All About Hygge and Lykke
Creating a Comforting Environment for Your Body and Mind
What's the simplest term you could come up with to describe the feeling of sitting by the fireplace under a big blanket with a warm cup of tea? Well, if you were in Denmark, you'd hear the term hygge (pronounced 'hoo-ga') being thrown around. It's a word that doesn't directly translate to English—the closest thing being coziness. But hygge is much more than being cozy.
Denmark, which experiences cold winters with little daylight, has developed the concept over the decades and has made it into a part of their national identity. Hygge is more than just a specific situation or a mindset—it's a way of life and a system of values all based around keeping you grounded, comfortable, and happy.
Hygge could be baking and eating cookies, playing board games with your friends, or routinely going on a long walk at the beach. It's a concept that looks different to every individual and is perfect to help you get through the bout of winter that follows the holiday season.
Lykke (pronounced 'lu-Kah') is another Danish word. It's one you begin thinking about to help increase your contentment with life. Lykke is all about happiness, and Danish author Meik Wiking defines the term in six key factors: togetherness, money, health, freedom, trust, and kindness. None of these by themselves will guarantee happiness; instead, they work in tandem. Thinking critically about these aspects of your life and how you could change/improve them can help increase your overall contentment.
Hygge and lykke can't take an awful situation and completely mend it, but it can help you through the day or the week. Why not use the concepts to help make it through the rest of winter and improve your mindset for 2024?
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