5 things you didn’t know about hygge

5 things you didn’t know about hygge. Like, it can help you get through the winter.

Brits tend to overlook the small things because we’re way too overworked and overwhelmed. Hygge, which refers to a lifestyle that radiates positivity from finding pleasure in the simple things, is becoming super popular. Pronounced ‘hoo-ga’ and translated almost literally as ‘cosy’, the Danish lifestyle is being noted as working wellbeing wonders for the Brits who embrace it. Revealed as the world’s happiest country, Denmark’s lifestyle may be worth following. Here are five things you didn’t know about hygge.

Hygge can help you lose weight

Working up a sweat outdoors and practising mindful eating, Hygge can help to develop the habits needed for weight loss and healthy living. Burning more calories in comparison to indoor workouts, outdoor exercises are easier to tailor and have added resistance. In addition to making conscious food choices and eating with others in replacement of mindlessly bingeing on our own in front the TV, the weight-loss benefits of hygge can feel far less restrictive than traditional diets and more like an added benefit of the lifestyle.

Hygge can improve productivity

Getting cosy at work may sound like a myth, but comfort along with a workspace that is textured to suit you can super-charge your productivity. Few of us have offices that spark our creativity. An Ipsos poll reveals that 30 per cent of Brits say their offices are impersonal, while 13 per cent describe their work spaces as ugly. In short: our dull workspaces limit our innovation and overall productivity. Go hygge with simplicity and some personal touches.

Hygge can help to combat SAD

If you suffer from a persistent low mood during the winter, you could be suffering from seasonal affective disorder (SAD). In encouraging positive thinking and being grateful for the small things, hygge could help to improve wellbeing and combat the symptoms of SAD. Choosing togetherness over retreating into our own company could be the secret to how Danes remain happy despite their long dark days.

The best season to hygge is winter 

Relaxing with scented candles and embracing togetherness, hygge can be practised all year round. But it’s when darkness falls in the colder months and we cosily wrap up while still embracing the beauty of the snow and frost that the seasonal high for hygge truly begins. Indulging in seasonal traditions, which focus on warmth and love, winter is the most immersive time of year with many putting differences aside to come together to celebrate festivities.

Hygge can boost self-esteem

Enjoying the things you love with the people you love can enhance your confidence, while making time for yourself as priority through baking or exercising will instil a sense that you’re worth the effort. Although hygge is not a cure for mental-health issues it can contribute to habits surrounding positive thinking.