All products featured on Self are independently selected by our editors.
However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links.
Do Hot Pockets count as hygge?
jacoblund/Getty Images
I ask my husband on our first night of practicing the Danish way-of-life-turned-phenomenon.
I decided to give it a test run.
But first, what exactly is hygge?
Courtesy of Anne Roderique-Jones
The Danes are exceptionally good at decoupling wealth and well-being," he says.
That might be why the concept of hygge has experienced such popularity here in the U.S.
It seems like everywhere you look, someone wants to know how to best master the art of hygge.
Hence my desire to try it for myself.
So, how exactly do you pronounce hygge?
Hygge can be noun, a verb, and an adjective.
you might practice by saying things like, What a hyggelig (hygge-like) home you have!
Or, It was so hyggelig to see you!
Also, popular: Saturday night was so hyggelig.
Alternatively, you could be a hyggespreder (someone who spreads the hygge).
Wooly socksa cozy must-haveare hyggesokker, and finally, Friday night can be reserved for familiehygge.
But no matter how you say it, hygge is the new poster child for happiness.
Let’s get to it.
How do you practice hygge?
Full disclosure: Im so over self-help-get-happy books.
But I dont want to thank my socks for their service.
But I dont want to part with my books.
This whole hygge thing is something I might be able to get behind, though.
Its about appreciating the simple pleasures in life and can be achieved on a shoestring budget.
Plus, its just fun to say.
I asked Wiking to lay out the perfect day of hygge for me.
(Cancel my Spin class, hey.)
Also, keep it old-schoolboard games over computer games, Wiking instructs.
His book suggests to hang a hygge manifesto on the refrigerator as a reminder to practice hygge every day.
So I cleared my weekend calendar, taped up the manifesto andarmed with Wikings suggestionsI got hygge with it.
Heres how to do it.
First, it’s important to create the perfect hygge environment.
According to the book, no recipe for hygge is complete without a collection of flickering light.
When Danes are asked what they most associate with hygge, 85 percent will say candles.
For Americans, this would scream, fire hazard, but for Danes its a way of life.
Instantly, my home felt calm and romantic.
Hygge also calls for a comfortableblanket.
You don’t have to ask me twice.
I dont have a reindeer hide, but I did receive an electric warming throw for Christmas.
I cranked up the heat and toasted myself underneath like a HoneyBaked Ham.
This, paired with a book and blank to-do list, felt like Id won the lottery.
And nothin' but loungewear.
Socks, sweater, leggingseven a bun is suggested to feel the most hyggelig.
Is this a perfect dream?
The hygge way of eating is all about indulging mindfully.
Its suggested that the high level of meat, cakes, andcoffeeconsumption in Denmark is directly linked to hygge.
The book recommends a hearty stew or a bowl of popcorn, shared from the same bowl.
My husband and I ate this by candlelight and I sipped on hot tea after dinner.
We made popcorn the old-fashioned way and shared.
Combining all of the above with relaxing activities = total bliss.
This book recommends that we actuallyNetflix and chill.
Board games, books, and maybe taking a walk is also hygge.
Petting a cat, too.
Essentially, this is my dream prescription for relaxation.
Wiking suggests a hyggekrog, which roughly translates to a nook.
It was utterly glorious.
The verdict: Hygge is exactly what I needed.
All in all, I can say with certainty that hygge is my jam.
Its not preachy, nor does it tell me to throw my possessions in the garbage.
