HYGGE LIVING

Hygge, a feeling of warmth and contentment, is an essential part of Danish culture. Danish people despite their long and harsh winters are one of the happiest people in the world. They have created hygge to get them through the unbearable weather. Hygge is their winter potion. The Oxford dictionary added the word Hygge to its dictionary in June 2017. Their way of living can be easily embraced as hygge things are easily accessible and uncomplicated to follow to live a life full of gratification.

Relevance for hygge and in turn its magnetism becomes all the more vital for us humans who are locked inside our homes. We are faced with two dissimilar realities, one of desolation and suffering of humans and the other where nature is healing.  People are losing jobs and their means of livelihood. Only some of us have the privilege of means in these pandemic times. So compassion towards the under privileged and a sense of gratitude will go a long way to live a stress free life.

The kind of life we are leading these days to maintain social distancing is nothing but hygge. We are unconsciously following it but subsistence is the key. Life style change will be there whenever we come out of the Covid 19. The old comfort zone has gone and we have to adapt to the new normal. The ones who are able to adapt will be happier and healthier others may have some issues. The mall culture, restaurants and parties will take a step back and we will be more localized in our existence.

Hygge is all about comfort in the paramount way one wants individually. At its core, it is about building intimacy and trust with others. Unhurried relaxation in the company of near and dear ones, connecting to nature and enjoying its sights and sound is all about hygge living. Hygge is about slowing down and relaxing and enjoying the small pleasures of our lives with our loved ones. It is about creating a sanctuary of warmth and coziness that acts as a refuge for us. It is a mental state of coziness and conviviality. “Happiness consists more in small conveniences or pleasures that occur every day, than in great pieces of good fortune that happen but seldom,”   rightly says Meik Wiking in The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well.

There are ways to accomplish Hygge in our being. First of all we should necessitate some time to relax as there will always be something to be worried about in life. Relaxed mind can accomplish tasks in a better way. Secondly, there should not be any guilt for taking timeout for a walk, listening to good music or just relaxing and playing board games with the family. By including soothing essentials into our day to day life makes life more enriching. We must remember that hygge is effortless comfort minus the pretence and worry. Sometimes it may be as simple sitting in the corner of your garden and sipping your favorite tea or as simple as playing with the pet in the garden that is being in the moment and appreciating the things around you.

We are all living a hygge life like cooking various delicacies rather than eating out. Doing our housework and enjoying it and of course trying to grow our own food fulfilling the hygge concept of from farm to table. Now we have all the time to redo our homes and bringing in fresh flowers , twigs, branches from our own garden and make bouquets thereby enhancing our own creativity and of course happiness of being in our homes. We are spending quality time with our loved ones.

Hygge is all about enjoying the simple ways of living and definitely not about chasing after thrills. At its center is the human yearning for uncomplicated comforts, which takes many shapes. It teaches us to be courageous in case of adversities, to conquer sadness or triumph over difficult times. One deserves to be content. Happiness does not lie in the material things but it is found in small things of life.

“Life is really simple but we insist on making it complicated.” Confucius