What is hygge and how to create it in your life?
We’re all about cozy vibes over here and nothing sums up this cozy, content, warm feeling better than the Danish word ‘hygge’. Defined as that ‘quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being’, hygge is being snowed in a log cabin with warm mulled wine and a roaring fire, or being wrapped up in a blanket with the rain outside whilst playing a board game with a hot chocolate. It’s comfort, it’s warmth, it’s candles and fuzzy socks and warm baths.
Hygge is everything good about winter and it’s all about creating an ambience of warmth. Hygge is also a person - that grandma who always smells of apple pie, whose warm embrace when you arrive at her home makes you feel warm inside. It’s that nurse who helped put a plaster on you when you scraped your knee and smiled at you with such sincerity it made you feel safe. Hygge is the person you feel at home with, whoever that is.
Hygge, pronounced ‘hoo-ga’, is what I create here with my videos and the lovely things I have on my website, and so I wanted to share more with you about what it is and how you can create a hygge home or space for yourself.
How can you create a feeling of hygge in your home or space?
As mentioned, hygge is a Danish concept and it’s one that is thoroughly ingrained in the culture over there. If freedom is the cornerstone of the American dream, then hygge is the cornerstone of the Danish. It’s no surprise then that this could be one of the reasons why Denmark is consistently ranked as one of the top 10 places to live in the world - I know for sure I’d love to live in a hygge world all year round! The Danes have remarkably bleak winters, rainy and cold and dark, but because of their love for making the most of these darker months - creating warm, inviting and safe spaces - they have made the best out of what some people might say is a bad setup.
The word hygge actually comes from a Norwegian word meaning well-being, so you can see how the feeling of comfort and coziness - the sort of feeling I love to create over here - is inextricably linked to feeling happy and content.
Without knowing, my channel and website have created a hygge space for tens of thousands of people who come to enjoy the cozy, warm, inspiring vibes of my videos and content. The cat curled up on your lap with candles burning and reading a fantasy book - this is what I and my amazing followers love to create. Creating a hygge space isn’t hard, either.. it’s simply about warmth, comfort and simplicity.
Candles
One of the most important parts of creating a hygge space is candles. The Danes go mad for them because they’re so simple, cheap and effective at instantly creating that signature hygge feeling. Even just one simple candle will make your room feel cozier and more lived in, and it doesn’t have to be a scented one, in fact, too many scented candles will create a different sort of ambience. So pick up whichever candles you love and light them up to instantly create that hygge feeling.
A cozy nook
The word hygge tends to be added on to the end of lots of other Danish words, for example, ‘hyggekrog’ which I personally love! This means a cozy nook - think a reading corner or windowsill, with cushions and blankets and a hot water bottle - could you think of a cozier and more inviting space? Whether you have a full window-bay or simply a corner of your room, taking some time to place some cushions, string up some fairy lights and add your favorite blanket will create the most beautiful hygge space for you to cozy up and read for an hour. The hygge life is all about slowing down, being appreciative of the small things and enjoying the peace and quiet of a dark, tranquil, warming space. It’s exactly what I love to create on my videos and the ambience I infuse into my work truly is the epitome of the hygge life we all deserve.
Food and drink
The hygge feeling can also be used when talking about different food and drink, so as you’re creating your hygge space, have a think about a cozy beverage or snack too. A warm hot chocolate, glass of mulled wine or hot cider is certainly a hygge drink to be proud of, and a warm cinnamon bun, bowl of hot soup or freshly baked bread roll is equally as hygge-inducing. It’s all about those cozy vibes over here and I can’t wait to settle down in my cozy nook, with my hot chocolate and warm bun to read some pages of my favorite fantasy novel for a few hours…is there anything more dreamy?
Homemade
One other aspect of hygge is the idea of creating things from scratch. Spending a few hours on a Sunday afternoon cooking for your family is definitely hygge, as is spending time hand-making all your Christmas cards. Knitting, macrame, doing a puzzle - these are all hygge activities, but in particular taking the time to make something in your home, using your hands and the things you have lying around, this is the epitome of the concept. Also, tying into the food and drink, preserving food is another great hygge activity. Cook jams, make pickles and relishes and salt-baked fish - anything that takes some extra care and attention to lovingly make will create the full hygge experience.
Some things that aren’t hygge, but that it could be tempting to say are? Scrolling on your phone all day whilst under your blankets is not hygge! Ok, sometimes it’s nice to chill out and mindlessly scroll, but hygge is all about enjoying the experience and consciously taking the time to create it. Baking is a true hygge activity so instead of scrolling, why not make those cinnamon buns from scratch? Also, purchasing loads of new things just to put in your hygge space could be considered anti-hygge. Again, the feelings of hygge comes from foraging, from using what you have in a new way to create a beautiful space, it’s not just about popping to Target to pick up fresh-out-the-box blankets and cushions. Embrace the old, reuse things you have, go to a goodwill and sew your own pillowcases (a super-hygge thing to do!), and by doing this, you’ll appreciate your hygge experience so much more.