Ensam är stark is a Swedish expression which means ‘alone is strong’. Now, this phrase isn’t actually about living in solitude or cutting yourself off from others, it’s about celebrating the time you do spend with those you love and picking those people wisely.

For Swedish people, this saying reminds them to take care with who they spend their time and energy on. Like a form of mindfulness, it encourages them to enjoy socialising when it works for them and their mental health, not overcommitting or feeling the need to say “yes” to every invitation that comes their way.

Linguistic expert from the language learning app Babbel, Elin Asklöv, further explains what this saying means to the Swedes, “While actively choosing to take time for yourself is a typically Swedish trait, doing so, or living alone doesn’t mean that you’re totally constrained to not meeting friends or family. It’s more that the option to spend time alone it’s not frowned upon, which may be the case in different cultures.

“With various mental health benefits, being just with yourself can provide relief from social pressures, increase mental happiness and improve stress management. With social isolation on the rise in Sweden however, and four out of ten reporting involuntary loneliness, it’s perhaps best to live by the wise proverb, “Lagom är bäst (the middle ground is the best), to reap the full benefits of ‘Ensam är stark.’”

Stressed about returning to your busy social life? This Swedish phrase has the answer