The floods may have receded, but the time for celebrating is over and if you’re feeling the January blues, you’re certainly not alone.
The secret to making merry 365 days of the year however (and coping when the Christmas tree comes down) could be in a very simple concept -and one that Danish people have made an important part of their culture for years.
The Danish word ‘hygge’ (pronounced ‘hooga’) translates roughly to ‘cosiness’. In essence, hygge means creating a warm atmosphere and enjoying the good things in life with good people (something we often associate only with Christmas) – all year ’round.
And it could be the reason why Denmark regularly tops lists of the happiest nations. In fact, Denmark holds the highest level of trust in the world (Danes happily leave their babies in strollers outside shops and cafés while running errands), and the high level of social security reduces concerns and anxiety.
In her book The Year of Living Danishly: Uncovering the Secrets of the World’s Happiest Country, author Helen Russell says, “Hygge seems to me to be about being kind to yourself — indulging, having a nice time, not punishing or denying yourself anything”.
Now that’s a New Year’s resolution we can get on board with.
