LAGOM: Thoughts on Health + Wellbeing  

Lola A. Åkerström, author of LAGOM: The Swedish Secret of Living Well, explores what this Swedish word aims to teach us when it comes to taking care of ourselves in an excerpt from her book.

‘The deepest well can also be drained’…Swedish Proverb

It’s often said that the best way to take care of our loved ones is to love and take care of ourselves first. This means being in tune with our own bodies, addressing those needs first and prioritizing our wellbeing.

Lagom operating within this space means harmony and balance.

As that unspoken guide, lagom leads us to that perfect space in our lives where we are naturally healthy – in mind, body, and spirit.

It wants us to get adequate rest for our minds, regular exercise for our bodies, and enough time alone to nourish our souls.

More importantly, lagom wants us to do this in ways that are not too excessive and not too neglectful – but in the form of habits we can logically and realistically maintain.

Above all, lagom wants us to deeply assess and individually ask ourselves the question: what does living well mean to me?

To live a life of harmony, we need to push ourselves closer to the answer we come up with.

Three wellness tips

Learn to say no more often. We often get pulled into unnecessary tasks that waste our valuable time. By constantly taking a step back to assess a request before responding with a resounding ‘yes’, we can begin to weed out irrelevant work.

Learn to listen to your body and mind through adequate rest.

Be compassionate with yourself. It’s okay to fail but it’s important to get back up and start over again when you’re ready. And only you know when you’re ready

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You can get “Lagom: The Swedish Secret of Living Well” now.