The upside of social distancing: How hygge can help

The upside of social distancing: How hygge can help

As the saying goes, every cloud has a silver lining. Which means it’s almost always possible to find happiness, even in dark times.

Although many will be missing social interaction over the coming months, social distancing does NOT mean we can’t be happy; or that we can’t find an upside.

So if you’re feeling lonely or bored or isolated AND if you’re looking for some happiness and joy then keep reading…

via the LA Times by Arielle Paul

At a time of great unease, with terms like “social distancing,” “flattening the curve,” “pandemic” and, for Angelenos, “rain” embedded into our vocabularies and psyches, one Nordic word has the potential to give us hope.

Hygge.

Pronounced “hoo-gah,” like “hula” with a really excited U, “hygge is the art of creating a nice atmosphere, taking things slow and enjoying the simple pleasures of life,” said Meik Wiking, CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Denmark and bestselling author of “The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living.”

Derived from a Norwegian word for “well-being,” hygge also means “cozy togetherness,” “fun,” “safety and shielding from the world,” “the absence of annoyance” and the notion that your home is, literally and metaphorically, giving you a hug.

Now, more than ever, hygge is needed in our lives and homes — the concept a palpable necessity as we humbly nod to its origin. Hygge, after all, was created as a survival mechanism — an “antidote,” Wiking said, to the harsh Nordic winter and the “duvet of darkness” that envelops it.

Danes and Norwegians have been practicing this for 200 years, honing hygge as part of their national identity and culture. Perhaps that’s the reason that, despite spending half the year in darkness sequestered in their homes, these are reported to be among the happiest people in the world.

So, how do we get hygge with it? (I had to.)

… keep reading the full & original article HERE