An introduction to Hygge:
For those who are affected by the seasons, winter can be a dreary time. So many of us paint a bleak picture of the colder seasons with wintery showers keeping us huddled indoors.
Well, what if it wasn't all doom and gloom? What if the idea of huddling indoors was something to look forward to instead of dreaded? Enter, Hygge!
For those of you who have never heard of Hygge it is a Danish term (apparently pronounced "Hoo-guah") which has been the focus of much attention over recent years. Essentially the Danes and the Norwegians compete for the top slot each year in The World's Happiest Country award!
The Happiness Institute (yes, that is a thing!) has looked into what makes this the case and have found that in Denmark, where they have seriously long and cold winters, the nation has embraced the positives from their enforced lifestyle and woven them into their cultural heritage. Thus Hygge was born.
There is no direct translation but think cosy, warmth, companionship, comfort, happiness, pleasure and wellbeing and you're not far off the mark! But how can we get a little Hygge in our lives? We can't all live in a Scandinavian style log cabin with open fires and hot chocolate on the go 24/7 but there are many ways to apply the principles of the Hygge manifesto to your own routine.
In the Lantern office this morning I just had my desk lamp on with a nice coffee from across the road and I took ten minutes to sit with my book and read a little more with a chocolate biscuit and some nice chilled music playing in the background! Little effort, maximum reward!
There are plenty of ways to bring some comfort and warmth to your routine with the application of a bit of thought and effort:
Rain stopped play on a Sunday afternoon? Call the kids down and sit with the family with blankets and an afternoon film!
Friend cancelled last minute? Pull open a box of chocolates, treat yourself to a glass of something nice and get curled up with the fire on and your favourite book!
Saving up for Christmas? Instead of going to the pub get a couple of friends round to have a simple supper and light the candles for a change to create a cosy atmosphere with some nice music and time to chill out together.
Whether on your own or with company there are many ways that a tiny tweak will shift your routine to something that will genuinely give you pleasure and support your inner wellbeing needs.
Have a browse over the manifesto below and see if you can spot any opportunities to bring a bit of Hygge into your life. If you decide you want to know more, I'd highly recommend the book in my picture titled "The Little Book of Hygge" by Meik Wiking.
Have fun and enjoy your winter!
