Bring a little bit of "Hygge" in your life

A group of of friends and I are reading this book this month. The friend who picked it has Danish ancestry, and since I do as well I was excited to read it.

First of all, how the heck to pronounce "Hygge"? It's pronounced "Hoo-ga."

Ok, now that we know how to pronounce it, what does it mean?

Well, Meik Wiking takes the whole book to really delve into what this word means. Here are a couple of phrases that describe what hygge is:


*the art of creating intimacy
*coziness of the soul
*taking pleasure from the presence of    soothing things
*cozy togetherness
*cocoa by candlelight

Denmark is one of the happiest countries. You wouldn't think that because their winters are long and terrible. They have very little daylight during those winters, too. But because of the cold outside, it has created an intimacy inside. It just goes to show, you can be happy in the dreariest of circumstances. You just have to choose to make it more hyggeligt! (hygge-like)

I got really excited about this idea of hygge. Naturally, it meant I had to go shopping. For CANDLES. Or at least candle holders (because that had a plethora of them at Goodwill). I actually made the candle in the tea cup years ago, and it's still one of my favorite candles! Also, I made sure to buy candles that were unscented. The Danish don't like the scented candles because it's not nearly as natural. 

Unnatural = NOT hygge

Then I had to find my perfect spot to enjoy some good hygge. A place in my house that I can curl up with a good book and feel oh-so relaxed. My favorite spot in my house is looking at this view:

Now curling up on my couch talking to friends and looking out the window is quite hyggligt. But something about sitting in a bay window makes you feel even MORE so. My epic plan for this window is get a custom-made cushion for the bay window so I can cozy up, in addition to pillows of all shapes and sizes. For now, I still enjoy relaxing in my bay window. It just may cause my booty to go numb after 30 minutes or so! 

These guys know how to use a bay window. Reading in a bay window is truly embracing hygge!

What are you some other things that you can do to bring a little hygge in your life? 

Go on a bike ride.

Keep a gratitude journal.

Savor a cup of tea (I do herbal, since I'm a Mormon). 

Get together a group of friends or family (3-4 people is ideal) and eat cake.

                                    Go on a picnic.

Cuddle under a blanket and enjoy the crackling of the fire. 

Write a thank-you letter with an actual pen and paper. *gasp*

Meditate. Be in the moment. 

Breathe.

I think I'll go eat some cake. 

A Life Worth Living

Anne of Green Gables shaped who I am today. I was allowed to watch only a few movies on Sunday (we tried as a family to focus on spiritual things that day), but one movie I could watch was Anne of Green Gables. Her optimism in the face of adversity, and the imagination that helped facilitate that optimism, was always inspiring.

"Life is worth living, as long as there is a laugh in it." 

Anne of Green Gables

So true, Anne. So true.

I consider myself a pretty optimistic person. My cheeks often hurt from smiling by the end of the day. I had a church leader ask me one time, "Do you ever stop smiling??" It's something I simply can't help. I love to smile.

Yet even I (like every human being) have to deal with "unsmiley" things sometimes. People are surprised to hear that I deal with anxiety and am currently taking medication for it. I am SO grateful for that medication. I have felt since I have found a) the right brand and b) the right level (that took a couple of years of tinkering) of medication, I can finally take a breath and say "Oh. This is what it feels like to feel normal." I feel like I can function and not feel coritsol flooding my brain while doing mundane things, like falling asleep or getting on a bus. It's liberating. Exhilarating. But most importantly, I can feel the peace of God's love, something that was really hard to feel when anxiety had overtaken my world.*

It got me thinking about how grateful I was that I had a bedrock of testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ before my anxiety got really bad. When my anxiety became overwhelming, my world felt like I was crawling through a tunnel where sunshine simply didn't exist. So if the sun didn't shine, how could I feel connected to God? To know that Jesus was my Savior? I had to hearken back to the things I had learned as a child. I had to remember the testimony that I did have.

I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Aka "Mormon." I have seen people go through hardships, mental illness being one of them, and then seen them slip away from the faith. Having gone through the ups and downs of mental illness, I can't say I blame them. It's so hard when you're falling down into the precipice of doubt and sadness, to remember to reach out to the strongholds on the side of the cliff.

But here's the key: There have to be strongholds to grab onto in the first place. God is always reaching out with open arms, wanting to hold you. But throughout our lives we need to be creating those strongholds, those places to grip and fiercely hold on to as we reach for those open arms.

It's so important to do the little things every day to build up our testimonies before the storm hits. Before you're swept off that cliff. I feel like for people with mental illness, it's even extra important to do things necessary to bringing the Holy Spirit into your life on a day-to-day basis. So that you can hold on to those strongholds as you await the dawn.

And please, keep holding on! 

"Tomorrow is a new day, with no mistakes in it." 

Anne of Green Gables

*Now this is not a post telling the world, "If you deal with mental illness, you have to get on medication NOW!" There are a lot of people I know who deal with it through natural methods like meditation, oils, yoga, homeopathy, etc. I found that for my mental health tool belt, I can't just rely on my medication.  Or just on my essential oils. Or just on deep breathing. Or just on attending church and keeping the commandments. I have to do everything! It's a balancing act. Sometimes I just really need to get on my knees and pray. Other times a good run is what I need. The medicine is simply one of the many things that help keep me sane.