Creating a Life of Hygge
Hi, friend!
I’m so glad you’re here. I don’t know about you, but I often feel that fall is like coming home. I love summer and sunshine and all the things that come along with it, but there is something in me that craves fall. And, when the weather starts to turn a little colder, the days get darker a little earlier, and you can no longer leave the house without a little sweater, I feel like my soul begins to calm. To rest and reset. To snuggle in and cozy up.
Hygge, to me, is that process. Hygge (pronounced “hue-gah,” not hi-gee) is a tradition started in Denmark. Denmark is cold most days of the year, and during the fall and winter months “nighttime” lasts around 17 hours. Meaning that for most working people, they are leaving the house when it is dark and coming home when it is dark, only enjoying a brief seven hours of sunlight on a good day. Seasonal depression was a serious problem for the Danes, and so they began the tradition of hygge. Rather than trusting the outside weather or sunlight to dictate their emotional state, they learned the art of hygge: being present and taking joy in the simple, everyday moments of life. There is not really one specific definition for hygge because the very nature of it is subjective to you. What is cozy and restful and hygge for you will be different than for me!
However, there are some core pieces that define hygge: pleasing the senses (through aesthetic sights or twinkle lights and candles, yummy food, good smells, cozy textures, etc.), and bringing people together. A game night with friends or a dinner party with neighbors, a book club with besties or a cup of coffee with a co-worker — just to name a few.
One of my favorite definitions that absolutely sold me on this tradition is “hygge is a hug for your soul.” I love that concept, that with our actions and our environments we can comfort our innermost selves – or not. When I look at the culture of the United States, with its glorified busyness, materialistic impulses and workaholic nature, I can’t help but see a connection to the rising rates of depression, anxiety, stress, suicide and all other mental and physical health problems. Denmark has been in the top two of the happiest countries in the world for the past decade with America often bringing up the rear.
Something has to change, and I believe the Church is perfectly primed for being and advocating for that change!
I think the tradition of hygge is biblical. It can often present itself in the spiritual gift of hospitality for people, but I also think it is a tangible way to show the fruit of the Spirit to those around us. Is your home a place that is for you to rest alone? Or, is it a place for you to welcome people in and share life with each other? What would happen if we were known for weekly dinner parties with our neighbors? We could make our home a place where we could actively practice hygge in making others feel at home and providing ample opportunity for conversation about the Lord and their own needs.
Jesus saw people — he saw their needs, and he met them. A lot of people right now need community, and they need a safe place to just be. Learning how to cultivate a life of hygge is learning how to have that space in your life for you and for others.
But, we can’t give away what we don’t first accept for ourselves. It’s important for each of us to cultivate in ourselves this heart and perspective before we can do it for others.
Practically, maybe that looks like waking up an extra 15 minutes early, so that you can sit and enjoy your coffee in the morning rather than rushing out the door with it.
Or, maybe it’s making an effort to add some twinkle lights to your living room or bedroom simply because they make you smile.
Or, maybe it looks like inviting a few friends over to cook a meal together and get deeper than the surface level “I’m good, how are you” small talk to which we often default.
When you’ve created a habit of hygge for you, it will feel natural and simple to welcome others into it.
Friend, you are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Where you go, he goes. The Scriptures say that where he goes, there is life, freedom, peace, joy, beauty and redemption. Whether or not you are speaking the words to people, I think that when we enter a room the atmosphere changes. Because where HE goes, the atmosphere changes.
It sounds so simple, but I truly feel like being the Church and being more like Jesus is stripping away the complexities we’ve made life and getting back to the basics. In the words of Bob Goff, “Being engaged is a way of doing life, a way of living and loving. It's about going to extremes and expressing the bright hope that life offers us, a hope that makes us brave and expels darkness with light. That's what I want my life to be all about — full of abandon, whimsy, and in love.”
That’s hygge. Full of abandon, whimsy and love. It doesn’t care about efficiency or perfection, but it cherishes the simple, everyday magic. It’s choosing to find joy and beauty in your life today, being present and being real. It’s cozy and it’s comforting and it’s doable.
Hygge is making every place feel like home.
Let’s be *hyggelig people together!!
Xoxo, Alicia
*If you want to start incorporating this hygge language in your everyday vocabulary, here are some fun terms. ;)
hygge – noun: a hug for the soul, contentment, simple, cozy or comfortable.
hyggelig – adjective: to enjoy hygge — “I appreciate these hyggelig moments more than ever!”
hyggeligt – adjective and adverb: the state of being hygge “It was hyggeligt to see you again!”
hyggekrog – noun: cozy corner
hyggebukser – noun: cozy pants
