‘Hygge’ (pronounced Hue-guh not Hoo-gah, apparently), is a Danish word that fully embraces the feeling being cosy, of seeking contentment and wellness through comfort.
As you may well imagine, upon discovery of this magnificent word, it was like everything I had been searching for in life had been found. That’s dramatic, you say? Well, perhaps, but i’ve spent my life seeking peak-cosiness and to know there’s an actual word that epitomises this? Heaven.
During this unprecedented time I feel like I haven’t made the most of being at home and making time to feel truly ‘present’. When I haven’t been working, i’ve been obsessing over trying to improve the content on my blog and we all know how quickly time can slip away when you’re scrolling through Instagram or staring at a computer screen, so, as a result, it’s been my mission to implement small elements of Hygge into my day to day life and I thought I would share a few examples;
Have a slow morning
In such a fast paced world where instance gratification is part of our every day lives, slow living is considered a bit of a phenomenon, a specific way of life that people actively choose to adopt, rather than the natural pace. Now that we’re suddenly being forced to slow down, it’s something worth embracing while we have the time to.
One of the things I appreciate most about working from home full time at the moment is the opportunity to wake up early, make a cup of tea and go back to bed with a book for an hour. My dog, Oscar, has recently taken to spending the morning with me which is bringing me extra comfort and I find i’m far less anxious about the day ahead with this small comforting routine in place.
Whether you prefer to jump out of bed in the morning, down a litre of water and sweat your morning away with an intense HIIT class, or whether you don’t is irrelevant, making the most of having those extra couple of hours in the morning to do exactly what you want is the perfect opportunity to start implementing Hygge into your day.
Set up your ‘office’
If you’re fortunate enough to still be working and, even better, working from home, now is the perfect time to create a Hygge-filled office space. As all the bloggers are telling us, it’s important to find distinctions in your work to life balance now and creating an actual work space can build toward that balance, however, being able to make the space cosy and calming is one of the perks of working from home, right?
I really like having a clear, uncluttered desk. Luckily i’m fairly paper-free thanks to the way my company operates, so I don’t have loads of paper or notes filling up space. I keep a note book for quick doodles when on the phone but otherwise it’s just my laptops and whatever snack i’ve got on the go.
Go for walks
I don’t find myself wanting to go for a walk every day and I think it’s important to listen to your own body in times like these and not be too harsh on yourself if you choose not to exercise or get out into the sun. With my dad at home and able to walk the dog during the week, I don’t have that responsibility forcing me to get out of the house so I’m really only going for a walk in the evening if I feel like it.
It sounds like I’m disagreeing with my own advice but the truth is when I do finally venture outside, I’m much happier for it; I feel fresher, calmer and energised, but aside from that it also puts the world to rights. If you’re cooped up in your house all day you can start to overthink, worry and build unnecessary anxieties so stepping out into the real world can help to put everything into perspective.
Indulge
Don’t worry if you don’t feel like working out and you find yourself baking more often, contrary to what fitness-instagram says, now does not have to be the time to work on your ‘summer body’. Motivation levels might be low and you need to be kind to yourself, so if that means binge-watching Friends, eating chocolate every evening with a glass of wine and snuggling under a blanket then so be it.
Create a nighttime routine
Implementing Hygge into your evenings could have a multitude of benefits; regardless of the kind of day you’ve had, finishing on a high note, in maximum comfort, is bound to help with de-stressing and could help you have a better night’s sleep, whether that’s by pampering yourself in a bath with lotions or potions or simply sitting in bed with a book and a cup of tea, there’s no right or wrong answer here, which is why Hygge is so perfect.
Hygge is about the small things, you create it wherever you go and in whatever capacity you can. When I went travelling and I struggled to get used to living in a hostel with strangers and having no personal space, I would sleep with a scarf that was big enough to be a blanket and I’d watch Only Fools & Horses or Friends to help me get to sleep, this little activity brought me so much comfort amongst such a big change in situation. In times like this, if you’re like me, I think it’s important to seek whatever cosy atmosphere you can at any opportunity.
I’d love to know your Hygge routines?
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