Try hygge for more happiness

Try hygge for more happiness

By: Dr Laila Abdel Aal Alghalban

Professor of linguistics

Faculty of Arts

Kafrelsheikh University

Do you race to satisfy your endless needs? Do your dreams and wildest ambitions push you away in a maze of choices? Are you constantly overwhelmed by a desire to get the maximum of everything, even at the expense of your inner peace? Do you always complain that you have a void in your life despite all your stuff?  If yes, then you need some hygge!

What's hygge?

Hygge is a Scandinavian word which means contentment,  moderation, intimacy, self- care, relaxation, simplicity and positivity.  It is a lifestyle that promotes the coziness of the soul through creating cozy relationships with everything around us and pursuing the missing balance in our life resulting from battling the soul-crushing materialism of modern age. Actually, we are being bombarded by consumerism nudges to obey our desires, and promises that the

more we buy the happier we will be. We spend most of our time on screens, fully indulged in virtual worlds and detached from reality, family, friends and the whole community. Our homes become a group of islands where each one of us is literally living in voluntary solitary confinement. Hygge gets us out of these things and brings us back to real life. It calls for moderation. reconnecting to family, friends and nature, creating cozy relationships, and enjoying what we have no matter how little or simple it is. 

How?

 We can have hygge in many things. One is sharing our family some  tea and cake at a cold night on a couch with a cozy blanket, talking about topics we love, and shunning negativity and ill-thoughts. Other ways include reading a book we love,  practising a hobby, visiting  patients to help them recover, enjoying a comfortable night's sleep, and connecting to nature by letting sunshine to our homes, enjoying the scent of the rain, having nature indoors like plants and wood, and going for a walk.

 More importantly, unplugging from social media is the first aid to restore our happiness and peace of mind as addiction to social media causes depression. Unfortunately, studies show that average users touch their cell phones 2617 times daily, while extreme ones score 5400 times.

Comparison is the thief of joy!

A key principle of hygge is to be ourselves and to pursue happiness in what we already have and in our way. Comparison is really the thief of joy. The only healthy comparison should be between how we are now and before . This could help us move forward. But we just have to be kind to ourselves and stop selfwipping. Our inner talk must embrace the fact that we are not perfect. We sometimes feel down and think that what we have is too little. But we have to remember that many would envy us for such "little". So let's be content.

  

Happiness is a state of mind

Finding time for self-care and simplicity would grant us contentment and happiness that we badly need to combat life sufferings when storms hit  Happiness is a mental state in the first place. So it does not matter where we live. Rather, it is how we live that counts more.  It is how we create the homey, comfortable, and cozy ambiance. The simpler and less cluttered our homes are, the more able we will be to set free our minds and souls.

Life boat definitely sails in the middle of storms, rocks and pains, which are parts of the journey. This is why caring for self and others is imperative. Parents for instance, would practise hygge in the very daily tasks of working, caring for children and loved ones, doing housework, etc., once they feel that having children and people to care about is a blessing many people hope to be given. Even when they face hardships in covering life expenses, and get frustrated, hygge would help them accommodate these adversaries with an eye on the rewards they would gain when the mission is over.  Even if hygge does not work, no problem. This is life: hardships and ease, ups and downs. The most important thing is to be content and firmly believe that the future is better.

Happy Scandinavians

Humans are always in constant pursuit of happiness. In addition to hygge, many Scandinavian philosophies urge for moderation, contentment, love of others and harmony with nature and other creatures to maintain happiness.  It's no wonder then that the Scandinavian countries have permanent top spots on the World Happiness Index. A case in point is the Swedish philosophy "Lagom" which urges people to enjoy togetherness and outdoor activities. It's true that other  factors such as good healthcare, free education and economic ease can boost happiness, but being rich is not necessarily an indicator of more happiness. On the other hand, other Asian philosophies  maintain that humans would not relax until they know who they are, what they are good at. So let's try  to reach happiness and contentment!

Hygge and the other philosophies go in harmony with faiths which aim at achieving happiness to humans and other creatures on the planet. Latest studies indicate that thankfulness and contentment make us happier. So when we thank the Giver and the Provider, the Almighty, we get the utmost happiness. Studies also show that love, giving, volunteering, patience and resilience create a better and more compassionate world, a purpose all faiths share. 

Finally, let's hope that the call for moderation, intimacy, coziness and reconnection to one another and nature would bloom love, mercy, giving, safety and relaxation  that, in turn, would regain control over our humanity which is facing an unprecedented existential threat.