10 Ways to Embrace Hygge and Pursue Everyday Happiness

You've probably been feeling it for quite a while now.

Maybe, like me, you've been trying to ignore it. Or maybe not — maybe you were ready for fall, ready to embrace the call to go inward, welcoming cooler breezes and pumpkin spice everything with a wildly beating heart.

Either way, it's here now.

Fall

Autumn

The downward slide to the Holidays

Hygge season

(pronounced "hoo·guh")

If you've been around the Togetherness Redefined interwebs for a while, you know all about hygge and how embracing it can be exponentially good for your family life, your creativity, and especially your weary soul. (And if you've had as many sniffles, coughs, and sickies in your house lately as I've had in mine, you need it right about now.) But it's good to have an annual reminder, hey?

& if you're new here and haven't yet heard of the "Danish Secret to Happy Living" that is hygge, you're in for such a treat . . .

Here’s how you can embrace it ⤵⤵⤵

➳ Flannel

Try flannel sheets and flannel pajama pants, maybe even a new flannel blanket or two. Let it make you feel comfortable and snuggly - so much easier to shake off the harsh, cold busyness we can so easily slip into.

➳ Hot drinks

Tea, coffee, and cocoa are the staples, but anything that makes you want to settle in and get cozy works.

➳ Warm meals

Waffles, crepes, and oats for breakfast. Paninis, quesadillas, and soups for lunch. Pasta, curry dishes, and casseroles for dinner. It's all about the warmth.

➳ Candles

Lighting just one little candle can make a person happier and draw people into the same space. 

➳ Blankets & Books

Try not to think of blankets and books scattered around your house as making a space look messy or too informal. Instead, put blankets and books in every room and watch how inviting it feels. (Watch how much easier it becomes to snuggle in and read for a whole afternoon.)

➳ Walking & Biking in the woods

Get out of the house for a walk or bike ride in the woods every day. It makes coming home and cuddling in together that much sweeter.

➳ Baking & Board Games

Cake is a very hygge thing to eat. So are pies, breads, and all kinds of baked goods — anything that makes the house smell yummy and promotes coziness. Bake something, place it on the kitchen counter, politely place your favorite board game out on the dining room table, and watch what happens next.

➳ Warm colors

When the leaves change to deep reds, yellows, oranges, purples, and browns, let yourself be drawn to those colors inside, too. Bring out all of the warm shades in blankets and pillows.

➳ Gathering around a fire

Celebrate the first fire of the season in your wood stove. Watch each person in your circle come close and forget about everything else for a little while. (& if you live somewhere too warm for an indoor fire, have one outside or put one on the TV)

➳ Staying home

Embrace your inner introvert for a night, a weekend, or longer, and snuggle up at home.

➳

"You know hygge when you see it. It is when you are cuddled up on a sofa with a loved one, or sharing comfort food with your closest friends.

It is those crisp blue mornings when the light through your window is just right.

It is about gratitude and savoring the simple pleasures in life.

In short, it is the pursuit of everyday happiness."

— from The Little Book of Hygge by Meik Wiking

➳

Whoever you are, whatever you’re up to this weekend, I hope you find plenty of coziness & heaps of everyday happiness with the ones you love.

& I’ll see you right back here — or at my email party —  next Friday.