If sitting at home in your underwear with a G&T or a Negroni in your hand is just another Friday night for you, then congratulations, you are now on trend.
A new book, recently released, points out that this behaviour isn’t as anti-social or odd as everyone has made out, it’s actually a new Nordic wellness movement. Päntsdrunk, which is really just an anglicised word for the Finnish kalsarikänni, a term that literally means “drinking at home, alone, in your pants” is now the new relaxation and wellness buzzword.
Finally, what we’ve all been secretly doing for years is now not only acceptable but has a basis derived from Nordic tradition – so you know it must be good.
Could it really be that simple?
Over the last few years, the world has been obsessed with Nordic lifestyle trends. And why not, they are an area of the world that is constantly believed to be happier than any other. So in an attempt to find calm in an insane world, we are using their examples for living in an attempt to find that elusive concept of happiness, that will eventually make sense of it all.
First, we looked to the Danish with their hygge and then to the Swedish with their lagom, but trust the Finnish to eventually come up with an option that we can all truly get behind. And it goes to show that the answers, as we all secretly knew, are in fact where we always thought they’d be – at the bottom of a bottle.
But maybe that is a far too simplistic view. As the book tells us “If the aim of pantsdrunk is simply to get drunk, then you’ve missed the point”.
So what is the point? Well, according to the book, pantsdrunk is all about creating a philosophy of life that starts with inner peace, which apparently not only sounds great, but conveniently comes with comfortable clothing, snacks, a moderate amount of alcohol and a diversionary device.
Yep, according to the author, bingeing on Netflix, scrolling mindlessly on your phone, consuming a combination of sweet and salty snacks, indulging in sofa time, and blocking all work communications, will lead you to a healthier, more energised and relaxing life.
Helpful tips
As you might have guessed the book is billed as an “an irreverent parody of popular ‘happiness’ books” but still comes with some handy tips on mixology. As the book points out, pantsdrunk is never about showing off your mixology skills, but instead, the construction of drinks should originate purely from personal cravings.
In an aim to say yes to relaxation and no to stress, the book recommends cocktails such as a Sangria, a Gin Rickey and a Pimm’s Lemonade.
While there is never a shortage of trendy suggestions for ways to live our lives, the book has some helpful suggestions on what not to do while pantsdrunk-ing. Advanced Yoga poses, buying stocks, tattooing, electrical repairs, clearing the air with an ex or contacting childhood acquaintances are just some of the suggestions.
Yet possibly the most remarkable thing about the Päntsdrunk trend is that it encourages solitude. In a universe where people are constantly in touch with one another, it’s good to have a reminder every once in a while that there’s nothing wrong with spending a night alone focusing on what you want instead of anyone else’s needs.
Sure, it may not be as Instagrammable as hygge, but it sounds a lot more fun.
Päntsdrunk is available through amazon.com
