You know the feeling when you’re sitting in a cozy chair, you’ve lit your favorite candle, the windows are open, and fresh air and sunshine pour in as you crack open a book you’ve been dying to read? That’s hygge. In Danish and Norwegian, hygge is described as a mood of coziness, wellness, and contentment. Here are some simple ways to incorporate this idea into your daily life.
Make Time for Quality Time
To incorporate hygge into your daily life, prioritize spending quality time with family and friends. Why not host a dinner party with delicious food, good drinks, board games, and the best company?
Ditch Multitasking
You may think you thrive while multitasking, but to truly embrace hygge, you must slow down. So if you find yourself replying to work emails or accepting phone calls while trying to relax, it’s time to realign your focus and maybe turn your phone on “do not disturb.”
Love and Meaning
Look around your home. Are you surrounded by things that make you happy? You can probably guess we’re going to tell you to channel your inner Marie Kondo by surrounding yourself with things that bring you joy and have meaning.
The Simple Life
From the clothes you wear and the makeup you put on to the meals you cook and lunches you pack, keep it simple. Sure, sometimes it’s fun to be a little extra, but when it comes to everyday life, remove as much stress as possible and stick to simple ’fits and ingredients.
Alt-Lighting
Adjusting your home’s lighting is an easy way to create hygge vibes. Instead of overhead lights, opt for soft, alternative lighting such as lamps, candles, or twinkly lights.
Closing Time
For workaholics, this one will be a challenge, but leaving work at a reasonable hour can do wonders for your contentment.
Slow Down and Smell the Cakes, Cookies, and Pies
One of our favorite ways to incorporate hygge into daily life? Baking. It doesn’t matter if you’re skilled at it, baking is the ultimate hygge activity. It forces you to focus on a single task, relieving stress, and the smell of freshly baked goods fills your home. Plus, you’ll also have a tasty treat to enjoy later.
Deprivation Is Never the Answer
Hygge is all about enjoying the finer things in life, like a larger slice of chocolate cake. Don’t deprive yourself of what brings you joy – especially if it’s something as simple as your favorite pasta dish or a warm slice of homemade bread.
Constantly Comfortable
Another way to incorporate hygge into your life? Dressing for comfort. But don’t think dressing for comfort means you can’t be stylish!
Bookish Ways
As if you needed a reason to curl up with a good book, right? No shocker that reading is another way to channel hygge.
Takeout and Netflix Never Go Out of Style
Hygge doesn’t have to be all candles, books, and cake. Incorporating hygge into your daily life can be as simple as ordering takeout and binge-watching your favorite Netflix series.