Have you heard of it?  Hygge?  A Danish term pronounced something along the lines of ‘Hoo-gah’ and one of the key factors thought to influence the repeated rating of Denmark as one of the world's happiest countries.  So what is it with this ‘hygge’ phenomenon which is thought to contribute to keeping the Danes so happy despite the prolonged cold spells, long hours of darkness during the winter months and high taxes?

 

There is no direct English translation for Hygge.  The word ‘cosy’ does come up quite regularly in attempts to define Hygge but as Meik Wiking – the CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen - highlights in ‘The Little Book of Hygge, ‘cosy’ does not adequately cover ‘the art of creating intimacy’.

In her beautiful blog, ‘Hygge’, half Danish, half English, Louisa Thomsen Brits describes Hygge as:-

“The art of building sanctuary and community, of inviting closeness and paying attention to what makes us feel open hearted and alive. To create well-being, connection and warmth. A feeling of belonging to the moment and to each other. Celebrating the everyday”.

Lou goes on to talk about how Hygge is to do with the simple things in life that make us feel happy, comforting simple rituals which our everyday lives value and meaning and leave us feeling rooted and connected to ourselves, to those we love, to our communities and to nature;

“…it’s an uncomplicated, practical method of weaving the stuff of spirit and heart into daily life without sentimentality…. Hygge is a kind of enchantment …  a way of giving something ordinary a special context, spirit and warmth, taking time to make it extraordinary.

I came across the concept of hygge a couple of years ago and fell in love with the way it seems to encapsulate the sheer enjoyment of life’s simple pleasures.  We all do things that embody hygge but maybe we don’t always take the time to fully acknowledge and appreciate them.  It can be this slowing down and fully embracing the simple daily rituals life offers which can all add up to create a deep sense of happiness and contentment.   For me personally, typical moments of hygge can be;

• being snuggled up under a blanket on the sofa with my boys when it is cold outside; a mug of hot chocolate in hand whilst we watch a film together
• sharing a meal with friends
• a walk through the woods
• a candlelit bath
• sunset on a deserted beach
• sharing a random conversation with a stranger which brightens the day for both of us
• taking the time to try out a new recipe with the joyful anticipation of tucking in to the end result
• adventures with my love, just the two of us
• when someone surprises me with their genorousity and kindness
• the smell of the pages of a new book and the excitement of getting lost amongst those pages
• spontaneous dancing around the kitchen to a favourite song
• giving more than is expected
• fairy lights and candles
• listening to birdsong
• embracing the seasons
• noticing the arrival of spring time flowers
• sitting outside on a warm summers evening
• the crunching of autumn leaves beneath my feet
• Bonfire night
• Christmas Eve
• snowman building
• my morning ritual of being up before anyone else in the house, making tea and baking scones
• putting the world to rights through conversation and laughter with good friends
• pottering in the garden
• taking in a breathtaking view

If this is all sounding a little too idealistic then make no mistake that I am not living in a dream world where my head is buried in the sand to avoid the harsh realities of the world in which we live.  I am an overthinking, plain speaking, non-believing atheist who can all too easily feel overwhelmed and give in to feelings of disappointment, fear, self-doubt, loneliness, anger, worry, cynicism, negativity.  I sometimes feel guilty that I have a life that allows me the luxury of considering such idealisms as hygge when all around the world there is suffering and pain and despair. 

But I also value and recognise how lucky I am to be living the life I have with all that this life of mine provides – not the material things but the relationships, the time, the joy. I believe in people and in the power of joining together to do good things.  By embracing and acknowledging more of the small simple moments that follow on from each other to form the minutes and hours and days and weeks and years of my life, I am able to be increasingly grateful and appreciative for all that I have.  In doing so, I feel lucky even during the more challenging moments that life delivers.  In recent years, despite experiencing some extremely difficult and very sad times, I am, in a general sense, happier, and more content.  Maybe I am more hygge.

Through reaching a place of appreciation and thankfulness for simply being alive, I feel more equipped to give back a little more to others, to my community, to attempt to make my place in the world count for something, to try to make a difference. To make the most of the hand I have been dealt.  To live an honest and authentic life.  A happy hygge-filled life.

When I made the leap to open up the tea room, hygge was very much in my mind.  I was keen to create a sense of calm, an informal, relaxing happy place, somewhere to relax and take the time to enjoy the moment; be that the ritual of tea making with loose leaves served in fine china whilst lazing in an armchair that wraps itself around you; or catching up with a friend over a delicious lunch made with simple ingredients beautifully presented.  A place to connect with others, engage in conversation with a stranger, or to get lost in one’s own thoughts, to simply sit and be.

Join us sometime.  Come hygge with us.