What is the Hygge Manifesto?
Unless you have been living in a cave you must have heard of the Danish concept of Hygge. It is all about enjoying the everyday, community, comfort & feeling good. It is the Danish way of life, a verb, a noun & a very good way to appreciate life.
My partner has been a practitioner of Hygge for many years. She discovered it when studying why Denmark is always rated as the happiest country. We met a couple of years ago & she persuaded me to give it a try as the nights got darker & the weather started to make me look at cheap flights to exotic countries. I have never been into winter. I know some people love getting cosy & wearing fleece it was just never my thing. I like sunshine, being warm & being barefoot. I have to say though that Hygge has really helped me to enjoy winter in particular but also more generally, life. It is ultimately about being happy & I find that practicing Hygge has made me happier.
The Hygge Manifesto was written by Meik Wiking (The Little Book of Hygge) & is a ten point Hygge action plan to achieving everyday happiness.
As you can see above the manifesto calls for us to really be present in the moment & fully engage with life. By achieving physical comfort, connecting with others (not on a screen), being grateful & creating a beautiful atmosphere we can achieve Hyggelig feelings. These are feelings of security & contentedness which arise from your sensory experiences.
This is why Hygge pays attention to atmosphere, creating a soothing space in which to relax is important. It also requires that we take time to find & enjoy pleasurable things — don’t rush your cup of tea, take your time & savour the taste & the heat of the cup in your hand. You don’t need to spend money to do Hygge & it is not just about Scandi interiors. It is about your attitude to life & how much attention you pay to enjoying everything.
I guess this all sounds very cosy & if you are working 60 hours a week & have a busy household or a lot of stress this might all sound a little fanciful. I beg to differ though. Sure it is easier to take pleasure in life when you have plenty of time but even in my most stressed times I know I could have found more time to enjoy something small & that would have made a difference.
We all need to take care of ourselves. Sometimes that can be a few small things which really add up to feeling better & being more able to deal with life’s pressures. Next time you are tired & reach to switch the tv on why not try just listening to some music or getting your loved ones together for a game of cards. I know when we are zapped of energy these things can seem impossible but they are worth it. Think about how much time you spend staring at a screen & see of you can find half an hour to do something different this week.
Hygge is about everyday happiness. Using some of the points on this manifesto is a good practical way to start appreciating what is around & feeling happier as a result.
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