LIVING A HYGGE/HYGGELIG/HOOGA LIFE

I. What is Hygge/Hyggelig/Hooga lifestyle? What is Hygge/Hyggelig/Hooga living?

You may see the word “hygge” and “hygge life” several times but do not know exactly what they are. Actually, hygge is not an English word, it is a Danish word. It does not have the exact meaning in English. People often think that it is equivalent to “cosiness”. However, cosiness is just one of its meanings as it means more than that. In the Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries, the word “hygge” means the quality of being warm and comfortable that gives the feeling of happiness. So, when it comes to hygge, people often think about warmth, closeness and comfort.

Warmth and comfort are what people think when it comes to hygge

Hygge was one of the Oxford Dictionaries' Word of the Year in 2016. Also in this year, the concept of hygge was featured in some famous press and newspaper, including the New York Times, The Guardian and Country Living. Moreover, there are some books which discussed this hygge concept such as “The Little Book of Hygge” (Meik Wiking) and “How To Hygge” (Signe Johansen). Not like another trend, hygge lifestyle trend does not cost you too much. In fact, you can save an amount of money when pursuing this trend. If you are wondering how hygge life can save you money, here is the reason. Hygge lifestyle focuses mainly on simple things such as candles, home-cooked meals and gatherings of family and friends. Instead of having dinner in a restaurant with your friends, you can do so at your home and cook your meals. This is much cheaper than eating in a restaurant. If you are attempting to live more healthily and more happily, hygge lifestyle can be a good way to get it.

II. Where is Hygge/Hyggelig/Hooga? How do I live a Hygge/Hyggelig/Hooga life?

If you want to know how to live a Hygge/Hyggelig/Hooga lifestyle, the deep understanding is a must. As we have discussed before, English does not have a particular word for hygge, many people and try to define it. According to Country Living, a United Kingdom magazine, hygge is a feeling of cosy contentment and well-being through enjoying the simple things in life. Whereas, Helen Russell, a British bestselling author and speaker, when talking about hygge life, she defined it as “taking pleasure in the presence of gentle, soothing things”. To better answer the question “How do I live a Hygge/Hyggelig/Hooga life?”, you must know the features of Hygge/Hyggelig/Hooga living. Commonly, hygge life has the features below.

1. The central of Hygge/Hyggelig/Hooga: comfort

One of the effective Hygge/Hyggelig/Hooga lifestyle tips is to make things the most comfortable as possible. It means that you do not care much about something else but just focus on comfort. For instance, you can spend your Chrismas holiday in a cabin in the wood, like what Wiking did with his friends (Meik Wiking is the author of “The Little Book of Hygge”, you can read if you are about to live more Hygge/Hyggelig/Hooga).

Focusing only on comfort

After hiking in the snow, instead of taking a rest in a hotel and enjoying some delicious foods, you can sit together around the fire, drink the hand-made and hot wine and roast meat. The cosy sweaters, the hot wine, the warmth of the fire set against the cold outside. This is how you can imagine “Hygge/Hyggelig/Hooga” in the simplest way.

2. Being together is Hygge/Hyggelig/Hooga

Many hygge lifestyle blogs all agree that companionship cannot be lacked when talking about Hygge/Hyggelig/Hooga. Of course, you can sit in a comfortable couch, read a favourite book and drink a cup of tea. It is a good way to enjoy a hygge life. However, if you do it with other friends or family members, the Hygge/Hyggelig/Hooga experiences will be greater. You are suggested to gather your friends, but there is one thing you should notice. Small groups, for instance, close friends, are good. However, gathering a big group of strangers in public or on the internet is not how you can live a Hygge/Hyggelig life.

3. Hygge/Hyggelig/Hooga lifestyle is to make everything be as simple as possible

Most of Hygge/Hyggelig/Hooga life blog emphasizes the quality of simplicity as it is an important feature of hygge life. It means that you will enjoy the simple things in your life. You can wake up early, sit by an open window and listen to the birds singing. It is a way to enjoy Hygge/Hyggelig/Hooga life. Or you can cook a simple meal for your launch instead of eating fast food as usual. Having a cup of coffee in your hand while checking emails in the morning on the way to work is not how to live Hygge/Hyggelig/Hooga.

Simplicity is a key part of Hygge/Hyggelig/Hooga

4. Relaxation is Hygge/Hyggelig/Hooga

You must remember relaxation is not sitting still in a place without doing anything. You can take a walk through the street on the weekend with your friends or spend some time chatting with them. You can simply practise deep meditation about 10 minutes before going to bed. It is also a great way to get relaxed after a hard-working day.

5. Hygge/Hyggelig/Hooga is to get connected with nature more

Some people may like being indoors; whereas others may feel more comfortable when being outside. If you want to live a Scandinavian Hygge/Hyggelig/Hooga lifestyle, it is suggested that you should spend more time in outdoor activities. You need to enjoy the lights, the sounds and the smells around you. Some people even like going in the rain. Others plant tree and flowers in front of their house to enjoy the smell and the beauty of blooming flowers. These are some suggestions for you if you want to have a Hygge/Hyggelig/Hooga living space. Hygge/Hyggelig/Hooga life features also include adding fresh and natural ingredients to meals. You can start adding muesli, roast lamb and fruit compote to your meals as what Johansen suggests in his book “How to Hygge”. Moreover, in order to get the hygge feeling, you should bring the outdoor feeling in with some fresh flower or light some candles instead of using electric lights. So, there is enough light and you can also watch the flames.

III. What is not Hygge/Hyggelig/Hooga and how to avoid?

These are some basic things you need to remember if you are about to live a Hygge/Hyggelig/Hooga life. To continue, we will point out some things you need to avoid to be more Hygge/Hyggelig/Hooga.

1. Let your phone start your day and dominate your day is not Hygge/Hyggelig/Hooga

This is the least thing that you should not do when pursuing a hygge lifestyle. Many people often surf the web, check notifications on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram or check emails when they wake up. Even if this is for working purposes, you should not do so because it is not how to live a Hygge/Hyggelig/Hooga life.