Minimalism and Hygge -6 Wonderful Ways to Enjoy a Happy Cozy Life!
It’s getting cold and I’m turning on my fake fireplace TV stand, drinking a cup of tea, and snuggling under an extra soft blanket.
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I just read The Little Book of Hygge By Meik Weiking and I am ready to enjoy a wonderful bit of hygge.
What is hygge?
What do minimalism and hygge have in common?
Let me share with you my deeply hygge-ly experience with The Little Book of Hygge and why I think that minimalism and hygge are great together!
What Is Hygge? What Do Minimalism and Hygge Have in Common
First of all, I highly recommend The Little Book of Hygge and I highly recommend you listen to it. I rented it from my library app and listened to it while sewing, cooking, and so forth.
Meik Wiking narrates his own book and his deep warm voice is very hygge. (By the way, Meik pronounces it “Hoogah”.
When I say something is hygge, I mean that it is very comforting, warm, cozy, friendly, and intimate. The meaning of hygge is complex but it focuses on comfort, warmth, ambiance, and togetherness.
I like that, at the heart of it, minimalism and hygge have a lot in common. Both the minimalist lifestyle and hygge hold the idea of promoting relationships and experiences over everything else.
Minimalism and Hygge Both Focus On People
When you want to enjoy hygge you need some good friends or family. You need cheerful conversation and a warm atmosphere. Minimalism and hygge have that in common. They both refocus your life on the people in it.
The people of Denmark, the home of hygge, are the happiest people on earth because they have strong social relationships. They regularly gather with the people they love and enjoy deep and meaningful conversations in intimate settings.
“While basic living standards are essential for happiness, after the baseline has been met, happiness varies more with the quality of human relationships than income”
World Happiness report
Interestingly, the book quotes the World Happiness Report commissioned by the United Nations as saying; “While basic living standards are essential for happiness after the baseline has been met, happiness varies more with quality of human relationships than income.”
That quote was so powerful I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Minimalism and hygge both emphasize the importance of our social relationships. Both those who pursue hygge and those who pursue minimalism are looking to make their family and friends center stage in their life instead of money and things. And when you seek the interests of others and enjoy the happiness of giving you are a happier person.
Minimalism and Hygge Both Focus On Joy
As I listened to the book Meik asked the question again and again: “Why are the Danes so happy?” and in my head, I answered: “Because they work at it.”
The Danish concept of hygge is about finding happy moments with people you love every chance you can get. The Danes seem to be obsessed with it. Danish people work hard to make sure nothing gets in the way of those things.
They show that they prioritize happy moments with those they love by leaving the office as soon as the clock strikes 5, making yummy homemade meals, and creating family movie or game nights.
So why are Danes so happy? Because they are conscientiously working at choosing happiness. They are actively pursuing happiness.
I feel like minimalism and hygge have that in common too. After all, minimalists intentionally look for what makes them happy and get rid of the rest. Minimalists promote experiences that bring joy over stuff that, ultimately, does not. Minimalism helps you manage anxiety for many of the same reasons that hygge is cozy and relaxing.
Minimalism and Hygge: Enjoy The Simple Things
The most hygge-ly things you can do are simple things.
Drink a cup of hot tea and read a book under a cozy blanket. Light some candles and cook a nice hot comfort meal. Have your friends over to play board games or just to chat around a fireplace. Eat a pastry with some coffee!
Do any of those simple pleasures require a lot of stuff? No. Any minimalist can enjoy those very same simple pleasures! And that’s why many of us are minimalists in the first place! Because we want more time for the simple pleasures in life and more time for our family and friends.
Minimalism and hygge focus on avoiding the superficial and fancy so that you enjoy the simple and meaningful things in life.
Appreciate What You Have
One of the most important parts of hygge is gratitude. It is all about stopping to enjoy the lovely moment you are in, whether with family, or all by yourself and appreciating that you are happy and safe and warm and that is more than enough.
Both minimalism and hygge cannot be achieved without feeling gratitude for what you have. You must recognize your blessings, appreciate them, and stop looking for more. Instead, enjoy the beauty of the moment and remember it.
It’s Not About Money or Stuff
Hygge is not fancy and neither is minimalism. When you seek our hygge you are looking for comfort, warmth, ambiance, and simplicity.
Hygge values objects in direct relation to their ability to bring about those happy feelings. It’s all about function and no one is chasing status when they are wearing a fluffy sweater and some slippers writing in their journal or reading a book.
When things get too fancy they are no longer hygge-ly and Danish people frown on bragging about your accomplishments and showing off your stuff.
Minimalists too, at least real minimalists, are not into showing off or being fancy. They value minimalism for the fact that it puts material things back into a proper perspective. Minimalists intentionally demote material goods and money so they can promote what really matters in life.
Minimalism and hygge will both help you identify what is most important in life and get rid of the rest!
Minimalism and Hygge Are Ways to Be Happy On Purpose
As I was listening to The Little Book of Hygge I started to wonder if I am secretly Danish. It’s like I’ve been chasing hygge all my life.
I’m always cuddled up with a blanket and a cup of tea. Reading and writing in a cozy corner are my favorite things to do. I love to slow cook a hot meal for my family on a rainy afternoon and serve it with candles and low music. I love to have intimate gatherings with friends where I can really talk to them and enjoy their company.
Maybe you are the same? Then you might be ready to try minimalism and hygge as the perfect combination! Get the perfect blanket, a candle or two, some yummy food, and good friends. Enjoy being cozy, friendly, and simply happy on purpose!
What do you enjoy doing when you want a cozy day? What do you cook, eat, watch, read? Who do you hang out with? Please share in the comments below!
For more tips and a deeper understanding of hygge, I highly recommend The Little Book of Hygge by Meik Wiking. Listen to it with a glass of wine and of course, a candle.
Start Living Like a Minimalist Today!
There is really no reason not to start enjoying simple living! Now is the time to try the minimalist lifestyle! Learn why minimalism is good for your mental health and relationships, how it can transform your finances, so you can start having more energy and time for the things that matter!
But what if simplifying your life sounds like an overwhelming task?
If you want to simplify your life but the big bad word MINIMALISM scares you let me help! I wrote Doable Simplicity (Minimalism For Normal People) to help you get the inspiration you need to simplify your life and then take solid steps that make simple living doable for you!
