This festive season is the perfect time to inject a little hygge into your home. This Nordic game-changer is the key to warmth, comfort and homeliness during the holidays. Here are a few ways you can bring a bit of hygge into your life!

Hygge – pronounced hoo-gah– is all about creating a sense of cosiness and contentment within the present moment. You don’t need any extravagance or grandeur to pull off this concept, it’s all about finding joy and comfort in the little things.  The Danes have a finely attuned sense of hygge, having created a few words for things around us that capture the feeling. Take a look at some of the common household and clothing items you probably have yourself:

• Hyggebukser: This refers to that pair of pants that are your favourite lounging-around attire.
• Hyggekrog: This refers to relaxing spots in your home like that comforting armchair or a cute nook in the lounge room.
• Hyggesokker: While the Danes call their regular socks sokker,they also have a word for socks that encapsulate the concept of hygge, and these are, of course, your favourite comfy pair of socks. 

Here are 5 easy ways to get a bit of hygge in your home!

Set up some cosy décor

To create a cosy atmosphere in your home, it’s all about your surroundings. Simply setting out a few candles can take the atmosphere from cold and clinical to warm and cosy. Scented candles might also be ideal to evoke that sense of hygge as scent has been found to stir up memories, so any scents that take you back to good times are the ones to favour. Or you might go for lavender or peppermint scents as they’re both known for their calming influence. Hygge is also about minimalism, so you don’t need to have expensive furniture and decadent art, just moving around the items you already have – or even decluttering the room – can evoke a sense of hygge. Remember to keep the lights low, the music peaceful and the décor minimalistic. 

Spend time with friends and family

Hygge is not just about physical things, it’s also about cultivating bonds and warmth between people. In fact, sometimes people can bring more comfort than the TV, so switch off your screens and mute social media while you spend some time with loved ones. This allows you to stay in the present moment, while computers and phones often sap our attention and take us out of our present surroundings. You could spend this time having a D&M sesh, or even play boardgames together. You might also enjoy cooking or baking together, along with enjoying some outdoor time cycling or roller skating with your loved ones. Quality time with the people you love is sure to evoke the contented feelings of hygge. 

Head outside

Hygge doesn’t just centre around your home, you can also get a dose of it from natural surroundings. This is the time to head out to your favourite reserves to go exploring, or if you’re a hiker then the mountains might be your ideal place of nature. You can even head down to the local park and bird watch – whatever you do, just be sure to head outside for some sunlight and a bit of nature. You could even combine quality time with loved ones with some outdoor time – you might consider a camping trip in a national park, surrounded by calming bird sounds, flowing water and a crackling fire with a mug of tea in-hand. Sounds cosy, right?

A few more simple tips to hygge-up your life:

• Fresh-baked bread will fill the home with a warming, comforting scent.
• A crackling fire is one of the best ways to hygge up your home.
• Practising gratitude also helps to give a sense of cosiness.
• You can tailor hygge to yourself, if there’s something that brings you comfort – go for it!

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