The Hygge Lifestyle

If you’ve heard of Hygge (pronoucned hoo-ga) you know it’s the ideal way of life. Hygge has a lot of different elements but in short, it centers around being cozy and connected to others. Carli and I were living the Hygge lifestyle before we even knew what it was! We first heard about Hygge on an episode of Younger and decided to dig deeper into its meaning. We purchased The Little Book of Hygge which breaks down Hygge by category in a digestible way. We’ll go over each element below.

Lighting

Candles are the essence of Hygge. They exude the perfect ambiance to sit around with your loved ones and have a conversation or play a board game. Carli and I have candles lit anytime we’re home, which is most of the time. Fun fact: Danes actually light unscented candles, since their main objective is to provide that dim light we’re all after.

Ideal lighting for Hygge is 1800k, which is as dim as it gets without turning the lights OFF. When Christmastime was here we found that just having the Christmas tree on was the most Hygge lighting we could achieve.

Clothing

Remember that Hygge started in Denmark where its cold for a good portion of the year. So to dress like a true hygge you need to wear layers and lots of them. Think scarves and oversized sweaters. Wool socks are an important factor of Hygge as well. As you can see we decided on matching pajamas to demonstrate Hygge. We get Christmas pajamas every year and these seemed like a good option that can be worn all Winter long!

Something we thought was peculiar is that Danes are known for wearing lots of black clothing. So then we immediately came to the conclusion that we must be Danish.

At Home

I’m sure you can already guess that they most Hygge thing in a home are blankets and pillows. The key here is to be as cozy and possible and what’s cozier than a blanket?! If you have a fireplace that earns you extra Hygge points and just adds to the lighting factor (see above). We have a fireplace but to be completely transparent it was 80 degrees in Los Angeles the day we shot this and we were already too hot!

Food/Drink

Now for the fun stuff, the food. Carli and I are complete foodies and comfort food is our jam. Just another reason we love the Hygge way of life. Think warm food like mac & cheese, pot pie, etc. Now, something we can’t actually get behind, that’s an important part of Hygge, is the slow process of cooking. Devoted Hygge practicers believe that cooking food should be an experience so the longer the better! Carli and I have zero patience which is why we aren’t handy in the kitchen. But we DID make the muffins pictured above.

You probably already guessed that hot beverages are essential to Hygge. Specifically coffee. If you’re not into caffeine you can always make tea or hot cocoa to satisfy your inner hygge.

The most exciting thing about the Danish people is how much they enjoy sweets and baked goods. I swear you guys, Carli and I invented Hygge in another life. If you’re going to have a Hygge evening it better include cake, pastries, or other types of sweets (that you bake at home of course).

Activities

The main aspect of a hygge activity is togetherness. That means being unplugged and present in the moment aka. no phones (we know, it’s tough!). It’s very “hygge” to play a board game, go for a walk, or even binge watch your favorite show. Gilmore Girls is probably the most hygge show to ever exist, yes? Other great choices would be FRIENDS or The Office, two lifelong favorites of ours. Our mom actually recently got us the game Catchphrase for Christmas and we’ve been playing it non-stop (we were actually playing it in the photo above).

If you’re having a hygge night in alone, you might want to pick up a good book while cuddling with your pup. It’s also very hygge to keep a notebook nearby to jot down all your thoughts and dreams.

The key to a true hygge activity is something simple that you can do together (or alone) in a low-pressure setting!

Mindset

To summarize Hygge, in form of a lifestyle, it’s all about appreciating your atmosphere/company over material things. It leads you to appreciate the simple things in life and be present in the moments that count. No stress, no distractions, just good times.

One thing we loved in The Little Book of Hygge was their “Hygge Emergency Kit” which could otherwise be known as a Starter Kit. It would include Candles, Good Chocolate, Your Favorite Tea, Your Favorite Book, Your Favorite Film/TV Show, A Pair of Woolen Socks, A Warm Sweater, A Notebook/Paper & Pen, A Cozy Blanket, Good Music, & A Photo Album.

Shop our favorite Hygge products below!