Covid 19 coronavirus: How different cultures are coping with lockdown

The perfect hygge set up - a warm blanket, a cup of coffee and a good book. Photo / Getty

More time at home means being more present in the moment. Juliette Sivertsen looks at how some other cultures do it

We travel to expand our horizons, to explore somewhere new. Some travellers bring back souvenirs to remember the journey, others, a new way of living based on principles from another culture.

Where the English language often fails to succinctly encapsulate these concepts, other languages can summarise them in a single word.

Here are four foreign words to introduce to your lifestyle at home. The common thread between them is a sense of being present in the moment.

LAGOM

If there's ever a time to listen to this word, it's during a global crisis filled with panic-buying. This Swedish word roughly translates to "just the right amount" - not too much, not too little. It can also be translated as living a balanced life, a life with everything in moderation.

UBUNTU

Ubuntu is an African philosophy of connectedness, compassion and humanity. That somehow we are all connected to one another, and therefore must care for all those around us. Broken down, it means "I am, because of you". You could have all the riches in the world, but without ubuntu, you cannot be complete.

HYGGE

It didn't take long for the world to become obsessed with the Danish word hygge. It is a concept of "cosiness", particularly in winter, and embracing the simple pleasures in life. Hijacked by Instagram images of soft furnishings and candles, this Danish way of life is also associated with hot drinks by a roaring fire, quality time with friends and family, and getting out in nature.

SHINRIN-YOKU

The Japanese have long recognised the importance of being connected to nature. Shinrin-yoku translates to "forest bathing", which is about being in nature and green spaces. It's not about exercising in nature, but being present by opening all your senses and listening, observing, smelling and touching your surroundings in the natural world.