All posts filed under: Hygge Nook

Hygge and Mindfulness

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In America people are often on the go. Americans are so busy and work so hard it never ceases to impress me. In Denmark people are also super busy and work hard but it is generally accepted to take a “coffee break” during the day where you actually sit down with your coffee/tea/cake, instead of walking around with it and only getting to drink it once it is cold. I think these little breaks help keep the Danes grounded and happier. It is really amazing how much new energy flows through you and from you after a relaxing break. You are ready to meet the world again. Hygge is as a form of mindfulness. A very pleasant one since it usually involves doing or eating something you like. Doing something nice or hyggeligt also makes it much more easy to be mindful – because who doesn’t want to fully enjoy every single bite of that delicious piece of pastry, every sip of that steamy brew of coffee or every moment in the company of a good …

The Essence of Hygge

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I have been trying to come up with a definition of the “essence of hygge” or the “basics of hygge” and I think my conclusion is that the essence of hygge is taking your time to enjoy something. Or in other words, hygge means no stressing or rushing. Even coffee and cake is no guarantee for hygge if you don’t take your time to enjoy it. Imagine indulging in a nice sweet and sticky piece of cake with a cup of hot brew and then suddenly you discover that you have to leave the house in two minutes? Gone is all the hygge in a flash of a second! Almost anything can be hygge as long as you do not stress or rush through it. That is why I think the most important factor for hygge is the absence of stress or rush. You have to allow yourself to take your time in order to get that hygge feeling. Hygge does not have to include wool socks, hot chocolate, cake or a lamb skin throw …

Hygge – by a Dane in America

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As a Dane living in America I could not be any happier about the recent invasion of hygge to the United States and a lot of other countries! I love American culture and Americans. Especially their openness to new cultures and immigrants and their willingness to embrace what is new and different. But there is one thing I have been missing during the seven years of living here and that is a slower pace, more family time and the ability to just enjoy the moment – in other words: hygge! Many Americans are very busy, their kids are very busy/active and I believe a little more down time would do us all well. This has become of extra interest to me as I am raising my children in America and I want them to be as happy as the Danes. My favorite example of the difference between Americans and Danes is how coffee is mostly “on the go” over here while in Denmark it is typically something you enjoy sitting down, preferably while talking with a friend. I had …

Bringing Hygge into January

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Leaving the festive and “hyggelige” (cozy) month of December behind and entering January is for me always followed by a certain sadness. Gone are all the Christmas decorations, parties, comfort foods and “hygge” (coziness/togetherness). Instead we get New Year’s resolutions of eating healthy, working harder and all the demands of starting a new year in the cold Winter months. This year I am determined to keep the “hygge” from December going. Maybe not with Christmas gnomes and ornaments but the comforting “hygge” part. The photo above from “Bakery by Hermann” in Lyngby, Denmark, captures what my January “hygge” will be like – soft and cozy lambs wool throws and hearty baking the Danish way. I love how this bakery brought the lamb skins outside on a bench. That is exactly how I envision myself in these cold winter months ahead of us: sitting on my porch on a warm lamb skin with a steamy hot drink – be it hot spiced wine, coffee or hot chocolate. This way January can be the month of relaxation …