Happiness with Hygge

Hygge is the Danish art of everyday happiness
by learning to fully live in the moment.

Higgie?  Huggie?  So, just how do you pronounce hygge?  Most places say hoo-gah, but some places say hue-guh.  And, of course, add a Danish accent for fun!

Hygge can be loosely translated as a cozy feeling associated with thoroughly enjoying the present. 

Some of us never learned to appreciate the present well; we are always thinking about past mistakes or planning for future events.  Perhaps you can relate.  You know that you should live in the now, but how do you do it?

You can start with hygge.

Enjoying hot chocolate is hygge.  But enjoying hot chocolate in front of the fireplace while watching snow fall is even more hygge.

Reading a good book is hygge.  But reading a good book in a comfy chair with a fuzzy blanket and with a cat on your lap is even more hygge.

Going for a stroll is hygge.  But going for a stroll in the woods in the fall with your dog is even more hygge.

I think that you get the idea.  The activity itself is not the point; the point is to thorough immerse yourself into the present and to totally sense your surroundings.  Smell and taste the hot chocolate.  Feel the pages of the book and the fuzzy blanket.  See the colorful woods and hear the falling leaves. 

By learning to just BE in the moment, you will find pure joy.  It may take considerable practice, but it can be done! 

And practicing hygge is good for your health, too!  Stress can suppress your immune system and cause illness.  But, hygge can minimize and even eliminate stress. 

So, just take a deep breath, and slowly exhale. Find something around you that is pleasant and concentrate on it. Perhaps light a candle or several candles (non-toxic, of course).  Or add fragrant flowers in a simple vase.  Or sip and savor a favorite herbal tea. 

Then, ask yourself, how you can make it even better.  Perhaps slip into cozy flannel pajamas with warm slippers.  Add some soothing and peaceful music.  Ask a few friends to come over and share the hygge moment with them.  And then just soak your senses in hygge!

If you need more ideas, please consider the book called Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living by Meik Wiking.  This book is the Bible of everything hygge!

littlebookofhygge

Also, check out the archives at Hygge House for more hygge thoughts.

You are a human BEing.  And human beings should know how to BE.  But often in this crazy and stressful world, we have forgotten how to experience BEING, how to appreciate the little things in life. When we just BE, we can find happiness, which often leads to better health, too.

So, time to incorporate a huge amount of hygge into your life

and find happiness and improve health!



Let food

be thy medicine, 

and medicine 

be thy food.  

~Hippocrates

DANDELION

Herb

Your word

is a lamp

to my feet

and a light

to my path.

~Psalm 119:105

ECHINACEA

Herb

The secret of health

for both mind and body

is not to mourn for the past,

worry about the future,

or anticipate troubles,

but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.

~Buddha (paraphrased)

LAVENDER

Herb