Perhaps nowhere else on earth is Lagom given more cult status than in Sweden.
It is, after all, a Swedish word that loosely translates to mean ‘not too little, not too much’ – and at first glance, this seems to run counter to how the world spins in our post-pandemic order; where perpetual busyness is deemed as gold standard and overproductivity is placed on a pedestal. The idea of balance feels almost alien now that we’re all in our era of compulsive chaos. And this prevailing phenomenon has swept across every facet of our everyday lives, permeating our minds to create hurried hearts; that, today, even in our want to unwind, we feel the need to not just do, but do as many things as possible– and even then; sometimes, doing too much is not enough.
As Indian British activist Satish Kumar once said, “We have become human doings rather than human beings”, and in that vein, I really cannot agree more. The idea of having to ‘optimize every moment’ has become so normalized in today’s societal context that it has completely altered even the way we choose to travel – a space traditionally earmarked for rest.
What ever happened to just, being?
But indeed, it is the Swedes who have clearly unlocked the secret to truly living.
Lagom, which embodies the idea of moderation, balance, and living in a harmonious and sustainable way, is really about finding middle ground in everything we do, avoiding excess, and appreciating simplicity. And it can be so seamlessly applied across everything we do that, surely, if we allow it, can truly become an integral part of our entire existence. Whether it is ensuring that our living and work spaces are comfortable and functional without clutter; or that our wardrobe and food choices reflect mindful consumption; or even that we’re striking a good balance between on- and off-screen time (The Swedes, despite being the 7th highest population with the most number of individuals connected to the internet, clocks in a daily screentime that is lower than the world’s average); the essential idea is to refrain from extravagance, choose meaningfully, and being content with, enough.
At its core, I find Lagom to be the perfect invitation for unhurried travelling. Instead of cluttering our finite number of days in a foreign land with as many things to do and see as possible, misaligning our itineraries with social opinions instead of our own intrinsic interests – it, instead, gently nudges us to simply be present, and to not give in to the temptation of fulfilling our unquenchable thirst for ‘more’.
Not too little, not too much.
Paradoxically, our ability to enjoy travelling is determined by our ability to just, be; and not until we seek contentment in the beat of an unhurried itinerary can we fully appreciate the nuanced intricacies that surround us when we slow down, step off the beaten path, and engage in the present. As they say, take a frantic tourist anywhere, and the journey will never be smooth enough.
And I should know: up until recent years, I was that frantic tourist.
Our biggest challenge in this brand new digital age is that we will continue to travel with a gnawing guilt that we are not seeing or doing enough, when the real truth of the matter is, we are not being enough. If we see travelling as a way to get away from it all – then we must too know that wherever we go, we will still have to take ourselves with us. And if we continue to travel in a way that is boisterous and hurried and always busy, then we will never escape clutter, no matter how far we go.
Slow down, and you will go much, much further than you can ever imagine. ♡
Comments
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shafinah.j
Thank you for sharing your experience, Sara! Dont worry, I jam-pack my itinerary ALL THE TIME despite knowing full well not to 😂🤣 i always feel like i have to go to every place twice – once to make all these mistakes, and the second time to really feel the place for what it is
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Taylor
Thanks for the post! I had not heard about Fika before. I agree its important to have rest on vacations and travels. Reminds me of slow travel.
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shafinah.j
indeed! ♡
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Amabel Buck
What a beautifully written and thoughtful piece! I love the idea of integrating Lagom into our travels and trying to take things a little slower. I’ll definitely be thinking of this post on my next trip!
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shafinah.j
thank you Amabel, that means alot to me! 🙂 ♡
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Linda (LD Holland)
I had not heard of the term “lagom” before but I must admit the concept of ‘not too little, not too much’ resonates with me. And I love your idea of applying the concept to travelling. We too like to plan a few things to see and do and not fill the days. We always want to leave a place having experienced enough that there is more to draw us back.
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shafinah.j
me too! it’s such a tough rule to follow but what i try to do these days is to just put in a day where i have nothing planned – this way, even if i jampack the rest of the days at least i still have a ‘slow day’ in the back of my pocket!
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Leah
This was such a beautiful read! I had never heard of ‘Lagom’ but it is very interesting! I had similar thoughts during my year-long trip where I often felt guilty for not jam-packing my days filled with activities, but it is important to just feel present.
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shafinah.j
thank you Leah, that means alot to me! and good on you, you definitely did the right thing by taking it slow! it’s ironic but it’s truly the best way to see MORE tbh! ♡
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shafinah.j
that sounds like a brilliant plan!
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Gabby Leopard
I love the way you have written this post. It’s so true…we need to focus on just “being” instead of “doing”. Those photos are making me want to book another flight to Sweden.
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shafinah.j
me too! every place makes me want to return after ive had time to reflect and see how i rushed through so much in retrospect 😅😅
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Carly
It’s interesting how this idea is expressed across cultures and time periods! It reminds me of Aristotle’s ideas about the golden mean.
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shafinah.j
oh wow i learned something new today – this is golden (excuse the pun), thank you so much for sending something new my way! ♡♡♡
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Cosette
I had never heard of lagom before, I’ve heard of fika. Rest on your travels is just as important as when at home. We usually take time to read, sit down and take rest.
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shafinah.j
100% agree! ♡
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Yanitza
Very interesting and not a bad idea to adapt “not too little, not to much” in our travels and in many ways of life. I think sometimes we tend to complicate things when in reality, slowing down is always the way to go.
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shafinah.j
definitely – especially in these crazy times 😓
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shafinah.j
😂🤣😂🤣 i’d love to get one of those myself! 🧡🧡🧡
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Anja
Very interesting post! I never heard of Lagom and was wondering where to put it, geographically… the best way to travel is that leaves you feeling happy and energised, and what you describe sounds perfect! I like the way you travel and I try to travel leisurely as well, and often visit “secondary” destinations – fewer visitors, less stress, cheaper. Might be unpopular, but there are only so many “top” destinations you can see and queue for hours and pay top dollar for.
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shafinah.j
oh wow Anja that’s amazing!!! and i think people underestimate just how much guts it takes to go to a place and consciously choose to skip on all the Top10 – imagine planning an entire trip to France but leaving out the Eiffel Tower? I’m so glad we’re of the same mind!
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Meghan
Great post. I hadn’t heard of Lagom before. Your photos are beautiful and it looks like the perfect place to spend the holidays!
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shafinah.j
Thank you for your kind words, Meghan! 🌺
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Travel A-Broads
What an interesting post! I’ve been to Sweden and have heard of Fika, though I didn’t get to take advantage of this mid-day treat while I was there (likely because I was trying to fit in way too many activities as you mentioned, haha). However, I hadn’t heard of Lagom or the art of Lagom, so thanks for the introduction to this topic. We have a trip coming up later this year that we haven’t planned much for yet, and I noticed that on our last two-week trip we really tried to jam too much into our days. I may have to practice this on our next one and take a step back to realize that we can’t see it all in just one trip anyway, so why not take our time and fully embrace the moments we have there! Thanks for the inspiration :). Xx Sara