Hygge is exactly what we need during tough times when people are forced to work remotely and socially isolated.
The Little Book of Hygge
As an introvert and small business owner, working remotely hasn’t impacted me that much because that’s what I’ve always done. What has impacted me though, is that I cannot do things when I want to. I feel constrained that I cannot go to the neighbourhood coffee shop for an hour or two. And I can no longer go to my face-to-face volunteer activities.
Not realizing it, I’ve been operating in my own little bubble doing my work. When I spoke to several people, I discovered that they’re struggling with this forced isolation. I’m socially awkward and I accept that. Most extroverts like to be the life of the party — or at least be at the party. Not so for me. To fill my time, outside of doing paid work, I’m reading a lot more and using the unexpected downtime to benefit my career and my business. However, I check in with my friends and family.
People are having a hard time not having contact with others. And many are finding it difficult to work from home when they have young kids. How can you focus on activities that will benefit your career when you’re under mental stress? This is a real problem.
Why People Are Anxious and Stressed
People are anxious because no one knows for sure when this forced isolation will end. And it’s that uncertainty that’s making people anxious, creating a lot of stress in their lives. While reading the #The100DayProject Newsletter, I learned about the “third place,” a term coined by sociologist Ray Oldenburg. It’s that other place besides work and home where you build community. According to Wikipedia:
“In community building, the third place is the social surroundings separate from the two usual social environments of home (“first place”) and the workplace (“second place”). Examples of third places would be environments such as churches, cafes, clubs, public libraries, bookstores or parks. In his influential book The Great Good Place, Ray Oldenburg (1989, 1991) argues that third places are important for civil society, democracy, civic engagement, and establishing feelings of a sense of place.”
With the forced isolation, there’s now just one place. Now I truly understand why people are so stressed. What are the most important third places that you’ve had to give up?
For a while now, I’ve been seeing the word hygge, but didn’t have a clue what it meant. I’d even downloaded a few books to my Kindle app. A couple of days ago, it felt like the right time to learn about hygge. So I read two of the three books I owned. Both books were essentially saying the same things.
Definition of Hygge
“Hygge, in the most basic sense, can be defined as the Danish word for a feeling of contentment and comfort. You will see most translations define hygge as being the Danish word for “cozy”, but it’s important to note that no literal translation actually exists between the two words.”
Source: Hygge: Introduction to The Danish Art of Cozy Living, Amy White, p. 1, KIndle Edition
Exploring Hygge as a Way to Help Professionals during Social Isolation
Hygge (pronounced “hoo-gah”) is a Danish word that encompasses and embodies contentment, coziness, and overall well-being. Being connected to others gives you meaning and purpose in your life. Humans are social beings. Having social ties with others increases longevity, reduces stress, and boosts your immune system. Hygge is also about the balance and flow of discussions in a light hearted way. People need to laugh with each other. We need this more than ever. In fact it’s a great time to practice laughter yoga, where you start to laugh for no reason.
How Can You Practice Hygge?
It’s important to realize that you cannot be in a state of coziness and contentment all the time. But you need those moments during your day. Each day, reach out to others, who are outside your home. Talk to friends on Zoom, Facetime, WhatsApp, Skype, or any other web conferencing technology. That human interaction is critical to your mental health. People are being very creative in how they are connecting with friends, family, and colleagues.
You hear about entertainers like John Legend and Keith Urban hosting Instagram parties. And DJ D-Nice regularly spins records from his living room while sometimes over 100,000 people watch him on Instagram. Celebrities such as Mark Zuckerberg, Jimmy Fallon, and JLo have joined the party. Why couldn’t you have a virtual party or talent show on Zoom with your friends? Why not read stories to each other?
Or why can’t each of you take the time to teach the others a skill? You don’t have to be an expert, it’s simply about showing up, and having contact with others. For me, I’ll be hosting Facebook Lives in my group Read a Book, Solve a Problem to teach people how to read effectively. I know quite a bit about reading. Am I scared to do Facebook Live? Absolutely! But I’m making a contribution and the more you do a thing, the better you become at it.
Healthy Morning Routine
First thing in the morning, to set the tone for your day, do a short meditation. For the past two months, I’ve been doing the 11-minute version of the Sa-Ta-Na-Ma meditation. Meditation is a tool to reduce stress. Doing the meditation centers me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wR4XhW0Sl0
I have the Bible app (You Version) on my phone. And every day, in the mornings, I have my daily devotion. This is not for everyone though. Just thought I'd mention it.
Cook Together and Get Cozy
If you have a family at home, cook together, and make your space cozy. Hygge is also about comfy clothing and cozy spaces. At nights, dim the lights, light the candles, wear some comfy clothing, relax and enjoy your loved ones.
Now that you know about Hygge, it’s time to start practicing it during moments of your day. Which of the strategies would work for you? When you’ve addressed the mental stress in your life, you’ll find that you can focus on doing something productive during the time you would have been commuting to work.
How Avil Can Help You!
I invite you to Join the Performance Accelerator Plan that walks you through the process and more. You’ll be reading books to build skills and develop intercultural awareness. Get more reading and learning tips here. And I also invite you to join Read a Book, Solve a Problem Facebook Group. I’m building a tribe of people who want to use the knowledge gained from books to tackle some of the world’s biggest problems.
In December 2020, I published two books on Amazon. I would greatly appreciate your support if you bought my two short e-books Read 30 Books in 30 Days Like Francis Bacon and Performance Accelerator Plan: Guide to Learning and Mastering Key Skills for the Future.
Read 30 Books in 30 Days Like Francis Bacon is not about speed reading. It’s about approaching every book differently and reading only the sections that align with your purpose.
The Performance Accelerator Plan book is a stripped-down version of the paid reading challenge of the same name. Obviously, you won’t get all the resources that come with the program that I sell on my website. But if you are a self-directed learner, it will help you tremendously.
If you click on one of the links below and buy any of the books, Amazon will pay me a small commission.
The Little Book of HyggeThe Great Good PlaceBowling Alone: America's Declining Social CapitalHygge: Introduction to The Danish Art of Cozy LivingHygge: Discovering The Danish Art of Happiness
