How to Prepare Your Home for a Hygge Winter
The Oily Home Companion
First thing’s first...what in the world is Hygge??
Hygge is a Danish word, pronounced hue-guh, which is used to describe a special feeling of coziness and contentment. We at the OHC grasped onto this idea a few years ago and it has made all the difference in how we weather winter!
When Christmas time has passed it is easy to fall into a slump and find ourselves feeling less than merry. Decorations are often put away, celebrations have been had, company is gone, sunlight is sparse, and sometimes things can feel a little bare—visually and emotionally! Incorporating hygge after the holidays becomes all the more important to keep spirits up! Here are some tips:
Cultivate Hygge At Home
Creating a hygge environment is the first step. Take time to clean out your spaces, and get rid of the things that don’t bring you joy. Clutter often causes angst and unneeded stress. Thoughtfully creating a space where you are truly at ease and comfortable is sooooo hygge! Fill your couches and beds with cozy blankets, fluffy pillows, and warm colors. Perhaps you select fabrics or linens that offer you nostalgic comfort or an emotional connection. Find a low-light lamp and create a nook in your bedroom or living room for reading. Diffuse a blend of Valerian, Pine and Orange Essential Oils for a serene aroma. Add personal touches like photos and keepsakes displayed throughout your home. Be intentional about filling your home with joy and peace.
Make Time For Tranquility
Develop routines that help you love your relaxing time indoors. How about something simple? Enjoy a cup of warm tea while you’re nestled into your couch reading a new book. Create a tea station at home with your favorite blends. Make sure to keep some Vitality oils by your tea station to enhance your experience. Cardamom, Peppermint, Thieves, Lemon, Cinnamon, even Lavender Vitality...there are so many delicious options to specialize your cup of tea. This new go-to-spot can offer you a cozy routine to warm up and unwind a few times a day.
Keep That Body In Motion & Find Some Sunshine!
Hygge doesn’t mean that we are always going to be cuddled up on the couch in a snuggie with a cup of tea...remember it is a feeling of cozy contentment and in order to feel that we have to take care of our physical body too!
A walk in this brisk weather is so good to get the blood pumping and creativity soaring! Plus if you’re chilly, you may walk a bit faster to warm up!! A simple quick-paced walk is said to boost your mood, strengthen your bones and muscles, while improving balance and coordination. Understandably, and depending on what climate you live in, many of us are not into tromping through slushy streets and frigid air all of the time. Knowing this may be the case, create some spaces for movement in your home.
Have a space for rebounding, yoga, or an online workout, or just move the furniture to dance around your living room! Even just a place to do some stretching or meditation can add to one’s peace. Build in some stretch breaks in your day or if you’re always on the go during the day, make time in the morning or evening for some light stretching. Your body will love it.
Another key is finding some light and warmth! If you have a cat, you can probably imagine what we are talking about. When sunshine hours are limited it is critical to find yourself a sunny spot in your home and soak up a few rays! This helps your body produce Vitamin D, which is essential to healthy bones, lungs, brain, and immune system. Do some research and you will see why getting even a few minutes of sunshine can have an impact on your wellness. Create an environment that you’re excited to come home to and spend time in!
How To Add Hygge To Your Body Care
Winter months bring dry air, which often leads to itchy patches of skin. When you feel like your skin is parched and catching on your blankets or bed sheets...that kinda disrupts the hygge coziness, right? Rose ointment to the rescue! It’s soothing and nourishing to the skin and versatile in that you can apply it where needed! Chapped lips? Try it! Dry elbows, knees, or feet? Try it there too! And Young Living’s lotion and body butter line is the absolute best. Keep a bottle of lotion near the sink and get in the habit of nourishing your hands after washing them.
If you haven’t tried dry brushing, now is the perfect season to do so. Dry brushing is actually an ancient practice but is gaining popularity as people learn about it. Take your dry brush and sweep over your skin from the outer limbs in towards your heart. No need to scrub, do this gently and lightly! This is all about exfoliating, increasing circulation, and toning. Once you have finished, shower off, and apply lotion like Young Living’s Lavender or Genesis lotion to moisturizer the freshly exfoliated skin.
Add some hygge to your body care routine include bathing and face masks. Upgrade that bathtime soak with your favorite essential oils, like Lavender or Stress Away, and epsom salts. Not only will you be relaxed, but the bath will help relieve sore muscles and increase blood circulation, which may be able to ease inflammation in muscles and joints. Once a week, before your soak, apply one of the ART masques from Young Living and lay back for some quiet time.
Build Room For Relationships
With all these cozy ideas, it’s important to balance and not to forget about community. Relationships and connecting with others are at the core of the hygge lifestyle. Host gatherings in your home with comfort food, engaging conversation, and fun activities, like board games or crafts. If you have children or grandchildren, the winter season is a great time to teach them how to make your favorite family recipes. You can even set up a seasonal book basket, a few floor pillows, or beanbag to encourage snuggle time and reading! While staying physically active can be challenging in colder months, consider throwing a family dance party in your living or dining room! You are probably noticing the trend behind each section here...be intentional in creating an environment of contentment.
In our fast-paced, non-stop days we don’t always save enough of ourselves for the one we love most. Get cozy with your spouse and add some hygge to your time indoors by creating intimate moments. We all know that scent and touch are powerful! Diffuse Sensation, Northern Lights, Ylang Ylang, Joy, and Orange essential oils, or make a homemade massage oil, to encourage feelings of love and affection. Maybe break out that Shutran oil blend! Sit together quietly, hold hands, talk to each other and let yourselves enjoy a moment where you slow down and just BE. Choose to be present and to dig deeper into your relationship.
Take these tips and start to weave together your hygge lifestyle with the ingredients of community, relaxation, presence, indulgence, and comfort! Happy, healthy, hygge winter to you!