Getting your hygge on.....

I'm not sure when I first became aware of hygge. Actually, that's not quite true. I have always been aware of hygge, I just wasn't aware, that what I was aware of, was hygge..... that it had a name.

Let me explain. Hygge is a Danish word and a Danish 'thing', a way of life and living for them. The Danes are always way up there in the lists of top happiest nations so if it works for them....

HYGGE: what do we know?

•It is a Danish word that can be best described as enjoying life’s simple pleasures. It’s about surrounding yourself with the things that make life good and make us feel good. 

•It is something that was created as a concept and lifestyle by the Danish in the 18th century and is now a fundamental part of their culture.

 •The hygge lifestyle is credited as being one of the reasons why Denmark is always at the top of the list of the world’s happiest countries.

 •The closest English translation is the word ‘cosy’. 

•It is derived from an Old Norwegian term ‘hugga’, meaning to comfort and to console, which is related to the English word ‘hug’.

How I hygge:

·I have a particularly lovely oversized china cup and saucer with roses on that I like to drink my tea from. I find that really relaxing and soothing. 

·I have dragonflies around the house in memory of my mum and they give me a sense of comfort and wellbeing.

 ·I have a pile of lovely blankies and throws on the back of my sofa for whenever I need them. 

·I feed the birds around the outside of my house and love to watch them from the window. 

·I have been known to keep my Christmas tree up until the end of February because it brings me so much joy. It’s so pretty. Last year I kept it up till the end  of April! 

·I love lighting, lamps, candles  and twinkly ‘fairy’ lights. I find them so relaxing. 

·I now use the term ’get your HYGGE on’ when preparing people for a Mindfulness session. (it means; get comfy and cosy, go somewhere quiet, turn off your phone, put a blanket on and relax..)

And finally.....some hygge related words and their meanings.

•Hyggelig   Hygge-like 

• Hyggekrog   the cosy little corner where you curl up to get comfy

• Hyggespreder   someone who tells others about the joys of Hygge 

•Hyggesokker   cosy, comfy socks, often wool 

•Hyggebukser   those stretchy leggings or fitness trousers that you would not be seen dead in outside but you practically live in them for your Netflix binge watching and duvet days

So why not create a Hyggekrog and pop on some Hyggesokker and get your hygge on? 

Lindsey aka The Pink Dragonfly 

Self-confessed Hyggespreder.