100 Ideas To Add Hygge Into Your Everyday Life

Time to get your hygge on – every single day

You’ve probably heard of Hygge – the Scandinavian concept of cosiness, contentment, simple pleasures, and enjoying good times with good people.

Sounds like we could all do with a bit more of that in our lives. But how do you actually work hygge into your everyday life? Is it possible to make daily grind less boring and more enjoyable?

I believe it is. Whether you call it mindfulness, living in the moment, or hygge – it’s totally possible to add those good vibes into every aspect of your life.

Here are 100 easy ideas to get you started.

What exactly is Hygge anyway?

HYGGE
(noun)
a quality of cosiness & comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being

100 Ideas To Add Hygge Into Your Everyday Life

It’s easy to add a little hygge into every aspect of your life. From the way you live at home and how you enjoy the outdoors, to spending time with others and enjoying convivial food and drinks, there are so many ways to cultivate a hygge outlook on life.

Scroll down to download the complete list as a PDF!

Hygge Home Comforts

1.  Make yourself a “hyggekrog” – a cosy, comfortable place to sit & get your hygge on! It can be anything from a corner of a room to a favourite chair where you have everything you need beside you.
   
2. Use ambient lighting: turn off glaring overhead lights and use candles & fairy lights.
   
3. Turn a dark spot into a cozy corner with a battery-operated candle or lantern. Many of them have timers so they automatically turn on at the same time every day.
   
4. Use your favourite scents with electric diffusers or oil burners – even give your home a signature scent!
   
5. Think about using a salt lamp to give a warm glow & add some soothing negative ions to the air. I have a Himalayan pink salt lamp which makes me happy in all four seasons of the year.
   
6. When you get in from work, change into a comfortable outfit that FEELS like you’re home. And if that’s your PJs, then go for it.
   
7. Have a special mug for your favourite hot drinks, especially when you need cheered up. I’m a big fan of these Positivi-tea mugs.
   
8. Add soft textures to your home with cosy blankets, cushions and throws, especially wherever you like to curl up and retreat from the world.
   
9. Invest in some proper woolly Nordic socks for warm toes whenever it’s chilly. The higher the wool content, the better. (Honestly, this has made such a huge difference to my enjoyment of winter and it was something I never previously thought about.)
   
10. Give your bathroom a spa makeover and have an at-home spa day. Whether that means having a clear-out, giving the room a fresh coat of paint, or simply buying new towels or bath products, there’s something about improving your bathroom that makes you feel calm and that you’re managing to adult properly (even if you’re not).
    
11. Add houseplants to your space for uplifting colours and an air-cleansing oxygen boost. This can be especially useful if you work from home. Get some greenery into your workspace!
    
12. Pick up an old piece of furniture at an auction or salvage yard & have fun painting & restoring it. I recently discovered Rustoleum furniture paint and I’ve been merrily upcycling all sorts of things.
    
13. Clear the clutter & love your space more! Filling your home with things you love is definitely hygge. Wading through messy clutter every day is definitely not. Take the time one weekend to devote to clearing a room or two.
    
14. Find a corner of your home where you can keep a jigsaw puzzle set up for people to work on, or a board game like chess or checkers set up for people to play on a whim. If you don’t have the space to set up a permanent table, then get a jigsaw puzzle board so you can store it until you’re ready to work on it again. (I think 500-piece puzzles are the best. Small enough to complete before you get bored and stick the half-finished jigsaw under the sofa for 6 months.)
    
15. Let the sunshine in! Open those blinds, crack the windows and fill your space with light and air. This is super important for the quality of the air in your home, and also really helps if you live somewhere with long winters.
    
16. Treat yourself to a stay-in-bed-day or pyjama day one weekend and feel no guilt. You have my permission. (If you have kids, they will also love this.)

Hygge Outdoors

17. Take notice of the seasons and how they change. Enjoy and appreciate the differences of each one. This is mostly a mindfulness tip, but that’s an important element of hygge.
    
18. Try walking at sunrise or night-time to get a different view on the world. If you have a regular walking route, try doing it backwards or taking a detour. Small changes give new perspective.
    
19. Go for a picnic and enjoy eating outdoors, even if it’s just in the park. Picnics aren’t just for summer: hot soup on a bench with a good view is the perfect cold weather pick-me-up.
    
20. Go for long hike in a place you love. Put your phone on silent and enjoy your surroundings.
    
21. Challenge yourself to get some fresh air every day and see how much it benefits both your mental and physical health. You could do it for a week, a month, or even a year.
    
22. Try the Japanese art of “forest bathing” and surround yourself with trees and nature. Breathe in that oxygen and listen to the sounds.
    
