The 2024 World Happiness Report ranks Denmark as the second happiest country in the world. Perhaps a contributor to this national contentment is hygge—a Danish cultural concept that when simplified means "creating a warm atmosphere and enjoying the good things in life."
Hygge is closely related to the Swedish concept of lagom, but it has its own unique charm. Let’s dive into how hygge might be one of the secrets behind Denmark's happiness.
The Origin of Hygge
Hygge actually originates from the old Norwegian language, where it meant something like "well-being." Around the end of the 18th century, Hygge started appearing in Danish writing and is now deeply rooted in the people and culture of Denmark.
The concept of hygge gained popularity with an international audience in late 2017, resulting in an increase of online searches and the rise of the hashtag "#Hygge" on Instagram.
Hygge has also developed into a popular niche of interior, clothing and home decor style around the world, taking inspiration from it to create a warm, cozy and simple environment.
The Core Principles of Hygge
The core of hygge is about being comfortable, content, promote well-being and enjoy the small things in everyday life. Valuing things like close relationships, good food, being mindful and content all capture the essence of the hygge concept.
When reading about hygge, you might come across businesses shortly explaining the concept and then promoting interior design or decor products in it's spirit. But I prefer it as the concept of just enjoying everyday things in life, living simply, and embracing a warm atmosphere.
Being mindful, present and slowing down is a key takeaway from the danish concept of hygge. With the modern world and typical lifestyle increasing it's pace and distractions, slowing down and grounding yourself in the present is important to appreciate the everyday joys and experiences we have.
Hygge aligns with other well-being concepts and philosophies like lagom, minimalism and mindfulness. So why not pick and choose your favorite ideas and concepts from all of them to create your core values in life.
Read my favorite posts about Lagom and Minimalism
Incorporate Hygge Into Your Life
A great way to start implementing hygge is by simplifying your everyday life. As modern life is filled with distractions, we often tend to make things harder than they need to be, but one way to make it simpler is to declutter and get rid of distractions, physical and digital. So, where can you start?
Clean your room!
Jordan Peterson, Psychology professor and author of 12 Rules For Life often emphasizes the importance of "cleaning your room" as a metaphor for taking personal responsibility and bringing order to your life. He argues that before attempting to change the world or criticize external problems, individuals should first focus on setting their own lives in order.
This starts with simple tasks like cleaning your room, which represents taking control of your immediate environment and establishing a foundation of personal discipline.
Peterson believes that by organizing your personal space, you can better manage your thoughts and actions, ultimately leading to greater well-being and a more stable life. The idea is that small, manageable actions can lead to significant improvements in both personal and broader contexts.
The concept of clean your room, can be applied to clean up much more than just your room. Try to get rid of clutter and bad distractions in all areas of your life, and replace it with order, beauty and meaningful actions.
Read my post Small shifts, big impact to learn more about how starting small can lead to great things.
Another way to enjoy implementing hygge into your life is to give yourself some cozy-time. Give yourself some love and coziness by taking a late night cup of tea while enjoying some of your favorite music, or anything else you might long for. The important point is, enjoy this without distracting yourself from it.
If you want to have a cozy, late night tea experience, give yourself the time for it! And don't let a bad TV-show or social media doomscrolling stop you from having these moments to just enjoy the present. Perhaps set up a date-night with yourself or a loved one once every month? Sounds like something to look forward to!
So, What Is Hygge?
Hygge is a danish concept that embodies living simply, enjoying the small things in everyday life, and creating a warm and cozy atmosphere. It aligns with other well-being concepts and philosophies like lagom, minimalism and mindfulness.
Being mindful, present and slowing down is a key takeaway from the danish concept of hygge. With the modern world and typical lifestyle increasing it's pace and distractions adopting your favorite takeaways from hygge and it's similar philosophies can be a great guide and provide you with helpful values in everyday life.
I had a pretty ´hygge´ moment reading and reflecting on this :)