What is Nordic living?

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This is always a good place to start if you are new to the idea of Nordic living or if it's something you think you might be wanting to welcome into your life and strangely it seems to be a bit of a contentious subject in some places, so I thought it was a good idea to tackle it. I’m always a fan of going head on at something!

I am guessing that if you are here you have already heard something about the idea of hygge and it’s often assumed that Nordic living is the same. Nordic living and hygge are not the same although many people assume they are and they often used interchangeably.

Hygge is that famous Danish ideal of enjoying simple things around you and making the most of what you have. Nordic living, in my opinion, has more depth. It certainly incorporates hygge in some respects, but it also has aspects to it that are not always cosy and sometimes challenge us to get out of our comfort zone. In the long run though I have found that that is when the magic happens and we see what we are capable of and what a difference it can make to our lives. That is a life lesson I have learnt from Norwegians. Historically they have always been a nation of people who are not afraid to get out of their comfort zone and that kind of thing is highly valued here. Don’t worry I am not going to be pressuring you to do a Norwegian army style bootcamp! But we can always push ourselves a bit and see what magic comes from it whilst still having fun on the way!

Anyway I digress we are talking about Nordic living and what it is. For a start a Nordic lifestyle is very personal. And that is why you are here -to find your own path to Nordic living. Even within the Nordic countries how people live is different from one nation to another and from one region to another and from one family to another. But there are some similarities that they all share and values that are held true regardless of location, nationality or generation.

Let’s look at some of the big issues that cover all of the Nordic countries and then we’ll break it down to the smaller more personal points.

Respect for one another regardless of status is hugely important in the Nordics. This is Norway's Queen Sonja being a "normal" person and expecting nothing more than anyone else around her.

Respecting each other and the environment

This is held in high regard and of the utmost importance in all the Nordic countries. Respect regardless of status is paramount. The person driving the bus is afforded as mush respect as the mayor, or the king. Everyone regardless of their rank, nationality, colour or creed is respected. And if for some reason this isn’t doesn’t happen there is something of an uproar and outrage. Respect forms a foundation of Nordic society that is deep seated and important and it’s one of the key elements of life here that makes it so desirable for others.

Respect also goes between genders. All the Nordic countries are very good at equal opportunities for all.

Sustainability

This is an important aspect of many of the political decisions driven by the Nordic countries. They are able to see the long-term picture and plan for the world accordingly. It always amazes me how they can all contribute and donate to the future of the world without need for banking it. And living here it can sometimes feel like the Nordic countries are pulling much of the weight. I don't want to offend anyone, but that’s how I see it from time to time.

There is a great deal of time and investment put into sustainability and the future in the Nordic countries. Some of the most advanced heating systems, building regulations and forward thinking planning takes place in the Nordic countries. Sweden is leading the world in it’s building of wooden structures including the world’s first wooden skyscraper and Norway has more electric cars than any other nation. Both governments are heavily invested in these initiatives and gladly lead the vanguard in both aspects with financial incentives and rewards for those who use electric cars and plan sustainably. Now I would be remiss and deluded not to touch on the subjects oil and whaling which still continues in Norway, Iceland and the Faroe Islands (which are part of Denmark), but these traditions are not so easy to break from and one feels that the other sustainability issues are an effort to wean their countries off it and counter them.

Understanding the benefits and importance of nature

Gosh this is so important! I can’t stress it enough. From an early age children in the Nordics learn the importance of nature to their mental and physical wellbeing. The have lessons outside, they have outdoor schooling where they learn about nature in their vicinity, how to light fires, cook outdoors, play outdoor games with nature as their playground and how the open sky, trees, grass and open spaces can make them happier and more balanced.

This deep appreciation carries on through adulthood and for many people their recreational activities start and end in the outdoors. Weather puts no-one off. Because of the knowledge and love of nature it is included in important laws, considered of the utmost importance to preserve and protect and everyone has the right to use it.

Breaking things down into the more personal:

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Eating seasonally and with thought

I’ve always been an advocate of seasonal eating. Being a cordon bleu chef means I look for the freshest ingredients and things like markets really light me up with all the colourful, fresh and seasonal produce straight from farm o market stall. Let’s face it who isn’t drawn by those sights and sounds. The fresh smell of seasonal fruit and herbs, cheese straight from the dairy, vegetables with soil still on them. It’s really since living in Norway that I have embraced it in my whole life because it’s tough to find fruit and vegetables out of season here. There is also a culture of celebrating the seasons of each fruit or vegetables. There are celebratory days for produce that is in season like fårikål dag. Fårikål is Norway's national dish of lamb and cabbage cooked together until they are delicious and tender. It sounds very basic and it is. But the point is the day is in September when lamb and cabbage are both at their absolute best. And that encourages us to make the most ingredients that are at the height of harvest and flavour. Another example is the annual berry picking. It’s casual event that takes place in forests all over Scandinavia in the late summer (there’ no particular day) with everyone out to pick blueberries, lingonberries and cloudberries. If you asked anyone in Scandinavia when a certain berry was ripe they would be able to tell with precision and most probably precision for their own particular region. That’s just one example but it keeps people grounded in what should be eaten when

Work life balance

Work and personal life are kept very much apart in the Nordic countries and having a personal life and family is considered crucial t the health and wellbeing of a nation. The working day starts early, but it also ends earl at about 4pm and people are out of the door and home for a relaxing evening with family or friends. Having this extra time in the evenings means that you have a happier nation, healthier and more balanced. Important appointments like doctors appointments, parent teacher meetings or if your are sick are taken seriously and not quibbled over. Employers are happy to give a little leeway.

This can be a tricky subject because we are usually dictated to by the culture of the country we are living in and I know from my own experience that you feel like you are fighting a battle for this one alone. I’ll tell you a little story. I used to be an international event manager (a career change I took after working some crazy hours as a chef) and I ran my own company for many years. But one overriding factor that is always at the forefront of my memories was the lack of family life for so many of my colleagues and partners and especially the British and Americans. The companies they worked for insisted on them putting their work and career above all else even their kids and personal lives. And being in a very cut and thrust industry one had little choice. I even got dragged into it myself with very late nights hosting events, most weekends working and clients calling me at 11pm on a Friday night because they couldn’t find their hotel. Looking back on it now it seems incredibly harsh and it’s easy to see how that can quickly impact our physical and mental health.

Celebrating the everyday things and being appreciative of simple luxuries

One of my favourite things and something that raises my base level of happiness. In Norway we have some simple weekly habits that help us appreciate the everyday and in my own family we have adopted and we are looking more closely at those in the first module “simple Pleasures and Weekly rituals”

Making your home a sanctuary of cosiness and warmth

Scandinavians are masters at creating a timeless and understated style to their homes and there have been very few homes I have been into that are not like that. I think it stems from the long dark winters that you need to create a cosy nest that is welcoming to anyone entering including yourself. And Scandinavian design has been popular and well know for decades with elegant and cutting edge designs that easily stand the test of time.

We’re all familiar with the concept of hygge and how that so often encompasses our homes and living environments and that Nordic ideal is the core of making our homes cosy. It’s personal and all about makes us feel at home, safe and welcomed.

So now you have a very concise and condensed version of what Nordic living is. Every part of your Nordic living journey is personal and we must choose to pick the parts that appeal to each of us the most.

As the months progress I want to share some of the ways we welcome simple luxuries into our lives here in the Nordics and how you can too.