5 Ways to Add Hygge to Your Life | A Guide to Hygge

Here at IWOOT we’ve become obssessed with hygge. To help you get your head around the latest Danish trend, we’ve put together a guide to hygge so you can start embracing the comfier side of life.

What is hygge?

Hygge (pronounced hue-guh) is a Danish phrase used to describe feelings of cosiness or comfort relating to a situation or event. This might initially throw ideas into your head of nestling up under the duvet on a rainy afternoon, however this can actually be found in any situation so long as YOU feel comfortable or cosy. Whether this is lighting some candles and sinking into the bath, or spending an evening with friends and family, these can all evoke feelings of hygge within the individual towards the situation. Without trying to get too philosophical, try and think of it as more like a state of mind rather than physical qualities about the situation.

Image sourced via pexels.com

But what can we learn from our Danish friends about putting more hygge in our lives? We’ve put together some of our own thoughts on how you can add more hygge to your day to day!

Cook the Food you Love

The gentle art of gastronomy is a friendly one. It hurdles the language barrier, makes friends among civilized people, and warms the heart.

Samuel V. Chamberlain

There are few things that can compare to tucking into a home cooked meal at the end of a long day. Whether it’s a Sunday roast with all the trimmings or a big bowl of soup, food is one of the easiest ways to get into your comfort zone and let the rest of the day wash over you. Grab the recipe book, get your apron on, and get cooking (the washing up can wait for another day).

Need some ideas of what to cook? Take a look at our handy guide to slow cooking.

Blankets, Pillows and Duvets Are Your Best Friend

Cosiness and comfort is synonymous with everyone’s best friend; BED. Grab all the pillows and blankets you can find, put on those comfy socks you save for hangover days, and settle in for a day of films and naps in your newly created pillow fort. For added hygge, stock up on plenty of chocolate and make sure the Netflix subscription has been renewed. We can’t be held responsible for if you never want to leave!

Need an idea of a film to watch while you’re in your pillow fort? Check out our thoughts on Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Spend Time with Your Friends

There’s always someone on the end of a phone call, email or text that wants to spend some time with you and have some fun. Catch up with an old friend over coffee or head out with your pals for a night on the town. There’s a reason they’re your friends and that’s because you feel comfortable around them enough to show off all those weird quirks about yourself. What are you waiting for? Pick up the phone!

Get Outside

Good old fashioned fresh air. You’d be amazed at how much benefit just getting outside and doing something will have on your mood. Whether you’re wandering through forests, scaling mountain sides or just walking around the park, you’re bound to feel something from soaking in all that fresh air*.

*Weather permitting. If it’s raining/snowy/miserable outside, discard this point entirely and jump straight back to point 2.

Have a Big Cup of Tea (or Coffee)

In this world we live in you’d be hard pressed to find many things that can’t be solved by a cup of tea. It’s almost scientific fact that a cup of tea has mystic properties that are 100% proven to increase mood and physical well-being (said a scientist…somewhere…maybe?). The beauty of this is that it can be combined with any of the previously mentioned points making you a hygge pro. Go on then, pop the kettle on!