Hygge and your emotional well-being
Hygge & Your Emotional Well-Being
By Louis-Philippe Landry
9 March 2021
Have you heard of the word “Hygge”? Did you know that implementing this practice can benefit your emotional health in the middle of a pandemic? Keep reading.
Like many North Americans, I stumbled upon this concept through Instagram. I started to pay attention when I got starstruck with the “Wow! This looks so soothing and calm, kind of like lying in front of a fireplace during a winter evening…!” vibes.
My curiosity brought me to Google the term—and out came a slew of the comfiest images on the Internet…
I. Was. Sold.
I value trying out new ideas because if something can bring out the best version in me and my loved ones, it’s something I’ll put time and effort into. So, I committed to understanding how to practically apply Hygge to my own life—and here’s what happened.
Enter the pandemic… And procrastination.
I found myself riding the pandemic isolation wave and lost track of time, much like the popular movie “Groundhog’s Day”. But let me tell you, it’s not the way I like being “lost”.
But, last December, my family and I were “forced” into Hygge during a power outage—and it was magical.
It happened while we were preparing a fresh pasta meal with our young children, wanting to be more intentional about dining in and making food as a family.
The meal was almost done, and then the power ran out.
We lit almost every candle we had in the house. And, as it turns out, we had a better time without electricity… I saw my family’s smiles and their joy reflected in the auburn flicker on their faces.
At that moment, I realized it was a Hygge moment-and I wanted more of it.
How do you practice Hygge?
This is how we did our interpretation of Hygge as a family
Does Your Environment Benefit Your Emotional Health?
Using inspiration from Scandinavia, which tops the world’s happiest culture every year, to benefit our emotional health, let’s look at some ways we can create intentionality with our environment.
Your environment matters.
Whether you find yourself outdoors, akin to the concept of friluftsliv, or “At Home”, creating intentional coziness like Hygge—wherever you are, you can always find, create and live a happier life through your environment (in the cognitive, affective, and purpose-oriented sense). (Check out our blog on friluftsliv here)
Your environment matters. Whether you find yourself outdoors or at home—you can always find, create and live a happier life.
Your environment matters, and we’ll dive into that more below. But creating Hygge in your home environment isn’t just self-care and cozy, it has immense benefits for your emotional and relational health.
Your environment directly affects your emotional health.
Curate your space.
Hygge doesn’t just happen. You don’t simply walk into a room and feel that inherent feeling of comfort, and warmth and think, “It is well my soul”. You need to intentionally curate your home spaces so they are conducive to Hygge moments.
Here’s why this matters:
The current pandemic has redirected us into our homes. Our resting place has now become our work, train, and just “get stuff done” place… Our home is everything.
The meaning behind our environment has changed.
A place of comfort and peace now gets relegated to “I’ll do this later, but first I need to finish this report.”
This happens to me too, and in the long run, when all these spaces collide and don’t have boundaries, it will wear us down. Stress can seep into every room and every space.
Curate spaces that are stress-free and work-free.
Prioritize recharging.
One of my favourite childhood memories was my sick days from school. On those days, I had a ritual of bundling up in my oldest Star Wars blanket and wearing sweats and wool socks. I’d sip chicken noodle soup and watch my favourite movie—Star Wars of course!
Halfway through, I would usually dose off and catch up on sleep. Feeling comfortable in an uncomfortable moment was essential on those rest days.
Fast-forward to today. If you’re like me, I can also use a scarcity mindset to try and catch up and get ahead by doing the next “next thing” on my to-do list instead of resting. Yes, therapists are humans too!
But our stress and striving happen at the cost of comfort and embracing calm moments of rest and recharge.
As professionals and leaders, we tend to get our value from our accomplishments, and we forget that we need to recharge our batteries regularly.
Rest is essential and dedicated Hygge spaces create opportunities to do just that.
As professionals and leaders, we tend to get our value from our accomplishments, and we forget that we need to recharge our batteries regularly. Rest is essential. Read more here.
How can you be more Hygge?
One of my jobs as a therapist is to help people learn how to better manage emotions, thoughts, relationships, and self-soothing practices.
This is where cultivating more Hygge can help you navigate the pandemic by shifting your position from a constant “work at home” to a more “at peace in our homes” mentality.
Here are six ways to cultivate those “it is well with my soul” moments:
Be intentional about your space—keep it uncluttered, inviting and warm (I chose our living room, where we have comfortable furniture).
Natural lights are a revelation. If you don’t have a wood fireplace, try candles.
Wear cozy clothes. Wool socks are a must! Feel free to experiment with a favourite blanket or sweater.
Pour yourself warm and inviting drinks (hot chocolate is my go-to).
Nourishing food is a bonus (I love a special pastry or chicken soup).
Carve out time for Hygge moments in that specific space. That could be Friday night movies, games, or just reading.
By being intentional with Hygge, you can reclaim your home and bring back the peaceful sanctuary you had before the pandemic. Have you tried this out? Let me know!
Wearing wool socks and cheering you on,
Louis-Philippe Landry, MA, RP, CCC.
If you’re interested in booking an appointment with me, visit overcomeapathy.janeapp.com to create your client profile and reserve your spot online.
Are you a high-performing man who has trouble maintaining a balance in your life? (Or do you know a high-performing man who could use a little more balance?) Click here to join our Overcome Café Conversations: Support group for High-Performing men.