What is Vriluftsliv?
The perfect Norwegian lifestyle trend for winter?
Thanks for asking! Last weekend brought snowfall across much of the United Kingdom, offering a clear sign that winter is here.
Now, with temperatures this low, the instinct for many of us is to snuggle up at home under a blanket.
But the subject of today's episode is all about getting outdoors, whatever the weather.
Freeluftsliv is a Norwegian term that more or less translates as open -air living.
You could call it the outdoor equivalent of Denmark's hygge, which is all about finding comfort indoors.
Indeed, Norway has strong outdoor traditions all year round.
Even when days are so short during the winter.
Freeluftsliv is so ingrained in Norwegian culture that universities offer bachelor's degree courses in it, and it's protected by law through the Outdoors Recreation Act.
The good news is it doesn't have to be a costly or complicated activity, making Freeluftsliv accessible to everyone.
Where does it come from?
Freeluftsliv was popularised in the 1850s by renowned Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen in a poem called On the Heights, which is about a farmer trekking through the wilderness for a year.
He used the term to extol the virtues of spending time in remote locations.
The benefits of connecting with nature are well known, it reduces stress and anxiety.
A 2019 paper published in Nature Journal showed that spending even as little as two hours per week in natural environments boosted wellbeing.
It's a great way of beating the winter blues, especially if you tend to suffer from seasonal affective disorder.
Another benefit of Freeluftsliv is that it gets our bodies moving, when the easier option would be just to stay at home.
French -born author, blogger and lawyer Laurelou Desjardins moved to Norway in 2009, and Freeluftsliv was one of the main reasons she settled there.
Let's listen to her addressing a TEDxTalk audience in Trondheim in 2018.
It is quite special in Norway that we are able to have as much focus and as much value from our employers, at least many of them, which see that it is as important to be outdoors and off the grid than to be on a Monday morning effective at 9am.
What about us city dwellers?
How can we embrace freelifts to live in our local area?
You're right that compared with Norway, we don't all have easy access to large outdoor spaces, to go hiking for example.
But we can force ourselves to get outside every day, even if it's raining or snowing like last weekend.
After all, the weather can be unpredictable and is out of our control, so it's up to us to adapt accordingly.
Just make sure you wrap up warm with appropriate clothing.
A Swedish psychologist Niels Ikk told Stylist magazine, there's no such thing as bad weather.
Only bad clothes. If you're working from home, you can use your lunch break to get out and stay active.
You could go for an outdoor workout, explore a new part of your area or practice yoga.
There you have it. Now you know what Freeluftsliv is.
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