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Hygge – the Danish term for a cozy feeling that makes a person feel content and comfortable. Maybe it’s my Scandinavian heritage, but coming across the concept of Hygge really resonated with me. For as long as I can remember in my adult life, I’ve had this strong desire to make my home feel like a place of warmth, refuge, peace and comfort for all who enter it. Whether that be family, friends, or strangers.
The need for a peaceful home is even more important than ever, as our lives are bombarded with distractions of things and people vying for our attention. We seem to be losing the art of slowing down, sitting with our thoughts, enjoying the simple things in life. Adults are often too busy managing the stress of work and home life. Kids have equally challenging schedules and stressors that come with school, extracurriculars, and the pressures of being a kid in this day and age.
If you’re struggling to instill a sense of peace in your home and fighting with yourself, your spouse, and/or your kids to put down the phone, give these things a try to see if they help.
Here are five things that I incorporate into my home to help instill a sense of calm and encourage all of us to slow down, put the devices away, and connect with each other.
1. Soft Lighting
Whether it’s lamps or candles, turning down the bright lights helps instill a sense of warmth in the room. Just be sure that if you’re opting for lamps, use a soft, warm bulb rather than the harsher LED bulbs. Something that mimics the glow of a fire sets a certain ambiance that makes you feel warm and cozy.
2. Background Music
I believe that every home should have periods of silence when all tvs and music devices are off. Oftentimes, having some quiet music playing in the background really sets a peaceful tone. There are all sorts of studies done that link classical music to increased intellect as well as higher levels of dopamine. But if you’re not a classical music fan, play some nature sounds or explore other genres that have a calming effect.
3. Puzzles
What I’ve found to be the most surprising way to get my kids to all sit around as a family and interact is puzzles. All I have to do is open up a puzzle on the kitchen table, and it draws them like bees to honey. Whether it’s my 12 year old or my college kids home on break, they all come and go, working on the puzzle in bits and pieces. They stay up late talking while they work on it together. They work on it while they drink their morning coffee. I like to opt for 1000 piece puzzles as it usually takes us about a week to finish it, drawing out the process enough for us to get some good, quality time together. Shopping for them is equally fun, as we try to find puzzles to match the season, hobbies we enjoy, favorite animals, and favorite tv/movie characters. But, if you don’t want to spend money on puzzles, check out your local library or a neighborhood app like Nextdoor to see if anyone in your neighborhood has one to lend/sell/swap.
4. Books
Oh my, do we love books around here. I’ve found that my kids are more likely to pick up a book to read if 1.) there’s a variety to choose from and 2.) they’re easily accessible. Throughout the years, we’ve amassed quite the collection (last I counted it was over 150 books). Whether it’s garage sales, thrift stores, or brand new, I’ve always kept my eyes out for a variety to keep around. Just like with the puzzles, though, if you don’t want, or can’t afford, to buy a bunch of books, your library will not disappoint! Our local library even has an online ordering system so you can search for certain books, authors, etc. which helps relieve some of the pressure and stress of finding books you might be interested in.
A few favorites of ours over the years….
- The Cul de Sac Kids series
- Sugar Creek Gang series
- Pee Wee Scouts series
- Sadie Rose series
- The American Girl series
- The Babysitter Club series
- The Circle series by Ted Dekker
5. Activity/Coloring Books
If you haven’t tried things like coloring books (for adults and kids!), Sudoku, or Wordsearch books, I highly recommend you try them. I’ve found that if I put a few activity/coloring books out, at least one of my kids will pick one up and sit down for an hour at a time working on one. They’re not for everyone, which is why I recommend getting a variety and seeing if any of them draw interest. You can find some for cheap at your local dollar store or follow my links if you want a wide variety to choose from! Set out a jar with pencils and colored pencils/crayons and see if it draws entices anyone in your home to pick one up!
Whether you call it Hygge or you call it nothing at all, it’s so important to you and your loved ones to have a home that brings peace and warmth. Please, share below if you have other ways you instill a sense of coziness into your life!
Until next time…
Steph
