2023 – Start Off the New Year with Self Care | Hygge at Home
So, what is the goal of Self-Care?
For many, the primary goal of self-care is to create and preserve an overall feeling of well-being through the consistent practice of taking care of one’s own health, mindset, and surroundings. There is no better time than the start of a new year to think about taking better care of ourselves. Whether it’s eating healthier, taking more time off to recharge, starting yoga or maybe starting meditation there are many ways to start taking better self-care this year. From our porch in Black Mountain, NC we are sharing some of our favorite Hygee principles to reduce stress and bring a sense of calm into your home.
So, what is Hygge? The Oxford English Dictionary describes hygge as “the quality of being warm and comfortable that gives a feeling of happiness”. In my simple terms, hygge is about taking time away from the daily rush to relax and enjoy life’s quieter pleasures whether it be at home alone or with friends and family.
Here are our top tips for making your home more Hygge this winter and really any time of year.
Natural Elements:
Bring some hygge into your life this winter. Incorporate natural elements like textures, wood, and greenery to lighten and brighten your home.
Candles:
Lights are getting dimmer. Slowly a chill has been creeping in and it just seems like it’s getting darker earlier. People begin to think of candles, and they want them! Whether you’re going out, or staying in–lighting candles is an excellent way to incorporate hygge and coziness in today’s society. Take it to the next level by using relaxing scents like amber, tobacco, leather, earthy and woodsy scents.
Natural Light:
Natural light can be a huge factor of hygge. Think of candlelight as your go-to option for evenings, but incorporating more natural light throughout your home is your go-to during non-evening hours. Keep curtains open and position mirrors on walls across from windows to double the natural light in your home. If your space has few windows or it gets really dark during colder days, be strategic about lamps. Choose a light bulb with a warmer tint instead of blue light, and position lamps near the coziest areas of your home, where you like to read, relax, etc. If you don’t have one read on to our next tip.
Cozy Corner:
Every hygge home needs that perfect place to curl up with a blanket and relax. In fact, there’s even a Danish word for this spot: hyggekrog, or a cozy corner. A quiet space where you can be at peace read a book, and have a cup of tea or hot cocoa. Just imagine a favorite chair or corner sofa, some comfy pillows and throws, and a warm lamp for soft lighting. Add a teacup and you’ll be ready to relax in your own hyggekrog.
Visual Warmth:
To make your home cozy during the winter months, center your main living around the fireplace, if you don’t have one try clustering candles as a focal point, add warm lamps around the room, or have ample blankets and pillows draped on every piece of furniture.
Warm and Neutral Color Palettes:
Think the opposite of sleek and modern. Your color scheme has a major effect on how a home feels. Warm neutrals like creams and beiges tend to feel more relaxing and inviting than cool gray or dark black and feel less cluttered than bright colors. Don’t feel like you have to transform your entire decor style to add hygge to your home. Simply add a few throw pillows, blankets, artwork decor pieces, or other accents in neutral colors.
Texture:
Textures are so important when it comes to cozy and hygge, it’s really all about how you emotionally feel. So, textures that make you feel comforted should be blended into your home decor. I think of soft sherpa, faux fur rugs, warm knits, and distressed woods.
Simplicity:
Think of a hygge life as being all about simplicity, contentment, and comfort. Remove clutter, donate things like furniture you don’t really love and aren’t using. Only fill your space with the things that really make you happy and remove whatever doesn’t to create more simplicity. You will feel calmer and take more pleasure in the sheer simplicity of your immediate surroundings.
To read more about the benefits of self-care click here to read more from Very Well Health
Let us know what else brings you that sense of hygge and drop us a note, we would love to hear from you
