Autumn is one of the best times of the year to practice hygge because the colder weather promotes more time spent indoors with your loved ones, but if you want to be really purposeful with hygge during this season, here are a few things you can do…
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Focus on lighting: There is nothing more hygge than soft lighting, so burn your favourite candle, make sure your favourite soft light has centre stage or hang some fairy lights up for little bursts of light around your home to create the right atmosphere. Autumn sees the clocks go back so there is a greater need for more warmth from lights in your home.
Be present: If you are in the habit of looking at your phone while you eat your evening meal at the table or have it nearby when you are talking to your loved ones, thus causing a distraction, try to have a gadget free zone and simply focus on each other. One of the cornerstones of hygge is being present in the moment so say goodbye to anything that will drag you away from meaningful time spent with your folks. It’s autumn and it’s lockdown, what could you be missing out on?!
Enjoy simple pleasures: Autumn is the perfect time to introduce hearty stews and soups, pies, baked potatoes and carb laden food that we all try to avoid the rest of the year. Savour the hot chocolates, coffees and teas, take your time when cooking and baking and most of all, slow down while eating your creations, there is no hurry with hygge. And whatever you create from a hot drink to a casserole, make sure that everyone has an equal part to play in the process whether that means sourcing the ingredients, making it or clearing it away afterwards. Everyone should share tasks equally.
Be thankful: If you’re not a fan of the colder months, be thankful that it drives you inside to spend more quality time with those who love you the most. If it makes you sad that the trees are losing all their leaves, be grateful for the beautiful colours that autumn brings which are absent during the summer months. If you prefer the look and feel of summer clothing, remember that you are blessed to have an autumn wardrobe at all. There is a lot to be thankful for in autumn if you take the time to look.
Be comfortable: Hygge and autumn should be about bringing out the snuggly loungewear, the fluffy blankets, the heavy coats and furry slippers. Comfort is key to a hygge fall so leave anything scratchy, thin and skimpy in the closet and layer up.
Edit your conversation: Autumnal conversation, especially of the hygge variety should avoid anything that will generate arguments or one upmanship. Talk about the food you’ve prepared, the colours of the leaves, treasures you’ve found on walks, what the animals are doing in preparation for winter in your garden or what sweet treat you are going to be making next. It is the calm before the storm that is preparing for Christmas so enjoy a slower, less political way of life.
Shelter: Having somewhere to shield from the cold and rain is the biggest blessing of autumn. Nothing reinforces this more than opening the curtains and curling up with a throw and a good book to watch these changes take place from somewhere safe and warm. Home is where the heart is and home is where the hygge is.
Have a very happy hygge autumn!