23. Stop to enjoy the view. It’s not just about reaching the destination.
    
24. Head to the coast. Feel the sand between your toes and soak up the feelgood negative ions. The beach isn’t just for summer. Here in Scotland we go to the beach year-round. The big skies and crisp light are really beneficial during the short winter days.
    
25. Sit outdoors at a café (bonus points if it provides heaters & blankets in cold weather!)
    
26. Go wild camping somewhere remote. An unplugged weekend might be just what you need.
    
27. Take a flask of hot chocolate with you on a long walk. Try this lightweight Thermos which won’t weight you down.
    
28. Sit round a firepit or campfire, and make s’mores.
    
29. Bring the outside in by collecting seasonal greenery or driftwood to decorate with at home.
    
30. Benefit from the natural hygge of coming in from the cold. Put cozy clothes on, have a hot drink and curl up in front of the fire. Rosy cheeks and a burst of endorphins: ultimate hygge.
    
31. Plant and grow something of your own. It could be flowers, vegetables, or herbs on a windowsill, or have a sunflower growing contest with the kids.
    
32. Plan a weekend away somewhere you’ve always wanted to go.
    
33. Make your own outside space more hygge, by adding comfortable seating, solar lighting, blankets and cushions. Voila – an extra room to your home! I’m a huge fan of hanging twinkly solar lanterns everywhere.

Hygge With Others

34. Write a handwritten letter or card to a faraway friend. Even better if it will be totally unexpected.
    
35. Catch up with people you haven’t seen for a while over brunch.
    
36. Start a cinema club with likeminded friends for regular movie nights.
    
37. Make space in every weekend for quality family time together. (Sounds obvious, but often easier said than done with busy schedules).
    
38. Arrange a board game night and try some new games. One of our family favourites is Labyrinth (got us through two lockdowns!)
    
39. Unplug! When enjoying time with loved ones, leave your phone in your bag.
    
40. Make regular fixtures to see friends that you can look forward to. It’s so easy to let time drift by and realise you haven’t caught up with people, so making a regular fixture takes all the pressure off.
    
41. Join – or start! – a book club. Your local library, community centre or bookshop might already have one, but you’ll also find that local Facebook groups are often full of likeminded people who’d love to join a new one.
    
42. Get in touch with a friend you haven’t heard from for a while. It could be just what they need. Sometimes people aren’t ignoring you but have stuff going on that no one knows about. Be the one to reach out.
    
43. Find a group activity you enjoy – could be a sport, a choir, a hobby group, or anything else. Get it in the calendar and make it YOUR time.
    
44. Host an afternoon tea – possibly the most hygge meal of all! Don’t forget a pretty cake stand to make it feel a little extra special.
    
45. Volunteer at a charity who’re looking for helpers. Doing good also helps you feel good.

Hygge At Work

46. Make your workspace a more pleasant place to sit: declutter and clean, add a plant and some photos of loved one and/or places you love. I promise it will make a difference.
    
47. If you’re working from home, close the work day with a little hygge ritual, like lighting a candle and turning on some music as you put away your laptop and clear your work space.
    
48. Take your vacation time! Have a few restorative hygge days at home if you can’t travel.
    
49. Don’t succumb to presenteeism: if you’re sick, stay home and properly recover. Look after yourself during that time.
    
50. Bake something for your co-workers and enjoy fika – the Swedish word for a coffee and cake break.
    
51. Have a favourite work mug and a regular afternoon cup of tea routine. It will give you a welcome break during that afternoon slump time of day.
    
52. Leave a surprise treat on your work bestie’s desk.
    
53. Get outside at lunchtime to give yourself a boost with fresh air and natural light. Get some steps in, maybe do some window shopping. Anything nice to get away from your desk.
    
54. Listen to a favourite radio station or have a productivity playlist. You can also try brown noise apps – it’s like white noise but is meant to help you concentrate.
    
55. Review your work/life balance and try to stop taking work home with you unless absolutely essential. Use the time to do something hygge instead.

Hygge Reading and Listening

56. Reading is a naturally hygge activity, but make it even more so with books such as The Little Book of Hygge by Meik Wiking. I also have his new book, My Hygge Home, on my wishlist!
    
57. Subscribe to some podcasts you enjoy and set aside a certain time in the week to listen to them. I save mine up for a candlelit bath on Friday or Saturday evenings!
    
58. Listen to some audiobooks – even better if they’re dramatised like old-fashioned radio plays. Snuggling up on a rainy afternoon with hot chocolate & an audiobook is maximum hygge!
    
59. Spend a rainy Sunday watching old movies from when you were a kid. Anyone up for The Goonies?
    
60. Once a week, have an evening where you don’t get sucked into watching TV: instead chill out with a good book, or have a bath listening to some favourite music.
    
