Where there’s a clear mind, there’s a way.
And nobody does it better than the very giddy Danes. Ranked as one of the happiest countries in the world, it is not a surprise that Denmark practices indeed a luxury self-care tool. But what is their ‘luxury’ anyway? Well birdies, apart from being equally responsible towards social welfare, quality healthcare and so on, the Danes perform the hygge self-care way of living with the help of which they become meditative enough to be devoted to not only their own but also their country’s overall happiness.
You may not find its perfect translation in English but to suffice it, hygge is a gorgeous word that means comfort, warmth, and the joy that one acquires from them. It means taking a break from worldly demands and deadlines and letting yourself sink into the convex caress of comfort that swings you through the small glories.
Self-care shouldn’t always be about going to a fancy bakery or cafe or buying yourself that red Valentino look. Self-care is basically collecting the fragmented joys from here and there and just be comfortable with it. Sometimes, it means going to pick the cherries, or sipping your tea with your windows shut or watching the classic, dirty dancing, during a movie marathon all night. That is what hygge is based on and it inspires one enough to check their gears and start applying it in life.
There are some ‘oldie but goldie’ basics that were budded right out of hygge and our self-care routine is just incomplete without them.
10 Basics Hygge Self-Care tips
1. Be Grateful
The happiest people are the thankful ones. Nothing in this world beats the sigh of looking around without any complaints and pity. Gratitude is the key to unlock your caged wings. It liberates you from whatever’s holding you back and prepares you for the worst. Wake up each morning and count on the things that add joy to your life. Observe all those little buds that sprout your smile/giggles, even if they last only for a few seconds. Write down the things (even if it is eating your favourite cake.) that you are grateful for. Gratitude is also a therapy that fosters your immunity to keep you from anxiety and depression.
2. Limit The Screen And Create Something
As much as it pulls us back from our slow pace, we all acknowledge technology’s contribution in constructing the easiest pathways for getting tasks done. But don’t forget to frame a screen-free zone and create something. Write poetry, knit, or paint. Cuddle with your pet or just do your wardrobe. Do these mindful activities that will bring you back at the moment and help you savour every minute of that.
3. Embrace The Nature
It is called the magic in its most honest expression. Seek nature. Sit quietly, and cherish. Grasp the winds that are breaking against your face and crooning the song of silence. Birds chirping, leaves that rustle through your ears and the sky that’s limitless enough to make you emerge in itself. These are the songs of comfort that we need to align with. Nature’s notes bring us the positivity from within that is a dessert to your self-care practices.
4. Be Social
Socialising is big, big yes to our well-being. It determines your behavioural patterns and pulls you back from that clingy person called anxiety. Family and friends are impeccably the best doses of joy and coziness. Also, they build up a comfortable wall, something that we can always run back to. You can merge hygge with socialising by –
- Cooking meals together
- Singing with your friends
- Hosting a tea party
- Have a movie night
- Sharing your favourite dessert
- Playing board games
- Bringing back the good old times
5. Pamper Yourself With Treats
Be that ‘one-true-love’ to yourself. Collect different kinds of tea. Pull the drawer and take out those old photos. Bake the cake and present it on your solo date. Nobody knows you better than yourself which gives you all the reasons for space to just keep treating yourself from time to time.
6. Put On Your Comfy Clothes
Loungewear, please!!! You do not have to think twice. Do you? You have the time by your side, as well as your space so own your clothes without any fear of judgement or body-shaming. Take out the cute pair of socks and a pair of sweatpants that you’d almost abandoned because of your ‘what-ifs’ and ‘OMG, I look uglier than the mud’ issues. Because COME ON, you will never look beautiful if you are not comfortable in your skin.
7. Bring On The Lights
Light the candles. Yes, before anything else. Danes mostly prefer to have the lights via candles. In fact, hygge is usually associated with candles. To reflect the perfect hygge in your room, let those flickering candles soothe your mind. You can also opt for the scented candles to add a cherry on your cake. Those fragrant and calm lights will illuminate your romantic self to get lost in the phase and not want to return to reality.
8. Nourish Your Home
And to do that, first of all, declutter your space. Own only what serves you any purpose and let go of the rest. Empty the spaces that are burdened with hundreds of useless piles and the clothes that you think you might wear someday but never do. Adopt minimalism. Add warm colours and your favourite sceneries to your house. (Didn’t I mention the flowers?)
9. Be In Touch With The Music
Because it makes everything just perfect. Perfect therapy for mind, body, and soul. Switch to a calming playlist for some time and give in. It is just a matter of time before you get transferred to your dreamy world where you will not have to think about your boss or your goal weight.
10. Write It Down
Journalising is, as all the therapists prefer the patients to do it, and enlightening projection to kick open those webbed, dusty doors of your heart, mind and soul that had been shut in your classic teenage crisis maybe. And even if there’s nothing dramatic like that, using your pen as a weapon has a strange potency to help you get unstuck and guide you home.
And hold on before your spirit gets high on hygge lifestyle…
Remember to just be yourself.
