If someone asked you what hygge means, what would you say?
Most of us know the feeling straight away. Candlelight, blankets, a warm drink and people we love. But putting it into words is a little trickier.
This week, why not take 15 minutes for a little hygge moment and look up the story behind the word hygge? Hygge is a Danish and Norwegian word linked to cosiness, comfort and wellbeing, and learning a little more about it can make your own cosy moments feel even richer.
Curiosity is the only homework.
Make it cosy
Turn your bit of reading into a cosy ritual:
- A comfy chair or a corner of the sofa
- A soft blanket over your knees
- A warm drink and perhaps a biscuit
- A lamp or candle glowing nearby
- A notebook and pen for anything you want to remember
Your 15 minutes of word wandering
- Start with a guide. Read our post on what hygge means and how to bring more of it into your life.
- Say it out loud. Try the word a few times and enjoy the sound of it.
- Look a little further. Find a dictionary entry or a book about Danish life.
- Jot down a few words. Note the ideas that feel most like home to you.
- Write your own meaning. In one sentence, what does hygge mean in your life?
Slow it right down
There is no test at the end. This is simply a chance to sit with a word that so many of us love and let it settle into your evening.
As you read, try to notice:
- Which descriptions make you smile or nod along
- Memories that come to mind of cosy times
- How warm and calm you feel just reading about it
- Any small ideas you would like to try this week
Finish gently
Close your notebook, finish your drink and take a moment to enjoy the cosy corner you have made. That feeling is hygge.
You could also:
- Share what you learned with a friend over tea
- Pin your one-sentence meaning to the fridge
- Look up other cosy words from different languages
- Borrow a book about Scandinavian living from the library
Your 15-minute challenge
Tonight, give yourself 15 minutes.
Make a warm drink. Curl up somewhere soft. Start reading.
Then write down what hygge means to you.
It does not have to be clever. It does not have to be right.
It just has to be tonight.
Some words are best understood by feeling them.
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