That Hygge Life

Hygge is a Danish lifestyle concept that is full of greatness and, even if you've never heard of it, is completely necessary for your life.

While hygge can be a little tricky to pronounce, it's super easy to achieve. (In case you're curious how to say it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FL7p2NkAJss) There's no direct translation in English, but in How To Hygge, Signe Johansen describes it as a feeling of coziness, kinship, and conviviality. Isn't that just the best word ever?

My fascination with hygge began last fall when I visited Stockholm. (I know - Stockholm is in Sweden and not Denmark, but the idea is definitely present there even if they don’t use the word.) I spent a week walking around this beautiful city & ended up falling completely in love with it. The energy was calmer, but still positive and fun.  It was so different than Los Angeles and I made it my mission to incorporate hygge into my daily life as much as I could when I came home.

Since that trip, I've Googled, read a ton of books, followed a bunch of new Insta accounts (this one is my fave: https://www.instagram.com/hyggelife/). Now, it’s a full-blown obsession. 

Here are my personal keys to achieving hygge on the daily:

CANDLES        

Because it got darker much earlier in Sweden, homes and restaurants all lit tons of candles at dusk, giving the whole world a soft glow. I’d be walking to dinner and was struck by all these families taking time to be together, just strolling around in the warm light. I know I’m romanticizing it, but it was truly lovely.  Now, I light candles whenever and wherever I can. They're a relatively inexpensive way to make everything prettier, they smell good, and there’s something comforting about having them burning. So, light 'em up!

GET OUTSIDE

Scandinavians are the freaking happiest people on the planet, and I'm convinced it's because they're so active - especially outdoors. Even though most of us can't snowboard or ski daily, just taking a ten minute walk can make the biggest difference in your mindset. Do it, and do it often. I know the Glitter Pups are much happier now because they get way more (albeit sometimes shorter, oddly timed) walks. I just take them whenever I can, even if it's just around the block. It's made a huge difference for all of us.

COFFEE

I'm half Swedish, and coffee hour was "fika" in our house when I was growing up.  Fika is also a big part of hygge. Warm drinks, yummy snacks, and chatting with friends are all good for the soul, and making a point to do it daily is important.

I try to make it special, even if I'm just making coffee for myself at home. I use a pretty mug an choose either something homemade or from the bakery section to snack on. Nothing fancy or expensive, just something not preprocessed.

EMBRACE THE SIMPLE

This is what I love most about this whole thing - it's so easy. You don't need to buy any special equipment or exotic ingredients to make this happen. I mean, if you need a reason to buy cozy sweaters, slippers, and great coffee, here it is. No question about it. But it really is more of a mental thing than a physical one. Complex and overblown have no place in this way of being, and that's what makes it perfection.

Please let me know if this inspired you at all and if you've been able to work any of these into your lives! If you did, what happened?