61. Make a playlist of songs from your favourite decade and blast it out loud. (If you have an Echo device, Alexa will happily oblige by playing you songs from a specific year.)
    
62. Make a seasonal reading list of spring/summer or autumn/winter books you want to read.

Hygge Days Out

63. Treat yourself to a facial, massage, or favourite beauty treatment.
    
64. Visit an antiques shop or antiques fair and enjoy browsing for bargains.
    
65. Enjoy seasonal activities like ice skating in winter and fruit picking in summer.
    
66. Head out to a favourite museum or art gallery and team it with lunch somewhere you’ve been wanting to try.
    
67. Find a an old-fashioned secondhand bookstore, preferably with open fires, and spend a cosy afternoon.
    
68. Give the kids free rein on choosing the day out and watch how much they enjoy it.
    
69. Invite a like-minded friend to go for an experience day with you.
    
70. Be like the Scandinavians and go for a sauna to relax and reinvigorate yourself.

Hygge Eating and Drinking

71. Learn how to cook a favourite comfort food from your childhood. One of mine is this Roast Chicken Pie.
    
72. Build a collection of hot drinks to choose from to suit any mood. Flavoured teas, coffees and hot chocolates are bound to add a little bit of cheer into your day.
    
73. Try a new soup recipe on a cold day and enjoy with crusty bread. Try this trusty Chicken Noodle Soup for an easy meal.
    
74. Have a hygge baking afternoon listening to old songs on the radio.
    
75. Enjoy eating seasonally and locally. Food that’s in season and hasn’t travelled tastes better!
    
76. Make seasonal preserves, e.g. raspberry jam in summer and chutney & marmalade in autumn & winter.
    
77. Make dinner in a slow cooker to enjoy the aromas and anticipation all day long.
    
78. Have regular candlelit dinners either by yourself, with your partner, or with the kids.
    
79. Embrace the Danish concept of fika – taking a break to enjoy coffee and cake.
    
80. Eat together with your partner or as a family whenever you can and discuss your days.
    
81. Eat foods high in vitamin D throughout the winter when levels are naturally low. Salmon and eggs are both good sources.

Weekend Hygge

82. Indulge in the Nordic tradition of Fridagsmys or cosy Fridays: staying in and enjoying simple pleasures such as games, movies, and sweets.
    
83. Keep one morning of the weekend free for tea or coffee in bed and a slow, lazy breakfast. Check out How to Have the Perfect Sunday Morning.
    
84. Get your weekend chores done early on in the weekend so you can spend the rest of time feeling truly free to do whatever you like.
    
85. Don’t overplan your weekend – leaving space in the schedule for spontaneous fun is hygge!
    
86. Indulge in aperitivo hour – having a cocktail & salty snacks before dinner is a lovely weekend treat.
    
87. Visit somewhere hygge – whether it’s a laid-back brunch spot you’ve been wanting to try, or a cosy bookshop on a rainy afternoon.
    
88. Arrange an activity for Sunday evening so you don’t start dreading Monday morning before the weekend’s even over.

Have a Hygge Outlook on Life

89. Enjoy anticipating the things you love. Plan early for holidays, vacations, celebrations, and events you’re going to. There’s so much joy to be had in positive anticipation. I love to watch Youtube videos of places I’m going to visit, or writing to-do lists for Christmas (fun to-do lists, not boring ones!)
    
90. Embrace seasonal traditions such as planting things in spring, pumpkin picking and blackberry picking in autumn, and decorating for the holidays.
    
91. Create traditions for celebrating birthdays and special events. These things give a lovely rhythm to your life and give you things to look forward to. Kids also love them!
    
92. Select a random set of photo memories on your phone and spend a happy few minutes reminiscing about a trip or event.
    
93. Add some hygge routines & rituals to your life, like Friday movie night or Saturday pancakes.
    
94. Try making a thoughtful gift for someone who’d appreciate it.
    
95. Perform random acts of kindness, and teach your kids to do this too.
    
96. Start each day by taking 2 minutes to remind yourself of the good things in your life. The feeling of hygge is closely linked with contentment & gratitude, so help yourself to feel it.
    
97. Feel no guilt at taking a nap or going to bed super early when you need to.
    
98. Embrace the Scandinavian viewpoint of there being “no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing” and get outside whenever possible to benefit your mental and physical health.
    
99. Buy yourself some flowers for no reason other than to brighten up your favourite room.
    
100. When you get back from a trip, make sure to print some of the photos you took. Frame them and hang them around the house to remind yourself of those fun times.

You might also like:

How to Have a Hygge Weekend

How to Enjoy Winter (Even If You Hate It)

Being Kind To Yourself in January and February

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