Scandi lifestyle expert explains how to ease yourself out of hibernation as we head into the busy spring season.
With the worst of winter now (hopefully) behind us and lighter, longer days ahead, it most certainly feels as though hibernation season is finally coming to an end here in the UK.
Whilst the arrival of spring is a relief to most, it can also bring a sense of pressure to spend as much time as possible with friends making the most of the brighter evenings that we so missed.
Here, Scandi lifestyle expert at Contura, Catharina Björkman, explains how and why you should resist the temptation to jampack your diary with pub drinks, exercise classes, or late-night suppers, amongst other social plans, and instead embrace the healing and restorative power of JOMO.
Catharina says, “Encouraging people to opt for balance over excess, JOMO – an acronym celebrating the ‘joy of missing out’ – is reflective of the Swedish philosophy of lagom. Both emphasise the importance of living life in moderation, with the term itself encompassing a philosophy of ‘not too much, not too little’.”
“Waving goodbye to the dreaded FOMO – aka the fear of missing out – and all the negative emotions that come with it will leave you feeling liberated, empowered, and energised, helping you find more joy than ever in the longer, lighter days ahead.”
See below for Catharina’s tips on embracing JOMO to keep your spirits high throughout the social season and beyond…
Live by lagom
Be careful not to cram in too many social plans each week or you might find yourself starting to feel that they are more of a chore than a pleasure. This echoes the Swedish concept of lagom, which emphasises the importance of embracing a lifestyle of balance and moderation when it comes to maintaining wellbeing and happiness.
An easy place to start is by simply ensuring that you only say ‘yes’ to plans that fill you with excitement. If you are not looking forward to it when you first accept an invitation, then you most certainly won’t be when having to drag yourself there at the end of a long day at work or during your precious weekend!
Once you have weeded out any unwanted plans, you can then set about ensuring that those remaining are distributed evenly throughout your week, month, and year. Don’t be afraid to ask if something can be rescheduled if it doesn’t work for you.
Plan it out
If you find yourself packing your diary with social plans, a great way to ensure that you are pacing yourself is by blocking off time in your diary for the sole purpose of ‘me time’.
Everyone is different, so the ideal ratio will vary from person to person, however, a good place to start is by promising yourself at least three nights in each week.
You can follow the same schedule, for example, by always having Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday evenings at home, or you can keep it relatively flexible and adjust them depending on the demands of the week – whatever suits your lifestyle best.
This, of course, does not mean that you must decline a great plan if it falls on such a date. The practice of setting aside time for yourself simply encourages you to take a more considered and balanced approach to socialising rather than simply saying yes for the sake of it.
Embrace ‘me time’ with mys
When done right, plan-free time will feel like a blessing. Rather than forcing yourself to head out to socialise for socialising’s sake, you’ll begin to see the value of prioritising evenings in and embracing JOMO instead.
In Sweden, mys is a concept which promotes the benefits that come from actively setting aside guilt-free time to unwind, restore, and enjoy a moment away from the constant demands of everyday life.
Whilst the lighter evenings provide the perfect opportunity for seeing friends, they also offer the ideal backdrop for a quieter kind of evening.
Upgrade your ‘me time’ by practicing mys; whether taking a book and blanket to a local park to enjoy the sunshine when it starts to peep through, popping on a face mask whilst treating yourself to a bubble bath, or taking the time to head to the local grocery shop to buy fresh produce and cook your favourite recipe.
Turn your home into a haven
Mys is also centred around the feeling of cosiness, and where better to get cosy than in the comforts of your own home.
Whilst it might feel less natural to hunker down for an evening of relaxation and recovery when it’s light outside, a busy social calendar means that it is more essential than ever to do so.
Make your home a calming haven, providing the perfect space to unwind so that you cannot wait to return to it after a busy day.
As we transition from winter into spring, consider making a few small swaps to ensure that your interiors are as best suited to this task as possible. For example, as the days get brighter and warmer, replace cosy wool blankets with light linen throws, decorative candles with vases of seasonal flowers, and roll away rugs in favour of cooler, wooden floors.
Perhaps even think about adjusting the placement of freestanding furniture – move chairs, desks, and tables out from cosy corners and towards windows to ensure that you can make the most of the natural evening light that shines through.
Switch-off the socials
When practicing JOMO, make a conscious decision to switch off your phone – or, at the very least, turn on the do not disturb setting.
Nothing triggers FOMO like social media, which offers an often highly manicured and misleading snapshot into the lives of everyone, everywhere. Even just catching sight of a message from a group chat can trigger that fear that you’re missing out.
Moreover, wasting an evening away on your phone, spent aimlessly scrolling through images of friends (seemingly) having fun, or scanning through work emails or mindless reels or memes, will inevitably leave us feeling unfulfilled, unrested and sometimes even a bit dejected.
So, put your phone to one side and focus on embracing JOMO by living in the present moment, enjoying your own company, and doing the things you love on an evening in – whether watching your favourite film, baking a delicious sweet treat, cuddling your beloved pet, or even clearing out a cupboard – and enjoy the restorative benefits that it can bring.
For more information, please visit www.contura.eu.
-Ends-
Notes to editors:
- Rooster PR will coordinate comment, interview and profile opportunities for Contura UK Country Manager, Phil Wood.
- The Contura PR team will also arrange visits to the nearest Contura Design Centre dealerships or the Contura showroom in Doncaster to see the product range.
For further press information, please contact:
Tilly Everard | Elsa Findlay | Julie Aguilera
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About Contura:
Contura is Europe’s leading manufacturer of wood burning stoves, offering an extensive range of classic and contemporary wood burners; from traditional insert stoves suitable for existing fireplaces, to freestanding statement models made with innovative materials such as soapstone.
Starting at £1,495, Contura stoves are premium yet affordable. Award winning, timeless Swedish design means the products complement or enhance any style of home, whilst also offering outstanding performance, maximum efficiency, practicality and ease of use.
Designed and assembled at the factory located in Markaryd, Sweden, and manufactured to the highest standards, Contura stoves are highly energy efficient, offering powerful convection, superior combustion technology and clean burning systems. All Contura stoves are DEFRA Clean Air Act exempt and thus approved for use in Smoke Control Areas.
Contura stoves can be purchased through a network of 165 independent retailers nationwide.
Contura is part of the NIBE group, a Swedish manufacturing company producing world class solutions in sustainable energy across Europe, North America, Asia and Australia.
Contura is a founding member of the Stove Industry Alliance (SIA) in the UK.
For more information please visit www.contura.eu
