Secrets of Danish happiness available to everyone - the Hygge philosophy

The concept of “hygge” became known throughout the world thanks to the Dane Mike Viking. For a long time he headed the Happiness Research Institute, which he founded, and wrote a book on how to achieve the highest degree of satisfaction in your life. His essay almost immediately became a bestseller.

Hygge - what is it?

In the Norwegian language, the word hygge was used to describe well-being, but when it came to the Danish language, it acquired its own, unique meaning that cannot be conveyed in words. But you can feel it, because it’s a whole cocktail of emotions. Among its ingredients are joy, tranquility, and comfort. The Danes add hygge to almost any word if they want to show that it is associated with the closeness of loved ones, a serene pastime or security.

The concept of hygge has nothing to do with wealth and luxury. It rather hints at the state of mind and atmosphere in a particular place, rather than at the external decoration.

Rules for those who want to find happiness within themselves

The philosophy of hygge is not much like other teachings.There are no strict rules that need to be strictly followed, nothing that could hurt a person's feelings or force him to step out of his comfort zone. On the contrary, the one who decides to become happy must follow himself - his desires and needs, thoughts and aspirations.

However, the Danes nevertheless compiled 8 rules that will serve as a “guiding star” at the beginning of the path to harmony and well-being.

1. Cozy interior

Proper design of home and office is often done in a minimalist style:

• The walls and ceiling are painted in pastel shades (beige, gray, milky white, light cream, bluish or slightly pink).
• The furniture does not clutter up the rooms - there is just enough of it as needed for a comfortable existence. Everything unnecessary is thrown away, given away, or not purchased in the first place.
• The lighting is soft and does not hurt the eyes. Real candles or their imitation are welcome, as well as a fireplace - be it wood-burning or electric.
• Interior items are made from natural materials - linen, wood, clay, stone, wool.

When making a design, you need to focus on how comfortable it will be for people to be in such a room every day.

2. Communication with loved ones

Parents, friends, close relatives - these are the people around whom you can remain yourself. And the more often a person manages to “take off the mask,” the happier he feels, so you shouldn’t neglect communication. You don’t have to invite guests to your home - you can get together as a group and sit in a cafe, take a walk in the forest, go to an exhibition, or just chat while sitting in the park. The main thing is that everyone enjoys what is happening.If, instead of being immersed in the surrounding atmosphere, a person is distracted by extraneous matters, constantly answering phone calls or thinking about upcoming repairs, he will not be able to achieve the state of bliss and relaxation that he strives for.

3. Delicious food

Recently, it has become fashionable to limit yourself to goodies, but diets do not contribute to happiness. No one is saying that you should forget about carrot salad and buy only chocolate, but several times a week it is still worth treating yourself to something incredibly aromatic that excites the taste buds and makes you want to immediately eat every last bite. For some people this might be orange pie, for others it might be chips with hot sauce.

4. Physical activity

When choosing between taking the metro and walking, you should give preference to the second. Staying in the fresh air and active movement saturates the body with oxygen, reduces stress and brings pleasure. If we are talking about free time, it is worth devoting it to sports - skiing, cycling. For older people who have health problems, Nordic walking is suitable.

5. Comfortable clothes

If clothes are too tight or too loose, if shoes rub, and if the sweater “bites”, it is difficult for a person to relax. All his thoughts are aimed at changing clothes as quickly as possible. Therefore, one of the key rules is to wear comfortable clothes. It should not interfere with movements or restrict breathing, and should not cause overheating or hypothermia of the body.

6. Interests and hobbies

It doesn't matter what a person does if he likes it.Dancing, embroidery, sports games, modeling, drawing - any hobby allows you to be alone with your thoughts, throw out your emotions and find a sense of calm.

7. Simple joys

Even if someone dreams of a vacation on distant islands, he will enjoy a walk in a city park. Such simple joys do not require any investment of money or significant effort, but still make a person happy.

8. Sense of proportion

Following the hygge philosophy, one should not forget about a sense of proportion - if one cup of hot chocolate makes you feel joy, then ten cups drunk in a short period of time will negatively affect your health. One day of rest will give you the opportunity to recover from everyday work, but a week of idleness will make you feel overwhelmed.

By the way, Michael Viking in his book called the items from the “hygge first aid” set. This includes delicious jam and tea, a cozy blanket, an interesting book, several good films, warm socks and a scarf, an album with photographs and favorite music. All of the above will come in handy if you need to relax and forget about something bad.