אל על | אטמוספירה

Check-in I Wellness

5 ways to stay positive from five different countries \ By Shiri Brook-Sagie The power of a positive attitude

concept behind it has to do with both enjoying nature in wintertime and staying snugly indoors when it’s cold outside. How to embrace it: have fun in the snow before sheltering from the cold at a nearby pub; or go for a walk in the mountains before having lunch somewhere lovely, or go glamping and light a campfire - whatever the activity may be, còsagach is in the air whenever there’s nature, whiskey, mulled wine, and a warm, snug blanket to wrap yourself around in. Meraki – Greece Another difficult word to translate, meraki is an Athenian concept that’s all about positivity and taking pride in yourself and your work. It’s about feeling satisfaction, and enjoyment from doing your job, whatever it may be. How to embrace it: instructions say meraki involves: keeping your shoulders back, holding your head up high, and maintaining an attitude of calm and confidence. In fact, why not add meraki to any activity you take on – from making feta cheese to decorating your home – the secret is doing things with love and pride.

Ikigai – Japan If someone told you

looking for the meaning of life could be both fun and simple, you might be surprised. But the Okinawa-born concept of Ikigai is exactly that. The word combines the Japanese words “iki” (life) and “gai” (value), which together mean “reason for being”, i.e., your ikigai is what brings your life joy and purpose. How to embrace it: ikigai is one of the most practical philosophies there are and is based on four foundational questions: what do you love? what are you good at? how can you earn a living from it? what does the world need? Try and answer those questions – your ikigai is the point of connection between them all. Lagom – Sweden The Stockholm-born concept of lagom is all about balance. Literally, it means “not too much, and not too little”, and reflects that distinctively Swedish calm attitude towards life in general – regarding clothing, food, and even how many hours to spend at word. In a nutshell, the idea is to never exaggerate

in anything and always aim for balance and moderation. How to embrace it: think like an Ikea designer who makes aesthetically pleasing items that are fully functional but not overly trendy; or when you’re delicious but don’t overdo it; and the same goes for work: you can be a good worker without necessarily trying to be “employee of the month”. Aim for the middle ground. Gezellig – Holland It’s hard to explain the concept of gezellig, as there are no direct translations of the word in other languages, but simply put, it’s the combination of the at a restaurant – treat yourself to something

pleasant feeling you get when you have fun with your friends and doing so while consuming alcohol. If you’ve heard of the Scandinavian concept of hygge – which aims for coziness and comfort – it’s similar to that, but with alcohol. How to embrace it: gezellig is the feeling you get when you go out to dinner with friends, or when you go out for a drink with a friend after a long day’s work or when you go for a bike ride with a bunch of friends and bring beer and wine for the ride. Còsagach – Scotland This impossible-to pronounce Scottish Gaelic word can be loosely translated as “snug, sheltered, or cozy”. The

14 ATMOSPHERE MARCH 2023