The Book of Nordic Self-Care: Find peace and balance through seasonal rituals, connecting with nature, mindfulness practices, and more

by Elisabeth Carlsson

Discover the secrets of the Nordic way of life to gain meaning, calm and happiness.

The Nordic countries are renowned for being among the happiest in the world, and in this beautifully illustrated guide, Elisabeth Carlsson shares the keys to their lifestyle to help you improve your health and wellbeing. In the first chapter, learn about the benefits of wellness practices such as saunas and find skincare rituals that you can try at home. Next, take inspiration from Nordic foods by focusing on simple flavours, seasonal produce and preparing your meals as an act of self-care. There's also a chapter on immersing yourself in nature through cold-water therapy and wild swimming. Embracing and adapting to the seasons is one way that the Nordics cope with the dark winters, and you'll find methods to help you tune in to your environment through seasonal celebrations. From small self-care rituals to ways to shift your mindset, this guide includes plenty of inspiration from the Nordic countries to help you simplify and savour your everyday life.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Scandinavian Literature

144 pages, Hardcover

Published October 10, 2023

Reviews

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve developed a newfound fascination with Nordic culture and although simplistic, I enjoyed a few of the suggestions and concepts presented in the book:

-seek out morning sun
-prioritize taking time out in the day (fika)
-live seasonally
-spend more time outdoors (focusing on the possibilities rather than the limitations of weather)
-simplify/avoid consumerism

Other specific activities:
-create seasonal decorations (wreaths) with items from nature
-advent candles and wreath
-consider a crafting project in the winter months
-decorate Easter grass with little bunnies and chicks to create a display for children
-start the day with tea on the front steps
-take dinner to a local park
-outdoor cooking year round/campfire recipes: pinnbröd (dough twirled around a stick and baked over an open fire) + Trangia stoves
-learn to forage
-kladdkaka recipe: Swedish sticky chocolate cake
-cold water swimming

[Cara Dobrev · Rating 1 out of 5]

The entire book could have been an article. The last 3 pages about cover it.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely little book full of insight into how Nordic countries practice self care and try to live happy, healthy lives. Some lovely ideas and inspiration

[Ellis Barnard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll start this off by saying I haven't read "My Hygge Home" so I cannot compare like many other reviews have.

I found this book to be really interesting and it wonderfully describes how the Nordics generally live and embreace life. It's full of insights into how to live with the seasons, spend more time in nature, and how to enjoy the little moments during the day. I especially enjoyed all the fun crafts, dishes and activities this book recommends you can do for whatever weather.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read with simple tips for simple living. The book itself has some grammatical errors but doesn’t take away from it. Overall, the book offers pretty simple advice, but it offers some nice reminders in a clean design and organizational structure.

[Sarah Clements Andrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful!

[Rupreet Mead · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok. Some interesting perspectives and really good recipes. The points where I felt I could really get into fell a bit short. My Hygge Home was much better.

[Ellie Banke · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the information in this book, but felt overall that it could’ve been written better.

[Lesley Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cozy book to encourage self-care and simple living with nature. A relaxing quick read.

[Charlotte Hutchison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unsure how to review a self-help book!
Got this as a present at Christmas - a good and interesting read! Full of lovely ideas, messages, and recipes! ❄️

[Gwen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow- how did this get published? Rip off of other Hygge books but very little new to offer. Plus she didn’t list Iceland in her definition of Nordic but then kept referring to Iceland. 🤷‍♀️

[Willow Moore · Rating 3 out of 5]

A light introduction to Nordic living and the balancing of nature as part of our self care