Lola Åkerström, author of LAGOM: The Swedish Secret of Living Well, explores how we can reduce stress in our lives with a lagom mindset.

The newest Scandinavian trend to hit the global waves is the Swedish ethos of “Lagom”. It is often described as “not too much, not too little, just right” but lagom is a lot more complex than that simple definition.

At its core, Lagom aims to reduce stress in our lives.

Some cultures prioritize fighting stress first so they can be productive. Other cultures fight through stress while trying to be productive. Some cultures “accumulate” to camouflage the stress. Other cultures “reduce” to relieve the stress.

The lagom mindset naturally doesn’t like stress and it does its best to reduce stress first. For example, getting rid of things (less is more), work-life (balance), relationships (trust) or situations (harmony in society) that bring unnecessary stress.

Having too much or too little causes stress, so lagom tries to find its balance between both.

So, here are some tips on how to reduce stress the lagom way when it comes to your wellbeing, your choices, and how you socialize with others.

Lagom: The Swedish Secret of Living Well by Lola A. Åkerström is published by Headline Home, £10 (www.headline.co.uk)