Work-life balance
While many are drawn to the country for the wages (although a weak krona and stagnating salaries have eaten into this pull factor somewhat), what keeps many in Sweden progressing their careers is the work-life balance.
The Swedish working model can be best characterised by generous paid leave, flexible working hours and flat corporate structures where everyone is able to give input.
Managers, generally, are nearly as interested in the type of person they are employing and working with as the results they are expected to deliver.
Employers can’t force you to enjoy the work-life balance on offer, though, so you’ll need to make sure you do as the locals do and ensure you have sufficient downtime where you don’t think about work and make time for the things you enjoy outside of your job.
The reasoning behind the emphasis on work-life balance is the belief that a good balance ensures that workers remain productive and don’t “hit the wall”.
Staying active
Swedes keep themselves active through all weather and seasons, perhaps thanks to the work-life balance we mentioned. Many Swedish companies will even offer their employees friskvårdsbidrag, a tax-free lump sum for "activities which incorporate some form of exercise" (like a gym membership) or "de-stressing or relaxing" activities, such as a massage.
There are plenty of benefits to staying active besides not having to worry about work emails for a few hours.
For starters, regular exercise can improve your mood, ease chronic conditions, improve brain function, increase sleep quality and boost your energy levels overall.
Therefore, you should definitely find something that works for you and try and stick to it. You also don’t need to start with tackling mammoth cross-country ski trips or scrambling up jagged peaks either; anything from a daily 30-minute walk to interval training will do the trick.
Functional fashion
Anyone whose spent the colder months of the year in Sweden should already have picked this habit up, but for the majority of Swedes, the materials used in a piece of clothing and whether it is wind and waterproof is (somewhat) more important than the branding.
If you live in certain parts of the country, trying to avoid bad weather will be futile, so you might as well stay warm and dry.
Learning how to dress all over again will also be important to this approach, the number one tip is to try and layer as much as possible.
That doesn't mean that Swedes don't care if their outdoor clothing looks good – they just want it to be functional, too. Popular Swedish brands with a mix of style and function which you're likely to see in both inner cities and national parks include Tretorn, Haglöfs and Fjällräven.
Shoes are another good example. A good pair of waterproof boots will keep your feet warm and dry in winter, and even in summer it's common seeing Swedes in comfortable sneakers even while wearing smart office clothes. Women, you're safe to ditch the high heels and wear flats.
SWEDISH STYLE:
- 'Don't wear bright colours': Eight tips on how to dress like a Swede
- Wrap up warm: How to dress for the cold weather in Sweden
Social meals
Whether it’s grilling korv round a fire on a hike or tucking into tex-mex style tacos at the weekend, meals with a social element are popular in Sweden – despite the chilly reputation of locals.
Given that the winter months of the year can feel especially lonely, inviting people around for some food can be a great way to keep in contact with old friends or forge connections with new ones. It's also a great way to save money, too, as it's much cheaper than eating out in a restaurant.
Hosting a dinner party can be stressful, which is why Swedes might be ahead of the curve with their love of tacos and hotdogs. These dishes require minimal skill and effort, and are generally guaranteed to be popular with most diners.
Sleeping with two duvets
Many people who travel to Scandinavia for the first time are surprised to find two duvets on beds.
This isn’t just for decoration. The idea is that two separate duvets mean less sleep disruption and better temperature regulation. This allows a better night’s sleep overall, which means a stronger immune system, improved heart health and metabolism, and reduced overall stress.
It's even been dubbed the Scandinavian Sleep Method in the media.
With such massive gains to be made, there’s little argument against making the switch to two duvets.
One to avoid – drinking coffee all hours of the day
One habit to be avoided, and one which could be harmful to your health, is the Swedish habit of drinking (strong!) coffee all hours of the day.
Caffeine consumption near bedtime is associated with significant sleep disturbance, and chronic poor sleep is linked to the likelihood of developing dementia, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity and even cancers of the breast, colon, ovaries and prostate.
Based on an article by Frazer Norwell for The Local Norway and adapted by Becky Waterton for The Local Sweden.
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