Your environment directly impacts how you feel. When your home is cluttered, for example, mental health experts state it is harder to feel relaxed or focused. Since you likely have been spending most of your time at home in recent weeks due to quarantine restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic, controlling the appearance of your home is crucial for your sense of peace. One way to go about this is by exploring the “hygge” lifestyle. Developed by the Danish, this style is all about being cozy while encouraging intimacy with loved ones around you.
Being hygge isn’t very difficult. In fact, you can make a few small adjustments to your home and find a sense of spiritual and mental rest in no time.
Encourage a Warm Ambiance
First and foremost, hygge is all about warmth. This doesn’t exclusively mean temperature, but temperature is part of the equation. Think of warmth in terms of how you feel within. To encourage this, invest in clothing and decor that help you stay cozy. Large, chunky sweaters are popular among those following a hygge way of living. Similarly, fuzzy and heavy blankets placed on various couches and seats around your space can provide both a functional answer to the cold and aesthetic pleasure to the eye.
Another easy way to create a warm atmosphere in your home is with light. If you have a fireplace, you’ll definitely want to put that to good use. Candles and string lights can also suffice, as these typically put off the soft glow that helps to put restless spirits to ease.
Focus on Self-Care
When you’re trapped indoors, it is important to check in with yourself from time to time. Whether you live alone or with a large family, having personal moments can help you gain insight on how you truly feel within. If you notice you’re stressed or anxious without cause, self-care can be a fantastic solution. A hygge routine should include a long, leisurely bath or shower with accessories meant to enhance the sensory experience. A few drops of essential oil in the water creates an aromatherapy session that makes it much easier to unwind.
A self-care routine does not need to be strictly about hygiene or beauty. For some, sitting down with a warm cup of tea and a favorite book can be the ideal way to decompress. View your self-care actions as a way of connecting with yourself in a meaningful and nourishing way.
Display the Familiar
Hygge is all about comfort, and comfort is often about familiarity. If you want to encourage a warm, cozy feeling when you’re trapped indoors, surround yourself with what is familiar. This can be photos of family members and friends, items curated from your travels around the world, or simply pieces of decor that struck you in one way or another when you were shopping. Decorating with comforting objects instead of items that are trendy can transform your space into one that encourages rest, relaxation, and a moment to recharge.
Play With Textures
Finally, it can be important to remember that the details really matter in hygge living. Consider this when selecting sweaters, socks, blankets, or anything else you’ll be using on a regular basis. A gentle, unique texture of a blanket that feels comforting against your skin will be much more appealing than a blanket that looks pretty but doesn’t have any substance to it. While sticking to a color scheme might be right for some, there’s nothing stopping you from experimenting with an array of patterns that clash as long as you feel comforted by the design.
The beauty of being hygge is that you can slip into this mindset whenever you need to rest around the house. Grab cozy items, park yourself in a comfy spot on the couch, and indulge in the rest you’re so often denied by the demands of the world.
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