A couple of weeks ago I was having one of those weeks when someone knocks the wind out of your sails, where you were flying and feeling ok about life and then BAM a few words just knocked me to the ground. I have always considered myself to be as strong as I can be but sometimes you just get tired of all the negative junk flying around don’t you? Just moments of feeling tired of everything where you are trying your best but it just doesn’t feel like you are winning. Nothing seemed to go right that week and I just felt like throwing in the towel and heading off to my getaway for a few weeks to calm down. Then I spoke to someone I had been doing business with and he gave me a pep talk! Within a couple of days, I had bounced back and I was ready to take on the world and whatever came hurtling my way. I was so relieved but at the same time, I just thought that I just don’t know where that strength came from.

Well, It seems it came from Sisu the Finnish term describing not just a word but a way of life, a way of having the determination to never give up! Having an inner strength felt like the only option I had but when I think of Sisu and what it stands for I feel its a great focus with a positive outlook which is something I believe in passionately. I love feeling grateful for what I have and always try to see the positive in most situations. Sometimes it’s just as much about how we treat ourselves and our approach to our self-belief. By looking after our body and mind we can face challenging situations better.

Everything being in balance is important when it comes to Sisu. From your body, mind and soul to your nutrition and your sleeping patterns. Spending time outdoors and in the fresh air will enhance your inner energies to push you to think ahead and stay focused. Building resilience to negative situations is something we should all strive for and so that is why I love Sisu. Just like hearing the words Lagom and Hygge, these Scandinavian words are the scandi way of life.  Some people might say they are just trend words that will just go as quickly as they came but actually these words mean a whole lifetime of creating a positive life in balance. Scandinavians must be doing something right as we are fascinated by their culture and outlook on life as well as their cool, stylish but also functional design.

Finnish people are surrounded by 63% of forests in their country which means they spend a lot of time outdoors. So you can see the whole balance of nature meaning a lot to them. Moving forward I definitely see in our homes we will want to switch off from our phones and technology and will strive for holidays that allow us to completely be in touch with nature and ourselves. Surrounded by natural materials with great texture will continue to be important. The scandi style is still very popular but whereas before we saw a lot of black and white monochrome, we will now see subtle greys and colour too. There will be a huge focus on natural elements like rattan and wicker playing a part. Colour is creeping in but has a balanced approach. The word Scandi- Boho is taking the scandi style but combining clean, calming walls with woods and natural materials. Vintage finds like a peacock wicker chair mixed with mid-century pieces and colourful rugs then adding a final touch of plants and lots of them!

The reason we love the scandi style so much is that it offers a calming effect on our souls. The Scandinavians are good at design, architecture and furniture. They are good at showing us how they get all their work-life balance in order and a huge part of the appeal comes from looking at their interior style and seeing that it works.

Visiting a Scandinavian city like Copenhagen, Stockholm or Olso has never been so popular and these are in my top cities I want to visit this year. I can’t wait, just to take in the atmosphere and hopefully bring back some interior finds, I better take a big enough suitcase 🙂

Featured Image – Home -Designing.com

All other images by My Scandinavian Home