Scan Magazine
|
Lifestyle
|
Column / Health Profile
‘Döstädning’: Finding freedom and joy in decluttering your home
By Heidi Kokborg
I recently came across the book The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter by Margareta Magnusson. While I realise the book mostly focuses on putting your home in order to avoid your family having to do it when you’re no longer around, I really like how it embraces minimalism, and this quote deeply resonated with me: “Life will become more pleasant and comfortable if we get rid of some of the abundance.” So many of us have a tendency to hoard stuff: drawers full of take-out menus we never use, clothes in the closet we haven’t worn in years or that no longer fit, perhaps a junk drawer stuffed with everything we don’t know what else to do with. Perhaps you even have a garage or an attic filled to the brim with things you don’t actually need. I have moved 11 times in the past six years, so I know a thing or two about getting rid of stuff. When this magazine comes out, I’ll be travelling through Asia,
and the majority of my belongings will be in a storage unit. Typically, the older you get, the more things you accumulate; but in my case, the opposite has been true. When you move and travel as often as I do, you quickly realise that the less stuff you have, the better. This means that I now only have things I truly love. The more things I’ve gotten rid of over the years, the happier I’ve become; freer, less attached. I almost feel lighter, and the things I do have bring me joy. I’m not telling you to donate half of your home
The dentist healing teeth and dental fears one cavity at a time
to charity, but I truthfully believe that our mental health and overall wellbeing could benefit from a Swedish death cleaning, or as the Swedes call it: ‘döstädning’.
Heidi Kokborg is a journalist and health coach from Denmark. She runs her own online business and writes a column for Scan Magazine about health and wellness in Scandinavia. Web: www.heidikokborg.com
By Celina Tran
|
Photos: Hvite Smil
Based in Drammen, Norway, Hvite Smil and its team aim to cure people’s teeth – and fear of dentists. The private clinic offers everything from general dental health care to aesthetic procedures, while also being a leader on the Scandinavian market in treating snoring and sleep apnea. Hvite Smil’s journey began over 20 years ago, when dentist Claus Gamborg Nielsen decided to start his own clinic. Nielsen, who has 30 years of experience under his belt, focuses on treating his patients’ odontophobia, along with their teeth. “We understand that a visit to the dentist can be scary to many people. I don’t even like it myself!” he says. “It’s important to us that our patients’ experience is as comfortable and good as possible.” The clinic offers several options for those with a fear of dentists, from breaking treatments into several sessions to relaxation medication, allowing them to be in complete
control of their treatment. The most reassuring factor for those with fear of the dentist, however, is Nielsen and his team’s long experience. “Our surgeon, Brengt Lewin, has over 30 years’ experience and the world record in tooth implantation surgeries,” Nielsen says proudly. “Over 40,000 tooth implants!” Nielsen praises his Hvite Smil team for following and providing a comfortable journey all the way from the waiting room to the dentist’s chair, and out the door. “We’re like a family now, having worked so closely for so long. I hope we’ll be able to welcome more staff to our dental family soon!”
Claus Gamborg Nielsen.
Web: www.hvitesmil.no Facebook: Tannlegesenteret Hvite Smil Instagram: @hvitesmil.no
May 2022 |
Issue 142
|
23
