What Feelings Does Your Home Evoke?

NOTE: I’m delighted to welcome my friend Vicki Peel as my guest blogger today. You can read more about her below, but what I loved about this post was its introduction to the Danish concept of “Hygge.” It’s so easy to take our surroundings for granted, but her article made me think hard about how my home makes me feel and whether that aligns with where I find the most joy and comfort. Vicki and I would both love to hear what you think in the comments below.

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Does your home evoke “a quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being?”

In other words, is your home a haven from the chaos of the world, a place that nourishes your soul and uplifts your spirit?

If so, your home has hygge!

What is Hygge?

And your first response may be “What the heck is hygge”? (It’s pronounced “Hoo-gah”, by the way. I know – how can something spelled like that be pronounced “Hoo-gah”!?)

“Hygge… is a Scandinavian way of life that celebrates coziness, shared meals, and companionable interactions with loved ones. Emphasizing warmth, kinship, and an appreciation for the little things, hygge is a perspective on life that started in Denmark and has contributed to the nation’s consistently high happiness ratings. Now, Americans are turning to hygge as a way to find happiness from within.”    [Brinton Parker, (December 10, 2019), “11 Ways to embrace the hygge lifestyle this season.” PopSugar]

When I first came across the word “hygge,” I thought, “Wow, that’s exactly what I want my home to be and how I want it to feel!” Although I didn’t know it had a name, I’ve always tried to make my home warm, cozy, and livable. I want my children and grandchildren to want to come “home,” because they know they will be warmly welcomed and they can easily be themselves.

Now that I know about hygge, I am more aware of the little things that make my home cozy and welcoming. And considering how chaotic the world has become in the last few years, it is more important than ever to make my home a haven that shields me from the outside and makes me feel safe and secure.

One of the most notable ways I provide hygge when my family comes to visit is through food. I know everyone’s favorite foods, and I try to prepare most of them. Sometimes, one of my grandchildren will tell me exactly what they would like to have when they come!

In fact, my family has expectations of how things should be when they visit. While driving to a recent family beach vacation, my youngest granddaughter, 7-year-old Lilly Mac, expressed hope that Grandmama has some of those brownies! My brownies are a favorite of Lilly Mac, my son, and my only grandson.

Hygge is a great way to embrace self-care that extends to all family members. Think about all the things you love about your home and the things you like to do there that provide that much-needed extra layer of comfort. Are there things that make your family feel comforted and loved through the ways you create hygge?

How to Get Hygge

While there are many options for creating hygge in your home, here are a few ways I strive for the support and comfort of hygge in my own home:

• Spending time alone in the comfy leather chair in my office for journaling my thoughts and renewing myself spiritually
• Sipping a warm cup of cocoa with mini-marshmallows
• Decorating my home with items of personal family memories (I’ll show you around some time and point out all the “old things” that are so special to me!)
• Watching HGTV – any shows on HGTV (personally, I love Ben and Erin on Home Town, among many others!)
• Putting on an eye mask and listening to soothing music as I take a short afternoon nap
• Curling up (OK – I mean metaphorically curling; it has been a long time since my knees allowed me to actually curl up!) with my iPad to play Candy Crush, Spades and Castle. (I’m ashamed to tell you how high I’ve gotten on Candy Crush. I am working to curb my “addiction.”) And I love playing Sudoku and Kakuro. There is just something satisfying about being able to solve one of these puzzles.

Now, how about you? What makes your house hygge, even if you don’t call it that? How is your house a haven from the outside world? Comment below or email me at vicki@herlifehacks.com and let me know one or two things on your hygge list

Want to know more about Hygge?