Home By Geneva >> How to Live the Hygge Lifestyle This Fall
Hygge – maybe you have heard of it before or maybe not, a core tenet of Danish lifestyle with practices we can incorporate into our own lives. But what is it? Hygge, pronounced “hoo-gah”, is difficult to translate directly, but essentially encapsulates the feeling of coziness and rest.
Those who practice Hygge do so to enjoy the simple pleasures of daily life, from a warm cup of coffee to a night in with friends. Though Hygge can be a year-round activity, fall is a great time to start incorporating new habits of rest and contentment.
But What is Hygge?
Hygge is a verb and can be used to describe any number of things. Spending time with friends and family? Hygge-like. Burning candles and baking a special treat? Hygge-like. A good book on a rainy day? Definitely hygge-like.
You can’t buy Hygge, despite what thousands of posts on social media might say. Hygge is the idea of enjoying what you have when you have it, of living in the moment and finding rest in it. So, while fall is a great time to dive into the Hygge lifestyle, you don’t have to stop when the new year rolls around. Rest and contentment are important 365 days a year.
What Hygge Isn’t
Hygge can be hard to define, but it’s easy to know what it isn’t. Anything that steals your contentment, that causes stress or discomfort is not Hygge. Spending too much time on your phone or on the Internet, or hermitting yourself away from the people you care about. Not Hygge. It’s spending time on people or activities that drain you unnecessarily and stretching yourself too thin with obligations.
You don’t have to spend ANY money to Hygge. It’s free. Just turn off your phone, kick your feet up in front of the fire, and enjoy quality time with the people you love. Share some food or a nice warm drink, talk, breathe, and forget about time. And that’s Hygge.
