Are you ready for some hygge? I know I am. The weather is turning cooler and even more days are expected to be spent at home and inside. If “cabin fever” has not already set it, you might want to prepare to ward it off, and if it has already set it, keep reading for some ways to send it packing.
First, you might be asking, “what the heck is hygge”? It’s pronounced “Hoo-gah”. I know – how can something that is spelled like that be pronounced “Hoo-gah”!?
“Hygge… is a Scandinavian way of life that celebrates coziness, shared meals, and companionable interactions with loved ones. Emphasizing warmth, kinship, and an appreciation for the little things, hygge is a perspective on life that started in Denmark and has contributed to the nation’s consistently high happiness ratings. Now, Americans are turning to hygge as a way to find happiness from within.”
Brinton Parker, (December 10, 2019), 11 Ways to Embrace the Hygge Lifestyle This Season. PopSugar
Hygge is a great way to embrace self-care that extends to all family members. Think about all the things you love about your home and the things you like to do there that provide that much-needed extra layer of comfort.
I just put together my hygge list to support and comfort me:
- Time alone in the comfy leather chair in my office for journaling my thoughts and renewing myself spiritually
- Adjusting my power chair in the den and watching a PBS Nova nature series program with my husband. (I love the ones about the big cats!)
- Sipping on a warm cup of cocoa with mini-marshmallows
- Decorating my home with items of personal family memories (I’ll show you around soon and point out all the “old things” that are so special to me!)
- Watching HGTV – any shows on HGTV (personally, I love the Property Brothers and Home Town, among many others!)
- Putting on an eye mask and listening to soothing music as I take a short afternoon nap
- Curling up (OK – I mean metaphorically curling; it has been a long time since my knees allowed me to actually curl up!) with my iPad to play Candy Crush, Soda Crush, Hearts and Rummy. I’m ashamed to tell you how high I’ve gotten on Candy Crush. I am curbing my “addiction”.
- Playing Sudoku and Kakuro. There is just something satisfying about being able to solve one of these puzzles.
Now, how about you? Do you have a hygge list, even if you don’t call it that? Comment or email me at vicki@herlifehacks.com and let me know one or two things on your hygge list. I would love to be able to write a post of collective hygge experiences.
Want to know more about hygge? Here are links to several popular books about hygge.
https://amzn.to/3jLmUId is the link to the book in the featured photo at the beginning of this article.
And here is a link to two popular books on Amazon – https://amzn.to/35SUgA6 .
Finally, coloring books are very comforting activities on the hygge list of a lot of people. Here is where you can get a hygge coloring book: https://amzn.to/382GwW9.
Get started now on your hygge fall and winter. It will help comfort you through these times.