What is hygge you may be asking. It's a Danish word that means cosiness. It is the very intentional way the Danes build connection and as a result, Denmark is one of the happiest places on earth. Find out more here. Further back, hygge was actually a Norwegian word that means well being, but over time it has come to mean cosiness. As my father was Norwegian, I feel connected to this idea, even though it wasn't something we did in my family of origin.
After reading about hygge last year, I wondered how we could bring this into our family, even though the kids are all grown up and we only have one left at home. Just a reminder, a couple is a family. ;-) Our son still lives at home with us, so we focused on how we could adapt the idea to help us connect better.
Be Intentional
But I'm too busy to add anything else to my life. If this is you, then get less busy. To make memories and connections with each other, we need to invest time, maybe some money and a bit of effort, to express that connecting matters enough to do it. Be intentional.
Creating Atmosphere.
To be honest with you, I'm not that good at this sort of thing. I don't have an eye for interior design or decorating. But candles make almost everything beautiful. Andrew has made it his job to light all the candles. The Danish invest heavily in creating atmosphere using candles, making them the biggest buyers of candles in the world.
Shared Experiences.
Reading together aloud creates a shared experience. We have made a tradition of reading library books out loud together every Friday night. Alternatively, we might cook together or play a game together. You might like craft, or watching movies.
Reduce Environmental Stress
There are no screens of any kind, phones, tablets, or tv. We have dinner together with music in the background. I usually choose 'unwind' on Spotify. (You can visit this free music site here.)When we've eaten, we stop the music and read together. Sometimes I read, sometimes Paul reads, but we're all engaged in the stories. After stories, it's desert time. By turning off the lights, having scented candles burning, simple comfort food, relaxing music playing and no screens, we create an environment where we can appeal to our various senses, relax, unwind and connect.
Want More Ideas?
Book Depository has several books to help you figure out how to bring Hygge into your life. You can click here and begin your search.