Daylight savings has come and gone, and the evenings are now dark at what (some days) feels like 4 pm. The holidays are in full swing – the schedules feel full, and the to-do list is a mile long. I don’t know about you, but staring down the long tunnel of winter used to fill me with dread and a little bit of sadness. However, in the last couple of years (right around the time I had twin newborns in the middle of a pandemic), I realized I had to shift my perspective. I was going to be spending A LOT of time at home, and if I didn’t try to embrace it, I would lose my mind. Enter the ever-popular and budding concept of Hygge, the Danish word pronounced hue-gah. Hygge is the approach in Norwegian and Danish culture that describes a cozy and content mood evoked by comfort. If you really take a deep dive into the concept, you learn more about how hygge also teaches you to be intentional with the design of your home- to use soft paint colors and natural wood as well as other design tactics. Now, we all can’t repaint our homes or change up the flooring to warm hardwoods, but we can take bits and pieces of this concept and apply it to our lives as we see fit.
As you learn more about Hygge, you may realize that you do some of these things already. I pile on the throw pillows and blankets in various rooms, string up soft lights and ensure all lamps have warm light bulbs. I stock up on my favorite tea to have in the evening and my favorite cold brew is always in the fridge each morning. I am intentional about having a lineup of books to read and baking projects to start.
Hygge isn’t just about getting cozy in our homes. It’s about prioritizing connection and leaning into what brings us and others joy. Got extras from your recent baking venture? Pass out to neighbors. Need something monthly to join? Look up a local book club or schedule a monthly brunch with friends. Actively engaging with the people that matter most in our lives is crucial in this busy and cold time of year.
Embracing hygge in this season of motherhood can feel tough at times but ultimately will help bring you back down to earth in the frazzled hustle of the holidays. Permit yourself to create white space on your calendar. Encourage the blanket forts with a movie and hot chocolate with your kids. Be intentional with spending less money and bringing less clutter into your home. Hygge is a beautiful reminder to slow down and enjoy the ordinary joys each day, and I can’t think of a better time of year to embrace it than now.
