We are living in a very stressful time in the world while trying to protect our health as well as continue our day to day living and continue with business as usual. As business owners and employees, we are often too busy to take time out for our own wellbeing and more often than not we tend to put our mental and emotional needs aside.
It is so important for us to ensure that we too feel safe and comforted as we are unable to perform optimally while feeling stressed and suffering from burnout and exhaustion.
I recently came across the Danish phenomenon of Hygge. Although at first one might feel skeptical and dismiss such a “whimsical and artsy” idea. Just try it and you will discover the change it can create in your life.
Recharge
One needs to only take a few minutes per day to recharge and remove ourselves from our lives in order to gain perspective. All you need I a space to reconnect and be present. In this way you will be able to recognize and enjoy the moment you are in and gain clarity on what is important.
Hygge is not something that you can buy, its existence is in the complete absence of stress and feeds off feelings of happiness and relaxation. There are many ways to practice Hygge from creating a space in your home where you can unwind without disturbance, where you feel comfortable and have things surrounding you that bring you comfort and joy.
Set aside a brief moment of time in your day where you know that you will not be disturbed and clear your mind thinking back on all the good that you have in your life and all you have achieved. Remove the negative and do not think of what could or has gone wrong. Just live in that moment of contentment. You can light a candle and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in your favourite china cup.
Take the time to create a tasty, nutritious and aesthetically pleasing meal. Use your good plates and candles, create a calming atmosphere and play your favourite music. Don’t sit in front of the television or in front of your computer, don’t eat your hastily prepared meal in the kitchen before running off. Go sit outside and eat your meal and enjoy nature. Eat mindfully.
Clean out your home and office from clutter and only keep what is necessary. By clearing out your living and working space you are clearing your mind to only what is important.
Be present
Take time to be present with those that are important in your life. Remove all distractions such as phones and televisions. You will be surprised at how your relationships evolve and what you can learn about each other. Take time to listen to what they have to say instead of thinking of the next thing is you need to say. Just listen and be. Sometimes just being with another human and interacting mindfully can be more therapeutic and relaxing than any form of therapy.
Hygge should ultimately become a natural extension of your daily life and you will find that your 15 to 30 minutes per day in one corner of your living space can ultimately extend to your whole life so that you are living each day mindfully and being present in the now.
