A quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being (regarded as a defining characteristic of Danish culture).

Here's a nice, quick little video for pronunciation 

        This blog is one that I’ve started and restarted many times over the last few months. I wanted to make sure I explained my thoughts thoroughly. I’ve been asked recently about my home style. I usually fumble through a series of descriptors like “cozy”, “eclectic”, “modern-rustic”, or any combination of those terms. In reality, the term I’d like to use is not commonly understood or recognized. I consider my personal, home and life “style” to be Hygglig. 

        Several years ago, I found myself in a funk. I felt aimless, unfulfilled and overwhelmed all the time. We were fresh out of military life, in limbo between jobs, homes and really any type of consistency. I stumbled upon an article about finding peace and happiness in my daily life by creating a comfortable environment where my mind could be at ease. Naturally, I read that article top to bottom {a couple times} and found myself curious about the "hygge" it had referenced. I set out to research and absorbed all I could. After I gained some understanding, I began to analyze my environment and remove all that was taking away from my newfound positive mindset. Over the last few years, I've continued to use “my hygge” as a standard for what I allow in, and what I allow to stay in my life.

        Hygge isn't something you can learn overnight, buy at a store, or even sum up in a simple blog post. It's also going to look different from person to person.  It also isn’t about new and shiny, but about comfort and simplicity. To some, a cozy night in, in comfy clothing, snuggled up with a good book and a mug of hot chocolate next to a fireplace crackling to others it may be watching your kids play in a creek, splashing and skipping stones while the warm summer breeze blows through your hair. If you’re still with me, and would like to identify what hygge is to you, try this exercise: close your eyes and empty your mind. Go into a meditative state and think of that warm, glowing feeling of absolute contentment. Where are you in your mind? What are you doing? Who are you with? What is surrounding you? Dig deep into that feeling and bottle it. Moving forward, find things or experiences that give you that feeling.

        Your home is a great place to start. Reflect on items to see how they serve you mentally and emotionally. Surround yourself with them and remove things that give you the opposite feeling. Marie Kondo coined the phrase “spark joy”, while this has a similar mentality, the practice I’m explaining isn’t necessarily about minimalism or downsizing as Marie suggests. I say, surround yourself with as many or as few things as you feel makes you happy! Don’t stop there. Paint colors, scents and other things can contribute to your at-home hygge. Choosing things that mean something to your heart will not only give a sense of comfort but will make your space become a mirror for your internal feelings. Photos in unique or sentimental frames, plants, trinkets or items from your travels or hometown are great examples of how to make your home speak about you to anyone who comes to visit.

        While your home or workspace are where you spend most of your time, another area that we spend quite a bit of time is our social media space. Most of us have had some form of social media platform in our lives for over a decade. Looking back, we have changed as individuals. Our interests, hobbies and friend groups have evolved to their current state. Taking time to reconsider pages you follow, unsubscribing to email subscriptions, and yes, even unfriending and unfollowing people who are no longer giving you an overall positive mindset. Reading negativity each day, means subconsciously absorbing negativity.

        Other factors that can keep you from feeling your hygge-best are things such as strict diets, rigid workout schedules, a demanding or thankless job, IRL relationships with individuals who don’t contribute to a healthy mental status. While some of those may be easier than others to modify, taking a full assessment of these areas will give you an all-around hyggelig result.

         I'm still learning about myself and what my hygge is. Honestly, it’s ever evolving for everyone. Finding this lifestyle and mentality has been nothing short of life changing. My mindset is more positive, my vision for the future is more clear and above all, I feel like my environment breeds happiness for those who are in it. I'm so happy to be able to share this and would love to hear what your idea of hygge is. Share in the comments below, maybe you'll find others who enjoy the same hyggeligt experiences!

Here are a few more related terms, just for fun:

hyggekrog: home, nook

hyggebusker: comfy pants

hyggelig: describing things that have hygge