Self-Care Saturday: The Little Book of Hygge

The very first book I completed this year was The Little Book of Hygge by Danish author Meik Wiking.

Hygge (sort of pronounced as a gutteral hoo-guh), is an essential Danish word that encompasses the feelings of warmth, safety, and well-being. The author describes hygge as both a noun and an adjective, and hygge involves all the senses.

The biggest contributors to a hygge-like experience in the true Danish way are lighting, blankets, food and drink, nooks, and company. The author describes a favorite hygge experience as playing games by the firelight with friends in a cabin with a snowstorm raging outside. Hygge almost always involves candles, but firelight or dim, warm lamps are an acceptable substitute.

Although you can achieve hygge by yourself, the author explains that a real hygge experience includes a few close friends with whom you have a strong history.

You can also find hygge while curled up in a blanket on the window seat reading a favorite book. And hygge often incorporates warm beverages and sweet treats.

They say that the first book you complete in a given year sets the tone for how the year will go. The Little Book of Hygge just drips with self-care for me. I love each and every aspect of hygge from the candles to the treats. And I intend to create hygge in my home as much as I can this year.

So for this self-care Saturday, pour the mulled wine, wrap yourself in a blanket, and invite your closest friends over, and enjoy conversation, books, and games surrounded by candlelight.

But you can also bring hygge to your classroom! Many teachers do, and even for the older students, calm lighting, warm drinks, a carpet with pillows for reading, can really bring a sense of home and well-being and security.