Written by Daz Burns
Have you heard about the concept of Hygge? Until recently I hadn’t either! But since hearing about it, I am a BIG fan and want to share it with you!
Winter.
She’s been chilly.
And I could take up your time with winter motivation and positive angles on how you might be feeling.
But, let’s be honest.
You don’t need it.
You can be your own cheerleader.
You can boost your own vibe.
You can make your own choices.
And if we are being SUPER honest, you must have heard about ‘burnout’ and the ‘mid year slump’ about 100 times in the last week from different organisations trying to get you to buy something to brighten up your life.
So, how can I be helpful?
There is a cool concept called Hygge that originated in Denmark that I am a big fan of, because it is simple and all about things that I value.
It’s all about creating a warm atmosphere and enjoying the good things in life with good people.
And even more of a bonus, is that it doesn’t have to cost anything to do it!
Hopefully my extremely quick summary on Hygge will be useful for you too.
I will tell you the areas of Hygge that resonate with me, how I drill them down to help me remember them and then I’ll share some easy ideas that you can try at home and at work to bring the Hygge vibe for the rest of winter.
When I drill down Hygge here are the focus areas that resonate with me:
- Prioritising the people in my life and being in good company.
- Doing my best to enjoy life and all its moments.
- Creating atmosphere and comfort in my home (in particular, warmth… you see why this is good for winter now, right?!)
- Savouring moments and appreciating the little things (I can often run past them and miss them).
- Choosing to take my time, be present and engage in my surroundings.
- Making time spent with people I care about, quality time (this is a constant challenge with the pull of various priorities, but when those small humans aka my gorgeous children want my attention, they should see my eyes totally focused on them).
- Purposefully blocking out distractions (very much an ongoing work in progress).
- Being intent on reminding myself that life is good (feeling the hard bits, but finding a light to hold onto).
When I try to whittle them down further to be quick reminders:
- Gratitude
- Shelter (this is our tribe. This is our place of peace and security)
- Wellbeing (myself, our whānau and our team)
- Perspective (being able to zoom out and see other angles)
- Togetherness (use our home as a safe space to gather)
- Family
- Mindfulness
- Connected (to self, to family, to team, to our space)
- Relationships
- Belongingness (everyone can be themselves here)
- Relaxing (home doesn’t bring stress)
- Focus (one what really matters)
- Enjoy (the simple things)
So, here are some simple ideas you can add into your life throughout August to bring some Hygge into your home:
- Eat chocolate (yuuuuusssss Queen!)
- Practice gratefulness
- Plan a self care hour / day / weekend
- Nap for 30 minutes
- Go to bed early
- Make a new playlist
- Have a bubble bath
- Make comfort food
- Do something creative
- Light, or turn on, your fire
- Get out into nature
- Deep breathe
- Welcome a new house plant into your home
- Turn off your phone
- Relax / rest
- Invite friends over
- Read a book
- Eliminate what you don’t love
- Display your treasures
- Add texture to resting spaces
- Go outside
- Bake from scratch (and share with people)
- Dim your lighting
- Host a potluck
- Light candles
- Turn off gadgets
- Wear comfy clothes
- Stay in bed for an extra 10 minutes
- Start a Friday night tradition
- Start a new friend tradition
- Board games night
- Go to the Farmers market, then go for a picnic
- Embrace the cold, dress warmly and go outside
- Instigate winter traditions (things to look forward to)
- Invite friends over to make pizza
- Have a movie night
- Read together
- Keep moving (don’t stop exercising)
- Spa night and wine
- Watch the sun come up / sunset
- Take someone flowers
- Create a cosy nook (fluffy pillows, blankets etc)
- Cook together
- Declutter
- No TV all weekend
- Talk about your grateful’s
- Journal
- Dance
- Everyone have a day off
- Look at old photos and tell stories
- Have no agenda and go with the flow
- Go for a bike ride
- Star gaze
- Watch clouds
And, here are a few simple ideas you can add into your workplace August if they feel right for you:
- If you are the first to arrive in your office, how can you bring warmth?
- Make coffee
- Warm the jug
- Turn on the air conditioning
- Create comfortable meeting places
- Ask deeper questions to connect
- Slow down
- Try a new cafe with colleagues
- Instigate an office winter tradition
- Bring in special cups for warm drinks
- Listen to music
- Display photos of people or things you love
- Go for a walk
- Take intentional breaks
Well, I hope this was helpful for you to kick start some thinking towards how you will get the most enjoyment out of your August. Hygge is all about taking intentional time away from ‘the busy’ to be together with people you care about or even just time by yourself to relax and reset.
So, first, you have to make the time to think about what feels right for you.
Because, mate, you deserve to have a decent break or ‘cup filling’ moment, BEFORE you actually NEED a break!
If you try any of these ideas, or come up with your own, let us know or tag us @thegooddaymatrix in a photo of your cosy nook! 🙂
Disclaimer: This is not an extensive list of ideas or elements of Hygge – just what resonates with me… even though I am not much of a candle lighter myself, every so often, they are lovely to toast marshmallows on with my children. 🙂
