As Hygge is about togetherness, this is a
difficult concept for Lockdown, especially if you live alone. While Lockdown
rules have been eased (prematurely in my opinion) social distancing is still in
effect (or should be) so togetherness is difficult to accomplish. If however,
you are going through lockdown and/or quarantine at the moment with family members
or friends, we can put a little Hygge into it.
Lights
Break out a candle or two. Maybe make it part
of a pastime. Play a board game in the dark. Gather round a candle and tell
ghost stories. Put up some old Christmas lights and celebrate something, put
fairy lights in a large glass or lantern and tell ghost stories that way. Maybe
lead people around the house/flat and tell then ghost stories about the house.
(You can make it up) “This is the staircase poor Abigail fell down” “this is
the bedroom where old Mr Clarke was found, scared to death” Use your
imagination. If not just pretend it’s a blackout. As we are not the Danes, as I
have said before, we can get out the scented candles too. Just have a bit of
fun in a different atmosphere.
We can also use the natural light, as it is
June, the sun can be used. Difficult if you can’t go out or have a flat, but if
you have a garden, make the most of the sunshine when you can. If you are in a
flat, open the curtains and let the sunshine in, if it is a hot day, open the
windows. To make it fun, or just to do something different, have a picnic
lunch. In the garden or on the living room floor, have some sandwiches and
family/fiends time.
Cosiness
When the weather is not on our side, bring
out the cosy socks, the fleecy blankets and the hot chocolate. Cuddle together
under a blanket and watch a family film, or read a book aloud (I recommend
Julia Donaldson for the little ones) or just have some quiet, cosy time. Even
if you are alone and therefore making the most of ‘me time’ rather than ‘we
time’, cuddle up under a blanket with an oversized mug of warmth. Also, why not
facetime, or Skype, or video call? Whilst we can’t really be with our friends
and family outside the home, we can have them with us in a little more than
spirit.
Electronics
Turn them off and dust off a pack of cards,
or a board game. What better time to have fun together than when we are all
stuck inside together. While I am sure electronics are a godsend for many
people right now (they are for me) we can turn them off for an hour or two.
True, family/friends time can involve playing video games together or watching
a film together but what’s wrong with doing it the old fashioned way? Maybe
look up and learn a new card game, or a magic trick, or buy a new board game. There
are so many different ones now (get super competitive with your housemates and
play 221B Baker street) there is something for everyone. Have fun together
without switching off completely, switch on and play snap.
Food
Let’s indulge a little; I believe we deserve
it right now. Cake, pastries, sweets, lots of sweets. Of course, everything in
moderation, but if you don’t feel like the sugar and fat are what you want, break
out the slow cooker. True, this is more something to cook warm stews and keep
us happy in the winter, but the weather’s not always warm (feels a little like
we’re living on the moors with how changeable it is at the moment). Also, maybe
this is a chance to play a little with your cooking skills, make a batch of
homemade soup, or do some baking, cook together. For a cooler idea, try a new
salad recipe (the internet is a marvellous thing) or even try your hand at
making a homemade drink. Maybe try a different cordial. Eat, drink and be merry.
Make a
Nook
The best place to experience hygge is the
home, so really this is the ideal time. I know some people have taken the time
to do the decorating, tidying, sorting, rearranging etc. that they’ve been
putting off. Here’s a chance to make a hyggekrog.
A hyggekrog is just a cosy nook, sometimes by
bay windows but it can be anywhere in a room. Put down some comfy cushions or
whatever feels nice to sit on, soft lighting, perhaps a blanket and there you
have it, your very own hyggekrog. It’s just a little space to relax, read a
book, write something or just sit and let the stress of the day disappear.
Unwind and relax. That is what Hygge is about after all.
Exercise
the senses
Hygge is used to describe many things, but
safety is one of them, we tend to feel safe at home. But there are many
different ways to experience Hygge.
Listen: to the sounds that you don’t usually
hear, background noise. Raindrops on the roof, the wind against the windows,
the trees swaying in the wind, even the sounds of someone drawing, knitting or
cooking are considered Hygge sounds. I think my personal favourite (in the
absence of a fire) is thunderstorms, when I’m safe and warm on my couch. If you
like the sound of a fire but don’t have one, get a Woodwick candle. It is a
true they are pricey, but they really do sound like a crackling fire as they
burn. Not the cheapest way to Hygge (which defeats the object a little) but
worth it if you can afford it.
Smell: very
individual but a smell that takes you back, that makes you feel safe. Maybe the
smell of a bakery, the smell of your favourite dish cooking, the smell of your
favourite blanket. Maybe even the smell that remains us of another place we
felt safe. My Grandmother’s house I always remember as smelling like cooking,
all the time. Whatever smell makes you feel safe, it sounds strange but smell
is one of our five senses that can take us back and make us feel safe very
effectively.
Feel:
Running your fingers over a wooden surface or ceramic cup, very hyggelig. Old,
homemade things are there to bring out the hyggelig. They have to be old and
dull. Hygge is not about the big and bright, but the small and rustic. Anything
made by craftsmanship, wool, leather, wood etc. Anything aged or will be is
hygge. Those old wooden ornaments your grandfather made, the woollen blanket you
mother knitted. The comforts of home with an organic feel.
Look:
Atmospheric lighting is a big part of hygge, but it’s also about taking your
time. Watching something that’s slow, like gently falling snow, or lazy flames.
Taking your time to look at something that’s slow. A tonic to the mad rush the
world is always in these days.
Taste: Make
things a little sweeter. Add a little honey to your tea. Add some icing to your
cake. Add some wine to your stew. Familiar, sweet and comforting is the taste
of hygge.
The
Manifesto
There are ten steps in the hygge manifesto.
Makes it sound simple and complicated at the same time but there a rules about
hygge some people seem to forget. Now, it is ‘we’ time rather than ‘me’ time as
I have said before but unless you’re up to using a video call piece of software
(which isn’t the same) a lot of us are on our own right now. Yes we can video
call, phone call, chat online whatever, but it’s what we chat about as well.
There is also the simplicity of hygge, don’t bring out the bling and the
boasting, it destroys hygge.
1. Atmosphere: Turn down the lights.
2. Presence: Turn off your phone, be in
the here and now
3. Pleasure: Don’t bring out the kale
and protein shakes; bring out the cake and the chocolate.
4. Equality: Share the tasks and
airtime, we are all in this together after all
5. Gratitude: It is easy, especially in
times like this, to focus on how harsh it is that we don’t have some things. Be
grateful for what we do have. We are still alive, we still have each other.
Take it in, the here and now may be as good as it gets.
6. Harmony: It’s not a competition we
are already friends, no need to show off and talk about your achievements.
7. Comfort: Take a break and sit in the
comfy chair, it’s about relaxation.
8. Truce: No drama. The governments
doing its thing, we can talk about that tomorrow.
9. Togetherness: Let’s work on these
relationships and talk “Do remember when…” “You know the time we…”
10. Shelter: Friends or relatives, this
is your tribe. Your clan. This is your family. This is a place of peace and
security.
Hygge, and all it entails, is something we don’t really think about in times like this, but it is a way of bringing a little happiness into what can be a lonely and difficult time. Remember, we are apart so that when we are together again, fewer of us are missing. We will be together again, until then, be grateful for what we have now and allow yourself some happiness. Never give up the hygge.
Disclaimer I am not affiliated in any way with The Institute of Happiness, Copenhagen or it's employees, Mark Wiking, The Times, Penguin Books or Printer Trento. Any misinformation or opinions on this site are those of the author only. Copyright infringement if any kind is unintentional.
