. It's purposeful, intentional and deliberately slow. We have to stop and wait for the water to boil and even after a few minutes you start to feel yourself slowing down and the outdoors gently calming you down. We find ourselves listening to the sounds of nature around us and observing passing insects, or the sound of the wind on the leaves in the trees.

Spend time in nature doing nothing but letting it be part of your life.

Try and invite nature into your life today. Rather than rushing out and simply getting from one place to another put aside 20 minutes to do nothing outside. Put on your shoes, step out of the door and head towards somewhere green. Just wander. Don't have a purpose. Listen to the sounds of nature around you. It might not be immediate but I promise you that after a few minutes you will find yourself slowing down, actively listening and appreciating the simple pleasure of letting nature into your life without any end goal except to just be a part of it and the world that is around us.

Learning how to let friluftsliv into my life in different ways is something I share in my book Friluftsliv: How to love the outdoors like you're Nordic. It's coming on 23 September and you can get on the insiders list now and be the first to know when the book is .

Join here