Time For Hygge: Julie’s Advice For Cozy and Peaceful Season
Winter is coming! For those living in an area that gets cold, dark, and wintery, this can be a time of year that brings dread and depression. The slowing down of nature and the chilling of the natural world can make a lot of us feel grumpy and lazy, especially when we compare ourselves to a bright sunny summer day full of flowers and butterflies. It doesn't have to be this way. In fact, this time of year can be a rejuvenating season full of peace and graciousness. The Danish lean into this season in a wonderful way called Hygge.
What is Hygge?
The Danish have a tradition that is becoming more prevalent among American households. It is both a mindset and an actual way of living. It can even be a style of interior design. This practice is called hygge, which is pronounced hoogah or hugga. Think of it as a warm hug with something fluffy. Hygge has come to be defined as a quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being.
As temperatures and daylight start to fall people begin to prepare their houses and mindsets to become more cozy. As far as the mindset goes, it involves accepting that the seasons change and that you are headed into a very dormant season in the natural environment. The flowers are done blooming and have long cast their seeds to the world. The animals are either hibernating or spending most of their time in protected holes and burrows. Trees have dropped their leaves and sucked their sap back into their root systems. Evergreens and their antifreeze sap stand as sentinels reminding us that not all life is extinguishable, just slowed down in this season.
Through hygge we are invited to slow down, relax a bit, and enjoy the aspects of being cozy in this season. Drop the habits and thought patterns which no longer serve you, as a tree drops its leaves. Think of what seeds were planted in you this past spring, summer, and fall that you would like to turn your attention to and work toward growing. This could be learning new hobbies, reading, crocheting, trying new recipes, cooking traditional foods that remind you of people in your past, creating a new mindset, focusing more on positivity and shedding negative thoughts and emotions that may have gathered.
It is a season for acting with graciousness. Accept the changes that are occurring and lean into your graceful nature. Be kinder to everyone. Be more understanding and forgiving. Do more for all mankind with grace. When attending family gatherings, make a conscious effort to let the past be the past and to move into being the gracious human being you know you can be.
Be Like A Tree
I like to think of my thought patterns as leaves on a maple tree. In the springtime of my thought it may burst forth, clean and new, ready to grow and develop. As summer goes on the leaves are tried by heat, sunshine, wind, and bugs. I work out the kinks of my new thoughts or projects.
In the fall my thought patterns may have led me to some vibrant conclusions or culminate in great results, just as a maple leaf may turn vibrant and orange. Some of those thought patterns also turned out as dead ends or ended up not serving me in a healthy way. In those cases they can be as a leaf turned brown and drab.
As time marches on and the seasons change it is time to inventory my energy spent and as a tree, I reabsorb my sap, the positive energy and lessons learned from my leaves. Many of them served me quite well and have made a delicious syrup for my soul.
Frost and snow hits and I am able to let go of everything that did not serve me and let it go back to the forest floor or into the universe. I stand naked in the breeze; I am what thought patterns solidified into my structure. The tattered leaves that were half eaten and half complete fall to the ground. The power house leaves and thoughts which brought me great energy in the summer, as well as those less productive, also fall to the ground. There they sit and I am okay! Spring will inevitably roll around and I will fill my boughs with new leaves, new ideas, new thoughts and ambitions.
Practice Hygge In Your Home
Just like a hug, embrace your present reality with hygge. Your home can be a cozy place full of comfort. Design your space to comfort you and embrace you. I am guilty of having a ton of super soft and comfortable blankets and pillows in my spaces. You can incorporate a style to your spaces that adds warmth to your soul. Some people like to light candles in their homes for both the atmosphere and scents created.
Arrange your furniture so that it warms and hugs you. Obviously if you have a drafty place, try to create spaces where you can feel warm, safe, and comfortable. Invite friends and family over and eat foods that fill your hearts with the bounty of the current season (this does not have to be strictly a winter activity). Filling your belly with good food and your company with good people can be one of life’s greatest pleasures.
Procure ingredients and cook foods that remind you of family traditions or someone special. Tastes and smells can be like time machines. They can spark memories and emotions that we experienced long ago.
I highly recommend finding teas that you like and start a ritual of drinking tea to unwind in the evening, to start your day, or any time. If you don’t usually drink hot tea you can prepare cold tea. Nowadays there are so many varieties of teas that everyone should be able to find something that speaks to them and brings some pleasure into a tea ritual.
If you are a fan of hot cocoa, while watching movies, and sitting by fireplaces, then hygge was built for you! Think of the situations and environments that you can foster in your world and home. Work toward creating those and you will find that winter may become your favorite season! It is a time to realize that while storms rage outside our windows and the world can look bleak, there are islands of coziness, prosperity, and joy all around.
Take Care of Your Body and Mind
The winter season can be challenging to our physical and mental health. Be cognizant of these challenges and counter them in healthy hygge ways. Go on winter walks. Escape your home to see lights or attend concerts. Read a good book or get into a slow season hobby. Check in with your brain and see how it is doing. Do you need more light to fight off seasonal affective disorder? If so, purchase a "Happy Lamp." Take your vitamins, particularly Vitamin D.
Feed your body and soul with nourishing warm meals. Address your health concerns and set goals for the new year. I find this time of year is a good time to check in with all my parts, both physical and mental, to see if I can help support my insides better.
