I Was an Overpacker All My Life Until I Did This 1 Thing

Fun fact: lagom is pronounced "lah-gom," and as I mentioned earlier, it translates to "just the right amount." Think of ways you can incorporate the mentality into your lifestyle. Whether it's by unplugging from your social media and taking a break during your trip or, in my case, figuring out how not to overpack, you can test it out on any facet of your life.

When I go on a trip, I tend to haphazardly create a small list of things I need to pack, but I never commit to actually making the time to create a thorough one. For my trip to Stockholm, I started off by creating a list of all the outfits I had in mind: a chunky red sweater that was super cozy, a pair of boots that were versatile and didn't give me blisters, and a really cute dress I had been meaning to wear. Keep in mind your list doesn't have to be fancy (you can even scribble it all out on a piece of paper); it just has to get the job done.

This is an important step to take. Luckily for me, the brand had disclosed what activities we were going to do each day, so it was easy to figure out what type of clothes I had to pack from there. Take a second to map out any excursions and activities you are planning to do on your vacation. This will help you decide which practical pieces you can't do without.

For example, I knew we were going on a boat ride and it was going to be windy, so I packed my denim shearling jacket, which I could wear on a daily basis. It was warm, comfortable, and stylish.

I also packed a pair of sturdy black boots that not only matched everything but were also great for all of the excursions we had during the trip.

It's always easy to forget about the weather when you're going on a trip, especially when you're just focusing on what outfit is the cutest. Take a minute to look up the weather for the days you'll be at the destination and add it to the list you created. If it's raining and you don't want to lug a pair of rain boots with you, see if there's a pair of boots you can wear during the day that you don't mind getting wet. Is it going to be windy? Maybe it's a good idea to pack an extra layer that's easy to slip off.

Pro tip: at night, I opted for my leather jacket, which acted as a fancy alternative to my denim jacket. It was an easy way to stay warm and dress up my look.

Look at your list and the items you've decided on, and then find ways to downsize. Is there a coat you can wear every day? Instead of packing a pair of heels for each night, is there a pair of heels that match with everything? (I still found a happy medium by packing a dress for each night but downsizing on the number of shoes I carried.) This is when you should think about items that are multifunctional — like my leather jacket for all the dinners / late-night excursions because it was functional and stylish.

Pro tip: an easy way to downsize if you're planning on going out at night is to pack one pair of heels that match everything.

Pro tip: if you end up getting bored of your heels, you can always swap them out for your black boots.

Now that you've considered everything, it's time to get packing! You'll quickly notice that the number of items you started out with has significantly decreased in size and, in turn, you've found a sense of lagom — at least when it comes to packing.

Here's a list of the key pieces I ended up packing for the trip:

Most importantly, don't forget to unwind and relax on your trip!