BysairaWELLBEINGJanuary, 2017

BOOST YOUR HAPPINESS WITH HYGGE THE DANISH LIFESTYLE MOVEMENT

Denmark is often said to be the happiest country in the world and that’s down to one thing: hygge.

Hygge, pronounced “hue-gah,” is a Scandinavian way of life that celebrates coziness, shared meals, and companionable interactions with loved ones.

Whether it’s making coffee a verb by creating a ritual of making it then lingering over a cup to a cozy evening in with friends to the simple act of lighting a candle with every meal. Hygge is being aware of a good moment whether it’s simple or special.

With up to 17 hours of darkness per day in the depths of winter, and average temperatures hovering around 0C, Danes spend more time indoors, meaning there’s greater focus on home entertaining. “Hygge could be families and friends getting together for a meal, with the lighting dimmed, or it could be time spent on your own reading a good book,” says Danish lecturer Susanne Nilsson. “It works best when there’s not too large an empty space around the person or people.” The idea is to relax and feel as at-home as possible, forgetting life’s worries.

Although the winter might be mild and brief here in the UAE, hygge is something that happens all year round. Picnics in the park, barbeques with friends, outdoor concerts, street festivals and bike rides can all be very hygge, especially when done the Danish way.

Here’s 4 other ways you can add a little hygge to your own life…

Create A Hygge Corner

A hygge corner is a space in your house that feels like the perfect little cozy nook. Think cushions, blankets, low lighting and of course candles that makes it snug. Use it for reading, meditating or simply relaxing. Candles can be key to setting the mood and our favourite are the our scented ones. Oud is the ethereal Middle Eastern fragrance, derived from the tropical Agar tree.

To get your hands on our candles click here.

Connect With Nature

When we are close to nature we tend not to be so engulfed in technology and are usually in a more mindful and relaxed state. The best way is to pack a picnic and head out to Al Qudra, the man-made lake in Dubai with more than one hundred species of birds. We are in absolute awe of this desert oasis and trust us you will be too.

To head out into nature click here.

Cook Together

A hygge tradition is cooking with others and there is no better comfort food than soup. If you are struggling to find a good recipe then we have you sorted with these simple recipes for different types of soup.

To pick the recipe click here.

Learn To Relax

The Danes have the best working hours in the world with most of them working around 30-35 hours a week tops. Today with our phones always in our hands it is very hard to switch off from work related emails and phone calls. You can however head over for a relaxing day at the spa or book yourself a treatment on a weekly basis to make sure you completely switch off from the world. One of our treatments where we head over to the spa and leave our phone at home is the Rain Shower Treatment as it helps us completely relax.

To book a spa session click here.