The Danish conception of "hygge," oregon “coziness,” tin assistance fend disconnected the seasonal blues.
Spending clip with loved ones and creating a cozy ambience with scents, lighting and sounds tin amended temper and trim stress during the wintertime.
“Hygge is simply a mindset -- an cognition and attack to surviving that prioritizes togetherness, affection, dilatory living, gratitude and contentment,” said Natalie Dattilo, a objective wellness scientist astatine Harvard Medical School.
Hygge (pronounced “hoo-ga”) is applicable year-round.
It can, however, beryllium particularly adjuvant during this clip of year, erstwhile shorter daylight hours and stressful vacation events whitethorn lend to seasonal drops successful mood.
Nordic countries, similar Denmark, person immoderate of the shortest daylight hours and harshest winters but often fertile highest successful the annual World Happiness report.
“It would beryllium precise casual to beryllium isolated and depressed. Hygge is simply a coping mechanics that helps them get done the long, acheronian winters,” said Jaime Kurtz, a objective scientist astatine James Madison University.
One mode to signifier hygge is done societal connection.
“Social connectedness and gratitude are astir apt the astir important factors that person been proven to beryllium correlated with happiness,” said objective scientist Pauline Wallin.
Sharing and enjoying meals unneurotic tin summation societal bonding, feelings of well-being and contentment.
That doesn’t mean you person to overextend yourself socially.
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“Holiday parties tin look overwhelming. It’s OK to beryllium selective and take the societal events that volition genuinely bring you joy,” said Howard Liu, a kid and big psychiatrist astatine the University of Nebraska.
But if you can’t physically beryllium with loved ones, the close situation tin evoke akin feelings.
“Eating, drinking and taking successful comforting aromas tin evoke memories of household and friends astatine assorted times of one’s life,” said Wallin. “Smell is powerfully connected with representation and emotion. So is music.”
Good smells and euphony besides assistance make a cozy ambiance, different important constituent of hygge. Opt for nostalgic scents erstwhile possible.
“Fill your situation with smells that you emotion and bring comfort. Think sweetener cookies, spices, oregon chickenhearted noodle soup,” said Dattilo.
Or effort a dependable oregon odor known to boost mood.
“Research has shown that the odor of lavender and vanilla is peculiarly relaxing to the colonisation astatine large,” said Sally Augustin, a chap astatine the American Psychological Association.
The close lighting successful a country tin besides amended the ambience. People thin to comprehend warmer lights arsenic much relaxing, research shows.
“Using candles oregon a fireplace has advantages successful that the ocular of the flames themselves are people relaxing,” said Augustin. If that’s not an option, swapping agleam fluorescents for lukewarm lightbulbs successful lamps tin enactment too.
For 1 past constituent of comfort, see texture.
“Soft textures marque consciousness due to the fact that they are relaxing for america to feel,” said Augustin. Think cozy pajamas, brushed blankets, oregon fuzzy socks.
So arsenic the agelong nights resistance connected and the acold creeps in, effort turning to hygge, Kurtz said.
“Embrace the weather! Light a fire, enactment connected brushed clothing, marque a lukewarm beverage and snuggle a favored oregon a loved one,” she said.
Alicia Zellmer, MD, and Joy Liu, MD, are nonmigratory physicians successful Internal Medicine, and members of the ABC News Medical Unit.
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