Hygge: the Cure for the Winter Blues?

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If winter has become less than enjoyable, why not try and take a page from the Danish, who have recently made their mark on the self-help section with bestsellers about their concept “Hygge” (cozy, charming, comfortable). This concept, pronounced “hue-guh”, has been featured by a few authors recently in books like “Hygge: The Danish Art of Happiness“, “The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well“, and “How to Hygge: The Nordic Secrets to a Happy Life“. As you can tell from the titles, Hygge is mainly concerned with living happily or well.

Like the child in the photo above, the Danish believe that enjoying life’s small activities and taking good care of yourself can bring great joy.  Basically, the idea behind Hygge is to outsmart one’s future self by making sure that all the little comforts are taken care of, planning enjoyable activities with friends and family, and so avoiding falling into a winter funk.

Lovers of the concept choose to indulge in comforts like soft blankets, cozy sweaters, lighting candles or a fire, and drinking hot drinks in order to insulate themselves against the cold of winter. Hygge also includes things like making comfort food, and prioritizing spending time with friends and family. Helen Russell, author of “My Year of Living Danishly” defines it as “the complete absence of anything annoying or emotionally overwhelming”.

Positive benefits of this winter blues-buster include feeling more connected as you spend more time with others, gratitude for what you have, and a sense of control over part of your life. Connection and gratitude along with real-life experiences are consistently cited in studies as decreasing feelings of loneliness and depression, two of the worst parts of the ‘winter blues’. Hygge is actually regularly prescribed by Danish doctors  – you can write yourself a prescription for this cozy, happy cure.

What do you think of Hygge?  Will you be incorporating cozy activities with friends and family this winter? Let me know on Facebook.