From interest rates to weekly shopping, the cost of living is rising at the fastest rate in decades. But the question is: Has the price of happiness also increased? And if so, what can we do about it?
Let’s get things straight. Yes, money makes you happy. If you’ve ever had to choose between putting food on the table and paying the utility bill, you’re not new. While money is no guarantee of happiness, lack of money is a common cause of stress, worry and unhappiness.
I work at the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen. No, we don’t eat ice cream and stare at puppies all day. We look at data, studies and evidence to understand why some people are happier than others and what we can do to improve the quality of life. One of our focal points is the decoupling of wealth and well-being. How can we get good bang for our buck?
While money is no guarantee of happiness, lack of money is a common cause of stress, worry and unhappiness (file image)
This is what hygge is all about. After all, hygge, a Danish tradition that has recently become a global phenomenon, is about living the good life on a tight budget. It is the enjoyment of simple pleasures. It is the art of creating a beautiful, warm and cozy atmosphere. As inflation rises, we’re all still in search of the good life – and hygge can be a key ingredient in this endeavour, as it doesn’t require a fat wallet. Far from it. Hygge isn’t lavish and lavish, it’s about making the most of what you have.
Here are eight ideas on how to implement hygge to make your home happier this winter:
TAKE TIME TO ENJOY SPECIAL FAMILY DINNERS
A recent study by the Social Issues Research Center showed that 47 per cent of Brits said they want more family meals, either at home or at a family member’s, and 49 per cent of people in the UK believe family meals are the most important way to spend time together .
Homemade dinners are cheaper, healthier and hyggier. For the last ten years I have been concerned with the question: How can we feed ourselves better? Not only from a nutritional point of view, but also from a happiness perspective.
There is a lot of evidence that family meals are important for well-being. Studies show that dinners with the people closest to you are linked to above-average grades in teens. a stronger sense of belonging; better communication skills; less obesity and fewer depressive symptoms. In other words, the dining table is the only place where you can positively influence the physical and mental well-being of friends and family.
FOLLOW THE SUN LIKE YOUR CAT
It is a well-known fact that real estate comes down to three things: location, location, location. With Hygge Home, on the other hand, the motto is: light, light, light.
According to the World Health Organization, people who report insufficient natural light in their homes are at a higher risk of developing depression.
Incorporating natural light into homes, or furnishing our homes to make the most of light, will improve your mood and reduce the need for artificial lighting. Always follow your cat. If there’s a streak of light, you’re sitting here. purr optional (file image)
Incorporating natural light into homes, or arranging our homes to make the most of light, will improve your mood and reduce the need for artificial lighting – good for the wallet and the planet. Plan your day by taking the path of the sun. My desk is by the window where the rays of the rising sun fall into the room, while we have dinner in a room where the setting sun falls into the house. Always follow your cat. If there’s a streak of light, you’re sitting here. purr optional.
CANDLES REALLY HAVE A SPECIAL MAGIC
Small changes in your home can have a big impact on your mood. Switch the lamps, change the decor or just light a candle.
“After reading The Little Book Of Hygge I went out and bought two candelabra and we started lighting them at dinner,” one of my readers told me. He and his wife have three sons: a (then) 15-year-old and 18-year-old twins. When he first lit candles for dinner, his boys teased him.
“What about the romance, Dad? Do you want to have dinner alone with mum?’ But he soon noticed small changes around the dining table. Time seemed to slow down. The teenagers became more talkative. The change of mood put the boys in a storytelling mood.
“They’re no longer just shoveling in their food, they’re sipping their drinks, they’re telling us about their day.” Your family meals now last 15 to 20 minutes longer. With this simple change, dinner is no longer just about food—it’s about hygge. And now it’s the boys who light the candles at dinner.
CREATE A SEASONAL SHELF
Hygge is not about having everything; It’s about enjoying what you have. It draws on the old virtues of thrift. It follows the traditions of previous generations who didn’t throw things away because they were broken but learned to fix them, fix clothes instead of buying new ones, use their food instead of wasting it.
There’s nothing hygge about wasting food. A recent report shows that UK households waste 4.5 million tonnes of food every year – a value of £14 billion: that’s £700 a year for an average family. Creating an “age shelf” in your fridge should help combat this waste. This is where you store the foods that need to be eaten fastest so you can easily identify and use up those items instead of losing them in the back of the fridge and then throwing them away.
After all, hygge, a Danish tradition that has recently become a global phenomenon, is about living the good life on a tight budget (file image)
GET PREPARED FOR WINTER
A well-stocked pantry is comforting. Having food in the fridge or cupboard at home allows you to snuggle up to events beyond your control, be it a storm or a pandemic.
Stocking up and building a small pantry also means respecting the ebb and flow of seasonality in nature. Eating seasonally means eating or preserving foods that are grown and harvested locally. Hygge is also about enjoying the process of stocking the pantry, appreciating the preparation, and looking forward to the delicious results that you’ll enjoy at home on a quiet, wintry evening. So get to the braising, pickling and bottling.
THROW EVERYTHING AT PIZZA NIGHTS
Use what you have – and make the most of it. Familiarize yourself with catch-all recipes. Do you have some tomatoes, two pieces of cheese, an onion, half a zucchini, a nearly empty jar of olives and some leftover meat? Good news – it’s pizza night! Think soups, risottos, ragouts and casseroles to soak up your leftovers in new meals.
Berries and other corrupted fruits can be made into jam or added to cakes. Apples, rhubarb or oranges? Melt some sugar in an ovenproof pan, add butter and then the fruit. Let it simmer for a few minutes. Remove the pot from the stove and let it cool for a few minutes. Then cover the fruit with some puff pastry and fold down the sides (careful, the sugar may still be hot).
Prick the dough with a fork and bake in a preheated oven at 200°C (400°F) for 25 minutes. Allow to cool for ten minutes, then place a plate on the pan and turn over. Your tarte tatin (if you use apples) is ready for an afternoon of hygge.
FREEZE LIST ON YOUR PHONE
When you put something in the freezer, you think, “I can see it’s Bolognese, and in three months I’ll know it’s Bolognese.” The thing is, in three months you’ve added three more containers of brownish leftovers, so now it’s hard to tell what that frozen brown lump is, and you might end up eating spaghetti with duck sauce. So be sure to label your leftovers clearly.
In addition, I find it useful to have an up-to-date list of what’s in the freezer on my phone. It’s good to know that one evening when you get home from work later than expected, you’ll have something in the freezer to put in a saucepan, leave on the stovetop and — voila! – Food is ready. Lamb casserole, minestrone and duck stew are just a few of my favorites.
Having food in the fridge or kitchen cupboard at home gives you the power to snuggle up to events beyond your control, be it a storm or a pandemic (file image).
FALL IN LOVE WITH YOUR CAR
Transportation is hyggeier on foot or on two wheels. OK, depending on where you live it might not be possible to leave the car behind, but with fuel prices this high it just doesn’t make sense that more than 60 per cent of short journeys of one to two miles are made by car or bus in the UK. Use your bike for these excursions if you can. Yes, I use my super powers as a naïve Dane who thinks that you can do most trips by bike and that you can put groceries in a basket or backpack, but why not?
After all, the British Household Panel Survey found that people who switch from driving to walking or cycling improve their mental well-being – even if the journey takes longer.
Hopefully these steps will inspire an understanding that the good life is built on connection and purpose and everyday simple joys. That our wealth is not measured by the size of our bank accounts, but by the strength of our bonds, the health of our loved ones — and the sound of stew simmering on the stove.
My Hygge Home: How To Make Home Your Happy Place by Meik Wiking (£16.99, Penguin Life) is available now.