Here is how The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living defines hygge:
“Embrace Hygge (pronounced hoo-ga) and become happier with the Danish philosophy of comfort, togetherness, and well-being.
Why are Danes the happiest people in the world? The answer, says Meik Wiking, CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen, is Hygge. Loosely translated, Hygge—pronounced Hoo-ga—is a sense of comfort, togetherness, and well-being. “Hygge is about an atmosphere and an experience,” Wiking explains. “It is about being with the people we love. A feeling of home. A feeling that we are safe.”
Hygge is the sensation you get when you’re cuddled up on a sofa, in cozy socks under a soft throw, during a storm. It’s that feeling when you’re sharing comfort food and easy conversation with loved ones at a candlelit table. It is the warmth of morning light shining just right on a crisp blue-sky day.
The Little Book of Hygge introduces you to this cornerstone of Danish life, and offers advice and ideas on incorporating it into your own life, such as:
- Get comfy. Take a break.
- Be here now. Turn off the phones.
- Turn down the lights. Bring out the candles.
- Build relationships. Spend time with your tribe.
- Give yourself a break from the demands of healthy living. Cake is most definitely Hygge.
- Live life today, like there is no coffee tomorrow.”
For the seventh consecutive year, Denmark was ranked in the top three happiest countries in the world by the 2018 World Happiness Report.
Why are Danes so happy?
It may have something to do with the Danish concept of hygge.
Hygge (pronounced hue-guh) is sometimes translated as “cozy,” but a better definition is “intentional intimacy.”
Research on hygge has found that it’s integral to people’s sense of well-being. It acts as a buffer against stress, while also creating a space to build camaraderie.
At its core, hygge is about building intimacy and trust with others.
We could all use a little more of it in our lives.
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