People have been talking about “hygge” for a few years now. It’s the Danish word for coziness or feeling warm, comfortable, and safe, according to the Cambridge Dictionary. It was back in 2016 that The New Yorker reported it was the “year of hygge.”
And wellness experts say that if you haven’t joined the trend yet, these colder weather months are the perfect time to do so.
It’s not so much an activity you might choose to do or not do; hygge is more a way of life, one that makes ordinary moments feel special, pleasurable, and meaningful, according to Meik Wiking, CEO of the Happiness Research Institute and the author of The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living.
The concept of hygge is about creating a cozy, comforting physical environment: lighting candles, snuggling up with soft blankets, and consuming warm, soothing drinks. But it’s also (and perhaps more importantly) a mindset and a philosophy, Wiking explains.
“Hygge is about an atmosphere and an experience, rather than about things,” Wiking says. Hygge is also about creating a comforting social and emotional environment for yourself; it’s about who you choose to surround yourself with and what you choose to spend your time doing.
“It is about being with the people we love; a feeling that we are safe, that we are shielded from the world and are allowing ourselves to let our guard down,” Wiking says.
It’s not just the cooler weather that may make adopting a hygge mindset attractive; it’s a way to take care of yourself during a time filled with all sorts of worldwide stressors and negative news cycles, says Holly Schiff, PsyD, a Connecticut-based licensed clinical psychologist for Jewish Family Services of Greenwich.
“During this time of uncertainty and stress, we crave consistency, predictability, and a sense of control,” Schiff explains. As such, she notes that hygge practices and its emphasis on self-care can help individuals exercise control amid uncontrollable circ*mstances.
A note on pronunciation: For us English speakers, "HUE-geh" is pretty close. Complicating matters, the word can be used as a noun, a verb, and an adjective. "Hygge" in both Danish and Norwegian means "coziness," and is derived ultimately from Old Norse. As a concept and cultural practice, hygge became popular in Denmark in the 19th century as a celebration of comfortable conviviality during the long, dark Scandinavian winters, Wiking says.
The Benefits of Hygge and Why It’s Self-Care
Hygge may be part of the reason why Denmark consistently ranks among the happiest countries on the planet, alongside Finland, Norway, and Switzerland (these rankings come from the annualWorld Happiness Report).
Experiencing hygge reportedly reduces stress and improves emotional well-being, though there isn’t any scientific research examining the perks of the practice as a whole. “The support for hygge comes from its independent components — it hasn’t been tested as a set of environmental conditions,” notes Sally Augustin, PhD, environmental and design psychologist, and principal at the Chicago-based design firm Design With Science. Dr. Augustin’s work focuses on using design in science-backed ways to improve cognitive, emotional, and physical experiences.
For example,research published in the February 2020 issue of the journal Ergonomics found that people perceived warm, dimmer light as more relaxing than bright, white lights.
In addition, there’s strong evidence that having nurturing social connections (another component of hygge — spending time with friends and family) is beneficial for physical and emotional health; several such studies are included in a review published in 2018 in the journal Annual Review of Psychology.
Previousresearch has also shown, for example, that when premenopausal women get more frequent hugs from their partners, they have higherlevels of oxytocin (often called the “love hormone” or the “cuddle hormone”) as well as lower blood pressure and heart rate.
Science has also shown that being around certain scents (yes, aromatherapy counts) can induce relaxation: Astudy from Japan found that when women were exposed for 90 seconds to air infused with the scent of rose or orange essential oil, it induced physiological relaxation in their brains and led to an increase in “comfortable” and “relaxed” feelings.
What’s more, “when we’re in a more positive or relaxed mood, we get better at problem-solving, we think more creatively, and we get along better with each other,” Augustin says. All these potential benefits of practicing hygge explain why and how it can be a method of self-care.
Additionally, Schiff notes that hygge principles, including those involving self-care, could have positive mental health implications. These include less stress, reduced anxiety, and better mood overall.
In one of the few studies that has looked at practicing hygge, researchers found that the lifestyle had significant positive impacts from women in a women’s correctional facility in Denmark who used hygge practices, such as food and props in their cells to create a hygge environment. Results from the small study (it only involved 9 women) were reported in 2019 in the journal Appetite.
How to Make Hygge Part of Your Life
Why does creating a cozy, inviting, appealing environment make a difference in terms of our well-being? “It’s about creating environmental flow and warmth, about making you feel comfortable and cozy through visual, spatial, and other sensory properties,” says Allen Elkin, PhD, a clinical psychologist based in New York City and author of Stress Management for Dummies.
How do you get started with creating the hygge effect? It’s really up to you. “The important thing to remember is that your environment does influence how you feel — and you can take control of your environment and actually make it really good,” Augustin says. That “taking control” aspect is really important, she adds. “One of our fundamental human motivations is to feel that we have an element of autonomy in our lives" — that you have options in terms of what you do.
To that end, you can choose from the following strategies to get started with hygge and practice it as a form ofself-care.
Opt for mood lighting. At home, dim the lights and light some candles. Or make a fire in the fireplace if you can do so safely. Or, buy warm amber bulbs for your lamps and light fixtures then “turn on whatever is appropriate at any particular moment,” Augustin suggests.
Hang out with a small circle of close friends. “The most important social relationships are close relationships in which you experience things together with others, and experience being understood; where you share thoughts and feelings; and both give and receive support,” Wiking explains. That togetherness is the essence of hygge.
Make yourself comfortable. Add flannel or fleece blankets, pillows, and throws to your home environment for snuggling opportunities. Go casual and wear comfy, loose pullovers, leggings or jeans you’re not afraid to get wrinkled, thick socks that keep your feet warm, and big scarves (a Danish signature). “Opt for soft textures that feel good against your skin,” Augustin advises.
Establish a comforting bedtime ritual and space. Aside from sticking with a regular sleep schedule, Schiff recommends creating your sleeping space as comfortable and cozy as possible, per the hygge philosophy. “Cuddle up with some hot tea, wrap yourself in a warm blanket, and make your bedroom the most relaxing place in the house,” she suggests. Try breathing exercises for more relaxation, she says.
Get cooking. Food and beverages are a big part of the hygge experience. It’s about pleasure, so go ahead and enjoy sweets, cakes, hot chocolate, mulled wine, and other tasty treats. “Few things contribute more to the hygge factor than the smell of fresh baked goods,” Wiking says. So roll up your sleeves and bake something delicious at home (by yourself or with friends). Remember: “Hygge food may be comfort food,” Wiking says, “but hygge food is also very much slow food” — meaning, part of the magic is in its preparation.
Relish the here and now. Mindfulness and gratitude are key components of hygge, says Schiff. Turn off your phone and other digital devices and focus on the present moment. Listen to music that soothes your heart and soul. Light a candle and treat yourself to good scents that have a calming effect (think: lavender, rose, jasmine, or bergamot). Read an enjoyable book or play a fun board game with friends or family. Hygge is about giving the responsible, stressed-out, perhaps overachieving part of yourself a break, says Wiking. It’s about joy and contentment. “It is about experiencing happiness in simple pleasures and knowing that everything is going to be okay.”
With additional reporting by Kristeen Cherney.
