While recently scrolling on Pinterest, I stumbled upon the concept of hygge. Pronounced “hoo-gah,” hygge is a Danish concept about celebrating the little joys in life, especially during the cold winter months when your mood takes a drastic shift due to the dark and chilly weather outside. Hygge is all about embracing warmth and comfort while slowing down life to be truly present in the moment. With finals season, hectic holidays, and bitter cold days, it’s important to practice the art of slowing down this season to bring a greater sense of peace and awareness back to life.
To bring mindfulness into your winter routine through hygge, putting down your phone is the first start. While on our phones, it can be hard to live in the present and slow down with the constant flow of social media and notifications. Picking up a book instead or making time to see friends in person is the perfect way to bring comfort and relaxation into our lives especially since they can provide valuable connections and moments that a phone simply cannot do.
On the same page as being mindful and putting down your phone, prioritizing relaxation is a key element of adopting the concept of hygge into your life. From things like bundling up in blankets with a good book in bed to putting on layers upon layers to take a walk and get a little bit of vitamin D outside, relaxing can come in all forms. Giving yourself the time, space, and grace to relax and reset is crucial, especially when life gets chaotic and it feels like there’s no time to slow down.
By slowing down in life, we can embrace simplicity and all of the joys that come with it. Little things like soft mood lighting, candles, and thick blankets can all make your space feel calm and collected. Since your environment often reflects your mood and how you’re feeling at the moment, by keeping it simple and clean it can make a world of a difference. Also, things like stocking up on warm, easy meals and hot drinks or practicing your favorite self care ritual at home can make your environment much more enriching since you’ll have something to look forward to throughout the day.
Another way of practicing hygge is by not being afraid to indulge and treat yourself. Whether it’s buying a coffee after completing a difficult assignment or setting aside an hour a day to watch your favorite show, treating yourself is not selfish, yet necessary to keep motivation and spirits high during cold, gloomy months. Hygge overall is all about the concept of prioritizing your needs and getting the rest and relaxation that people often neglect. Through making your space a home, relaxing, and being present, incorporating hygge into your winter routine can be sweet, simple, and the perfect way to make it through the winter.