3 Scandinavian Principles That Will Help You Live Better

Embrace hygge, lagom, and sisu to live well and happily

Year after year, the five nations of Scandinavia seem to be ranked amongst the
happiest in the world. That is Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Iceland.

For some of us, this might not be much of a surprise. And yet, while the usual suspects
in the happiness index seem to be common knowledge for many, few of us really
know why.

In truth, we have a lot to learn from our Scandinavian neighbours. Especially since the
USA and other western countries are becoming more unhappy than ever before, says
a report from Vox.

What’s going on? Why are the Danes, Swedes, and all of their Scandi friends happier
than ever, yet the rest of us are on a steady decline into misery?

Perhaps it has something to do with some of their principles, philosophies, and ways
of life. Actually, I’m convinced it does. Let’s take a look at a few in detail.

Hygge

The Danish concept of ‘hygge’ has taken the western world by storm. It’s been
plastered over every bookshelf, magazine cover, and blog post since 2016.

I picked up a gorgeous little handbook on the subject last winter written by Meik
Wiking. In it, he describes hygge as:
“Hygge is about an atmosphere and an experience, rather than about things. It is
about being with the people we love. A feeling of home. A feeling that we are safe,
that we are shielded from the world and allow ourselves to let our guard down.”

When I think of hygge, I think of comfort. Togetherness. Homeliness. Hygge is all of

those things and more, from soft lighting to indulgence in life’s simple pleasures to
sitting around a campfire with friends and telling stories.

As Ashley Hamer put it, hygge is ‘cosiness in the soul’.

What does this have to do with happiness though? Well, firstly, hygge is a key

component of Denmark’s culture. It’s an important element of Danish lifestyle. Danes
place great importance on enjoying the simple things, like snuggling up together and
lighting a few candles.

Hygge also has a lot to do with pleasure — but mindful pleasure. It’s about enjoying
the things that make us happy. That being said, mindful pleasure isn’t all that big over
in the west. There’s no word for hygge in English.

We place more of an emphasis on economic growth, career success, and being busy
than we do on making time to sit down with loved ones and enjoy each others’
company. We’re always rushing around to get to where we need to be, rarely taking a
moment to just be.

Perhaps hygge is part of the reason that the Danes are always so happy. And if that’s
the case, maybe we could all use a little more hygge in our lives.

Light a candle and spend an evening reading. Go camping with your friends. Watch a
movie with your spouse with a blanket and a fresh bottle of Merlot.
Think less about wealth, possessions or status and more about comfort. About
togetherness. About happiness.

Lagom

Lagom is a Swedish word. It translates roughly to ‘just the right amount.’

We’ve all heard the phrase ‘everything in moderation.’ In essence, that’s what lagom
means. That most things are okay, even if they’re bad for us, as long as we moderate
our behaviour.

What does moderation mean though? It means that we don’t go overboard. It means
that we stop at two biscuits rather than eating an entire packet. That’s lagom.

Keeping this simple little principle in mind can help us all to find balance. If we all
strive for just the right amount, we can’t really go wrong. So long as we’re talking
about sensible things, of course. Lagom can’t excuse murder, but it can justify a day
off or a cheat meal.

Everybody should be allowed enough, but not too much. Enough is okay. Enough is
good. Too much will cause more pain than it’s worth.

Lagom is about finding the point between the occasional treat and unhealthy habits.
It’s about recognising that too much of anything, even our favourite things, can be bad
for us.

Treating ourselves to an iced latte and a slice of cake will likely bring us more joy
than sorrow. But if that becomes a daily habit, love handles and a double chin will
probably make us pretty unhappy, and those simple pleasure won’t be worth the
satisfaction.
Even life’s most wonderful things can cause us pain in excess. The principle of lagom
can keep us in check, ensuring that we don’t cross the line and turn our pleasures into
a source of pain.

As Democritus put it,

‘Throw moderation to the winds, and the greatest pleasures bring the greatest pains.’

For Swedes, Lagom is a lifestyle. It’s a simple philosophy, and that’s what makes it so
effective. The next time you’re tempted to have more, remember lagom.

Ask yourself if you’ve crossed the line. And if you have, don’t worry. Just make
adjustments to keep things in balance.

Sisu

While hygge places more of an emphasis on enjoying life’s pleasures, sisu is the
opposite. It’s about persistence — pushing through challenges until they come to an
end.

As Finlandia University puts it,

‘It is a Finnish term that can be roughly translated into English as strength of will,
determination, perseverance, and acting rationally in the face of adversity.’

Sisu is a mindset. It’s an approach to pain. It’s the idea that even life’s greatest
challenges can be overcome with grit, perseverance, and tenacity. It’s about displaying
courage and resoluteness in the face of adversity.
We’ll all experience hard times in our lives. I know them well. My fiancé has terminal
brain cancer, and while she’s very sick, holding the concept of sisu at the forefront of
my mind pushes me to keep going.

As well as enduring struggle, sisu is also about persevering even when the odds are
stacked against us — like setting up a business or becoming a writer.

In the words of Emilia Lahti of Aolto University in Helsinki,

‘It is a special thing that is reserved for especially challenging moments. When we feel

that we came to the end point of our preconceived capacities. You could say that sisu is

energy.’

In truth, we all possess more courage than we think. Even in times of sheer adversity,
situations that we’d never expect to be able to cope with, we have reserves of strength
deep within us that we’re even unaware of.

Sisu encourages us to find those reserves. To believe in our inner strength. To keep
moving forward. It teaches us that we can handle anything life throws at us, but first
we must start believing in ourselves.

The takeaway

Hygge is about enjoying life’s pleasures. Lagom is about enjoying them in

moderation. And sisu is about staying tough even in the absence of pleasure and
presence of pain. Together, they form three simple ways of life, taken directly from
the perennially happy nations of Scandinavia — three useful little principles that we
can all begin using today.