December 29, 2016
Hygge: Forever in Search of Cozy
For years I’ve had a fascination with creating the coziest life possible.
I’ve filled my dresser drawers with fuzzy socks, covered my couch with as many throw blankets as it could hold, and selected the biggest mugs to hold my coffee. I’ve added to my candle collection, sought out the fluffiest comforter, and invested in a robe as soft as they come.
I look forward to weekends where something will simmer on the stove all day long, filling the house with warmth and delicious smells. When I walk into a home that has a cozy feel to it, with friends gathered around a table talking and enjoying one another’s company, I take note of what is so special about it and wonder how I can incorporate that into my own place.
I didn’t know there is an actual term for this until this past year when I stumbled upon an article about the Danish concept of “hygge.”
Simply put, it is a term that captures that feeling of coziness, warmth, charm, and simplicity. Helen Russell furthers the definition by adding that it is the “complete absence of anything annoying or emotionally overwhelming,” with “a focus on togetherness and prioritizing the people in your life.” Sounds pretty dreamy, right? It seems like something we all want to do.
If you’d like to practice “hygge,” here are a few things you can do. I should add this is a great way to help beat the winter blues!
- Unplug. Turn off your electronic devices and spend time talking with those you share a space with.
- Get comfortable. Pull on an oversized cardigan, fuzzy socks, or stay in your pajamas.
- Dim the lights. Switch your light bulbs to a lower wattage. Light some candles or turn on some twinkle lights.
- Stay home. Invite friends and family over for a night of good food or board games instead of heading to a restaurant.
- Bundle up. There is a saying: “There’s no bad weather, only bad clothing.” Pull on the proper attire and head outdoors and go sledding or snow-shoeing.
- Head to the break room. You can hygge at work too. Instead of eating lunch at your desk, gather around the break room table with your colleagues. Get to know them. Play a board game or put together a puzzle.
These are just a few ways to hygge and capture that feeling of coziness and simplicity so many of us are always seeking. For more ideas on how to hygge, be sure to pick up the latest issue of Bella Grace! Our featured photo has been borrowed from The Cozy Issue Volume 1.
What’s your favorite way to hygge? Share with us in the comments.
Jordan
April 19, 2023 at 4:25 pm
I like to turn on music, sometimes Christmas tunes, sometimes jazz, and curl up in front of the fire with Soft Blanket.
Soft Blanket is also known as the “Cat Whisperer” because the second I cover up my pajama-bottomed legs with it, I magically have a cat in my lap, curled up, and reminding me what “hygge” is all about.
Cindy La Ferle
April 19, 2023 at 4:25 pm
I like to declutter the nightstand next to the bed, then curl up with a pile of new books and magazines (after a leisurely trip to the local bookstore). A cup of chamomile tea and my cat companions make it twice as cozy.
Kat
April 19, 2023 at 4:25 pm
I luv this post! I also crave cozy and luv to curl up with my dogs and a nice glass of prosecco by a roaring fire ! AND a certain fave magazine of mine!
Kat
April 19, 2023 at 4:25 pm
Sounds perfect!
Kat
April 19, 2023 at 4:25 pm
Hot chocolate with cinammon and tiny colorful marshmellows does wonders also!
My fave time is the very early morning – dogs and I are up and out super early just as the outside world is coming to – then home for a super DELISH breakfast of my fave – warm whole wheat toast with crunchy peanut butter and jam and a banana followed by a green Granny Smith apple with cheese and maybe some oatmeal with berries and almonds before the apple and a large mug of hot coffee – my morning papers and my dogs get their treat and I practice gratitude and it is a totally cozy and perfect start to my day!
Nancy
April 19, 2023 at 4:25 pm
Once a month a group of us, 5 couples, gather in our home for an old-fashioned Sunday night potluck supper. Good food. Good wine. The best part–good conversation and heart connections. Hygge!
Suzanne
April 19, 2023 at 4:25 pm
I just love this Hygge “movement,”
as it encourages everybody to
celebrate the small joys in life and
to practice gratitude. This is truly
something that the whole world
needs right now!!!
xo Suzanne
Vicky Rodriguez
April 19, 2023 at 4:25 pm
What issue was this article in? I don’t have a subscription to Bella Grace, but because of this one I am doing it today! Please someone let me know… Thank You, V
Bella Grace Magazine
April 19, 2023 at 4:25 pm
Hi Vicky!
This concept is going to be expanded on in our next issue of Bella Grace, which will be available March 1st: https://stampington.com/Bella-Grace-Issue-11
If you subscribe by January 25th, you will automatically receive this issue, in which the editor will be writing a more in-depth article on the Hygge movement. Here is a quick link to our subscription page.
Please let me know if there is anything else I can assist you with.
Sincerely,
Jordan
The Bella Grace Team
Martha brown
April 19, 2023 at 4:25 pm
My ‘One Word’ for 2015 was hygge 🙂 Into 2017 I’m still learning how to slow down and embrace cozy and the small joys of my daily life…
judy h.
April 19, 2023 at 4:25 pm
Since I was young, I have been a lover of my creature comforts. In the winter time, when I would get home from grade school, I would take my uniform off and slip into my oversized pink flannel quilted robe and soft thick wool socks my grandma had knitted for me. I would go to the upstairs sitting room and get into a big comfy chair, “my nest”, turn on an old brass reading lamp that had belonged to my great-grandma and sat on a wood table next to my nesting chair. I loved books more than just about anything, my Mother made weekly trips to the library, so I was never at a loss for something to read. How I loved escaping to that cozy room, in my robe and socks and losing myself in a fabulous book. I remember the feeling of wanting to stay there forever.
Ella
April 19, 2023 at 4:25 pm
I bought a Hygge book before the winter holidays and it helped me create more calm n’ cozy in my life. I need this time out daily~ Hygge for me in the morning is watching the birds at my feeder while sipping a cup of hot cinnamon tea. Later in the day curling up with a book which hugs my soul and my timeworn oatmeal throw.
I love this post~
Liz Calais
April 19, 2023 at 4:25 pm
Please spell and break up the word “hygge” as it is pronounced and sounds 🙂 Tks, Liz
Bella Grace Magazine
April 19, 2023 at 4:25 pm
Hi Liz,
Hygge is pronounced hue-gah, as far as I’ve read.
Although I’m of Danish descent, I am not a native speaker, so I am sure one of our readers will kindly correct me if I’m wrong.
Best,
Jordan
The Bella Grace Team
Michelle Pinto
April 19, 2023 at 4:26 pm
I truly have so many that may seem “typical” (blankets, cozy socks, baking, reading a fabulous book or Bella Grace with a delicious cup of something warm) but I also find that feeling of “Hygge” by writing down what I am grateful for each morning and writing out and then visualizing my goals as already achieved! I have something yummy and warm to drink, cuddle up on the couch and then write and dream away!