In years gone past, I’ve thrown every ounce of will power there is at making January the month of change. I’ve ditched the booze, dusted off gym membership and stocked the fridge up with kale in a bid to fulfil resolutions which very often last as long into 2017 as the Christmas tree.
But not this year. The aftermath of hosting Christmas has left me with cupboards full of chocolates and nuts, a fridge full of cheese and a plethora of Baileys which I’ll never trust to survive the summer. Nothing which remains conducive to a diet.
Anyway, it’s -4 outside and all I want after a brisk Sunday walk in the cold is a roast dinner and a glass of red.
Luckily it appears the Swedes have a better approach. On the eve of what is now coined nationally as “Blue Monday” I came across Anna Hart’s article in the Sunday Telegraph on Lagom: the secret of Swedish contentment.
It means not too much, not too little – just the right amount. And it applies to absolutely everything whether that's eating and drinking, your spending, how many hours you clock up in the office or how long you spend staring at social media. For me, it sparked a fresh approach to the counteracting a month of excess throughout December with kale smoothies and 5.30am exercises regimes.
It’s focusses on moderation, fairness and balance to find contentment. It comes from the phrase 'Lagom är bäst', which literally translates as 'the right amount is best'. And I rather like it. I’m always wary of fads I tend to brush them off as nonsense and this may be emerging into one this year. But at its very basics, I like this idea. It’s simple, it’s sustainable and it doesn’t involve too much kale.
But I will approach it with caution and openness. As Oscar Wilde put it: “Everything in moderation. Especially moderation.”
