Most wonderful time of the year?
My beloved dog Honey, snuggling by the fireplace. It was her favorite place to be in the colder months. It’s been almost 2 years since I saw her last.
Ahhh, November.
The leaves have fallen, it’s getting chillier (not talking about the sporadic 80º days…), peppermint hot cocoa and Christmas tree ornaments are stocked on the store shelves, and people are decorating their homes to get into the holiday spirit. Thanksgiving (my absolute FAVORITE holiday) is right around the corner, and Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas is You is replayed over and over again on the radio (a bit too early for that, in my humble opinion).
It all sounds so fun, so glamorous, so cozy in its “prognosis”… but the real prognosis is seasonal depression. It’s COLD, DARK and gloomy af by like 4pm, leaving me in a disoriented state every day after I log off work. I love the colder seasons, but it’s the lack of sunlight that f%$@s me up. I can’t really leave my house during my work day, so as soon as I get off work the sun is already saying it’s goodnights. Yeah so, this puts me in a bit of a pickle. I spend my afternoons tired and cold and lacking motivation to see friends, to lift or to go on a walk, to do anything other than rot at home.
In my spring semester of sophomore year of college, the day add/drop ended, I finally got off the waitlist for a class called the “Psychology of Happiness”. I was sitting in a stupendously boring and LOOOOONG plant sciences class that I had been forced to take in the mean time, so I dropped it, added the new psych class, and walked out the door. I won’t get into how much I loved the Psychology of Happiness class, but I wanted to talk about a topic we touched on that that truly stuck with me.
In researching which countries were the happiest, a lot of the class was shocked to see how Scandinavian countries were RULING the list (shoutout Sweden 😎). The summers there are so so awesome (speaking from experience 😉)… but my first thought was, how could anyone be so happy living through winter months of sub-zero temperatures and only like four hours of sunlight?
Stockholm, June 2022
Well, here comes in the beautiful art of HYGGE (pronounced like hyyoooo-gaaaahhhh. It’s so fun to say. It’s not that stretched out. It’s probably more like hyoo-gah. But it’s just so much more fun that way. Anyways). Now, you may be wondering, “What is this strange yet compelling word you’ve put in front of me?”. Allow me, grasshopper.
Hygge is a Danish and Norwegian word that can’t even properly be translated into the English language. It’s a mix of cozy, enjoyable, comfort, and all the most evocative words you can imagine. That’s ee-vocative, not pro-vocative. Continuing on…
I’ve spent the past few weeks researching the hell out of Hygge, and have consolidated (🙂) a list of must-haves/must-do’s to make your winter more enjoyable, more warm, more fun, and less depressing. Disclaimer: This is not a shopping list… this is more of a “find what you have around the house and use it!”. But hey, a nice soy wax candle in sustainable packaging won’t hurt… (I may have purchased one recently…).
THE ULTIMATE HYGGE LIST:
Blankets. Blankets. And more blankets! Stay warm!
Candles all over the house, and turn on the fireplace if you have! NO BIG/BRIGHT LIGHTS!! GRRRRR
Eat good food! Keep your stomach satiated with nutritional, healthy, and hearty meals
Spend time with family, even when it’s hard sometimes
Spend time with friends, make the drive even if it’s dark outside
Spend time outside! Yes, I know it’s chilly, but spending time outside and in nature especially does good things for the soul.
Wear cozy clothes! I’m talking big sweaters, fuzzy socks, comfy sweatpants. Whatever makes you feel all warm inside and out!
Practice gratitude, and practice living in the moment: I think these go hand-in-hand. Be grateful for what you have and for where you are now. And no point to living in the future if you’re grateful to live in this present moment!
Leave negativity elsewhere!
Fill your space with what makes you happy— and keep it clutter-free!
Make yourself a nice warm tea, matcha, hot cocoa, coffee, whatever floats your boat (planning on making some Eggnog matcha this week… I’m so excited)
Eat chocolate. Yeah, I said it. Maybe this just applies to me but… uh, yeah. Endorphins. Antioxidants. And it’s just so damn good.
Be friendly, and be kind! To others, and to yourself. It’s okay to rest at home, it’s okay to not want to spend time with others, it’s okay to miss a workout one day. Don’t beat yourself up over anything!
I’m going to do my very best to fill my winter with as much Hygge as possible, and I hope you can find joy and peace in doing the same! To a cheerful and loving holiday season.
Happy Hygge-ing!
