I first learned about hygge in late 2016 when it literally took over the Internet. I initially only watched a couple of YouTube videos on the topic, but the concept immediately clicked with me. I felt like it was one of the missing pieces to my puzzle of life.

Hygge is a Danish word that roughly translates to coziness, contentment, and wellbeing. Hygge can include candles, wool socks, a hot mug of tea, and a good book; however, simply having these objects in your life does not guarantee hygge. The key to understanding the concept of hygge is the realization that it can mean different things to different people. Each individual can find hygge in different environments and with different people — and while I fully believe hygge can be practiced alone, it is often enhanced in an intimate group setting, where you can be completely yourself and immersed in the present moment.

To find hygge, you must first know yourself and be aware of your body's sensations. What brings you feelings of coziness, contentment, and wellbeing? What sends happy shivers up your spine? Be open, be yourself, and be present. Once you become in tune with how hygge feels, you can start incorporating more hyggelig things in your life and spending more time with hyggelig people. Before you know it, you'll have found hygge.

Since embracing hygge, I've started associating winter with hyggelig things. Last year, hubby and I decided to go to a wintery vacation destination, forgoing our usual preference for a tropical locale. We went to Banff, Alberta and had a hyggelig-good time. This year, I’m rather excited that, for the very first time in as long as I can remember, hubby and I decided to stay in Toronto for the entire winter.

Today was a pretty typical winter day. Here’s how I spent my time:

7am: woke up, cleaned up after truffle, fed lulu, and did half my morning routine
7:30am: meditated
8:35am: made tea, finished getting ready, washed my makeup brushes, completed my language lessons, posted on Lulu's Instagram, did some personal development stuff, and listened to podcasts while doing most of these things
10:40am: ate breakfast
10:55am: wrote in my manifestation journal
11:20am: listened to my friend's podcast
12pm: signed up for a workshop
12:05pm: responded to emails
1:15pm: recorded and edited a YouTube video
3pm: fed Lulu, got lettuce for Truffle, cooked dinner, prepared our evening teas, and listened to podcasts in the meantime
3:30pm: chatted with hubby when he came home from work
4:15pm: ate an early dinner
5:15pm: left the condo
5:50pm: joined the rush line at Hot Docs theatre
6:30pm: watched Finding Hygge
8:40pm: left the Hot Docs theatre
9:15pm: got home, chatted with hubby, greeted Truffle and Lulu, and ate some fruit
9:40pm: started this blog post
10pm: brushed my teeth, took off my makeup, and put on my skincare
10:15pm: continued with this blog post

And that brings me to right now! Part of the reason I wanted to blog on this topic today is because I've been feeling like the days are flying by. I'm not sure why, but I feel like I have less time now than when I was working full-time. I thought I would look at my day to see where I spend my hours. I thought about creating a fancy pie chart showing how I spent my day, with different categories for chores, YouTube, personal development, exercise, leisure, etc., but all these categories kind of melt into one another. The more I thought about it, the less the categories mattered. I suddenly realized I spent today doing approximately 95% hyggelig things. And that to me is A-OK.

Good night, my friends! x