Hygge: "Coziness and Comfort"

This past week, a friend shared with me the meaning of hygge [hoo-ga] and it has become my mantra this fall season:

"A Danish and Norwegian word for a mood of coziness and comfortable conviviality with feelings of wellness and contentment. It comes from a Danish word meaning 'to give courage, comfort, joy; a form of everyday togetherness.' It is speculated that hyggee originated from the word hug. Hygge refers to a pleasant and highly valued everyday experience of safety, equality, personal wholeness and a spontaneous social flow."

As we transition into the second half of the quiet fall, we start to feel the change of seasons, emotionally, physically, and mentally. I don't know about you, but I have been feeling a lower amount of energy and motivation this past few weeks. I would rather be snuggled up on a couch near a fire surrounded by my family and friends during this time. However, as with most things in life, these physical seasons come and go. Often times, we forget how we felt even one year ago during this same time period; it is almost as if we are here for the first time, yet also, for the hundredth time. We realize each season brings something new; new meaning, new people, new experiences, new beginnings and it's in our power to trust the flow of the seasons.

However, with the quiet and calm attached to the fall, soon to follow are the many emotions that accompany the holiday season. This season often brings with it mixed emotions of joy, love, hope, and celebration, while also bringing feelings of "busyness," anxiety, and stress. These latter emotions may seem to consume or even control us in the forms of expectations and "perfectionism;" the "perfect" gift, the "perfect" family gathering, the "perfect" Christmas experience. To move through this season, I encourage you to take a deep breath, maybe a few, and be present.

Over the years, I have come to learn that a hygge life is a life for me; cozy, comfortable environments for people to learn, share, grow, and celebrate. Reflecting on the past 28 years, I realize that this quality has been passed down from my parents. My mom and dad prioritize bringing together family and friends to share in laughter, fun, and joy. Either in the form of a dinner party, group vacation, spontaneous trip, or cozy night-in watching a movie, they continuously embrace the everyday moments, creating so much love and joy in the process so that the ordinary moments became extraordinary.

"Joy comes to us in ordinary moments. We risk missing out when we get too 'busy' chasing down the extraordinary." Brené Brown

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I hope this post can be a guide to help you infuse a little extra hygge vibes during the change of seasons:

1. Open the curtains to welcome in the light

2. Start your morning with time to yourself without your phone

3. Collect inspiring quotes

4. Put on a comfortable outfit that makes you feel good

5. Laugh; laughter increases the "feel-good" endorphins

6. Write your personal mission statement

7. Go for a walk outside and take in your surroundings

8. Write a list of intentions/goals

9. Curl up on the couch and do some knitting, coloring, or reading

10. Call someone you miss

11. Write down three things you are grateful for today

12. Journal: reflect on where you have been and where you are headed

13. Write a letter to your future self

14. Have lunch with an old friend

15. Smile and take a deep breath, you can do this!

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"Hygge: a calm, comfortable time with people you love, a complete absence of frustrations or anything emotionally overwhelming. Often enjoyed with good food and drinks, warm blankets and candlelight. Friends, family, graciousness, contentment, good feelings; a warm glow; a ritual of enjoying life's simple pleasures. This is happiness."

1. What does hygge look like for you in your life?

2. Which experiences create positive energy, love, new understanding, and joy for you?

3. How can you create time and space for the ordinary moments?