I strive to maintain a positive outlook on life, but I must admit, winter is not my favorite season. Living just outside Chicago, I often face bone-chilling temperatures that are far from pleasant. The winter months here can be brutally cold, with harsh winds and limited daylight, making it all the more challenging to stay cheerful.
This year, winter feels particularly harsh. Between an unexpected snowfall on Halloween and a touch of seasonal affective disorder, I find myself dreading the next few months. With no plans to escape to a warmer climate and time travel to spring not an option, it’s clear I—along with anyone else living outside of a sunny paradise—need to find a way to cope with the cold.
In my quest for comfort, I stumbled upon the concept of “hygge.” This Danish term is all about indulging in coziness, self-care, and simple pleasures. Think of warm dinners with friends, plush blankets, flickering candles, soft socks, and the delight of freshly baked cookies. The very idea of hygge resonates with my introverted nature, as it gives me permission to retreat into my home and avoid the outside world.
What Is Hygge?
So what exactly is hygge, and can it truly make winter less miserable? According to Time magazine, hygge, pronounced “hoo-gah,” is a lifestyle that promotes positivity and enjoying the little moments in life. In a world that often feels chaotic and overwhelming, embracing the ordinary sounds like a refreshing approach. After all, with everything going on, who wouldn’t want to focus on the small joys? The pronunciation alone—hoo-gah—brings a smile to my face.
Although hygge has been a part of Nordic culture for centuries, it has recently gained popularity in the UK and the US, perhaps fueled by a hipster trend or the collective desire to find comfort amidst the winter blues. There are currently over 5 million #hygge posts on Instagram, and it was even shortlisted for the Oxford Dictionary Word of the Year in 2016, only to be overshadowed by “post-truth”—a term that underscores the need for hygge in our lives today.
The Psychological Benefits of Hygge
Experts on the subject, like author Clara Jensen, emphasize the deeper psychological motivations behind the hygge phenomenon. “Amidst the uncertainties of the future, people are seeking ways to nurture themselves,” Jensen told Time. “Hygge allows individuals to focus on what they can control and find joy in the midst of turmoil.”
While hygge is more about a lifestyle than material goods, the cozy trend has certainly sparked commercial interest. Time reports that a plethora of books on hygge have been published recently, and retailers are catering to customers with a range of products designed to evoke that warm, cabin-like feeling—from candles to essential oils. However, I’m not looking for high-maintenance hygge; I simply want some comfy socks, a lavender-scented candle, and a reason to lounge in my pajamas. That little bit of coziness could make surviving winter feel more manageable.
Perhaps with hygge in mind, winter won’t seem so daunting after all.
Further Reading
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In summary, hygge is more than just a trend; it’s a lifestyle that encourages us to find joy and comfort in the everyday, especially during the long winter months. By embracing this cozy philosophy, we may just find that winter is not so awful after all.