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Living the Hygge Life - By Tamara Franz


Years ago, my husband and I read a book by a Danish author, Meik Wiking, that changed our lives and how we think 

about happiness. Wiking is CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen, Denmark. Apparently, there are

 few better places to research happiness since Denmark consistently rates in the top three countries on the U.N.’s 

World Happiness Report. His book is called The Little Book of Hygge, and it explains why Danes are so happy. In 

contrast to our North American view of happiness, which tends to revolve around a future that never quite arrives: 

“I’ll be happy when…. (I get a raise… I get the RV/boat/car I want… I quit my job… I make six figures… I go on a 

trip/cruise… I lose 20 pounds… ), Hygge (HOO-GUH) is the Danish art of creating happiness by savouring  the small 

pleasures of life in the company of people you care about.

Hygge is about being in the NOW and being fully present. Danes put their phones away when they sit down together 

so that they can devote their attention to each other and fully take in each other’s company. They create calming 

atmospheres with comfy cushions and soft lighting (they burn more candles per capita than any other country). 

They make things cozy: think firelight, wool socks, throw-blankets, and hot chocolate, and they share the simple 

pleasures: good food, drink, sweets, and good conversation.

When Danes hygge together, they are invested in creating an experience that is satisfying to mind, body and soul—

an entire experience that is like one huge hug. They let go of the drama of news and politics and instead they focus 

on togetherness, making sure the talk includes everyone and nobody dominates. To me, the biggest thing that defines 

an experience as hyggelige is that it feels like being held in some way. And one comes away feeling satisfied and 

grateful.

Since discovering hygge, my husband and I have come to treasure the little things: our daily after-work coffee, lighting

candles before bed, scenting a room with a diffuser, buying a tiffany-style light shade, or putting up a friend’s beautiful

painting in our sitting room, (now renamed the hygge-room). We even placed a bistro set for two for weekend brunches in our sunroom, and loved it so much that, come 

winter, it is moved to the corner of our living room and set up by the picture window for weekend brunches. We started 

taking our bikes into Winnipeg to enjoy a day of biking the trails and savouring coffee and sweets in one of the many 

wonderful bakeries in the city. With the arrival of covid and so many restrictions, practicing hygge has helped us 

maintain a serene atmosphere in our home and has given us small, pleasurable rituals to anticipate and enjoy daily.

The most important thing we have learned in living the hygge life is that we create our happiness out of many, many 

small moments, like pearls on a necklace. We invite you to practice hygge in your own way and see how your 

happiness grows.

 

ACAN seeks to educate and inspire sustainable practices in our community.

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