How to Bring Health and Hygge into Your Home

Hygge is all about coziness, comfort, contentment, and general well-being. Learn how to bring health and hygge into your home this winter — and beyond.

Winter is here. This is an easy time of year to feel antsy and like something isn’t quite right in your home. It’s also a time when it can be easy to let your healthy habits slip due to holiday stress and tempting food, as well as in favor of bunkering down on the couch for a Netflix binge. The struggle is real.

While we want to be as comfortable as possible in our space, especially when it’s so cold outside, we don’t want that comfort to come at the expense of our and our family’s health and happiness. 

That’s where hygge comes into play.

What is Hygge?

Just in case you haven’t heard of it before, this Nordic way of life has become a huge home decor trend in recent years. Actually pronounced “hoo-gah,” it is all about surrounding yourself with coziness and comforting things in order to boost your level of happiness.

And the Nordic people know what they’re talking about when it comes to happiness, since those countries continually rank as the happiest in the world. When you’re happier, you’re also more likely to be healthier, too. With that in mind, here are some ways to bring some health and hygge into your home.

Create a Multi-Purpose Space

Hygge is all about comfort in one’s surroundings. If you have a family, your home belongs to more than just you and different people will look for comfort in different places. Therefore it is great to have a room that serves many purposes and people. Even if you live alone or with one other person, having a space you can retreat to and focus on something you enjoy is important to maintaining happiness.

To bring health into the mix, consider dedicating part of this room to exercise. Invest in some home equipment to create a personal gym. Or you can even do some yoga to help you both mentally and physically. You can also dedicate part of this room to a hobby of yours that you want to cultivate. Put in some bookshelves and a comfy chair to create a reading nook, or create an art studio where you can create and display your work. The possibilities — and your happiness — are limitless!

Embrace Light

The brightness of a room sets a tone and can help define its purpose. Generally the brighter a room is, the more likely it will be used for social purposes. Still, no matter the room, we should be taking advantage of natural light as often as possible. Not only are there money and energy saving advantages to a naturally lit room, but it also impacts your mood and health. Exposure to sunlight is proven to make us happier overall and motivates us to make healthy choices.

With a lesser amount of sunlight in the winter, we’re more prone to things like Seasonal Affective Disorder where we experience prolonged sadness due to the gloomy weather. Take advantage of the few sunny days we have during the colder months and let the light shine in your home. Hang sheer curtains on your windows underneath thicker insulating ones that you can part to really let the light in.

For days where it’s overcast, be sure to bring light inside in other ways. Lamps, overhead lighting, string lights, and candles are all easy ways to incorporate light based on your style preferences.

Make Your Bedroom a Hygge Sanctuary

Your bedroom is your personal haven. It’s your safe space — your place to retreat to and seek comfort in after a long day. If you currently do not feel that way about your room, it’s time to make an immediate change. Look for things that will soothe and relax you enough to promote a good night’s sleep. Because of this, it’s best to exclude any bright or harsh colors from your bedroom. Instead use neutral colors like tans and greys or light shades of blue and green for a calming effect.

Take your actual bed into account as well. An uncomfortable bed will make you resent your room instead of finding comfort in it. Start at the mattress. Without a reliable mattress a good night’s sleep will evade you. Next consider your bed’s accessories. A hot sleeper will require a cooling pillow, lighter comforter, and thinner sheets — while a cold sleeper will need a heavy comforter, flannel sheets, and blankets.

Making the environment conducive to the way you sleep means you’ll sleep better. Without resting well every night, we’re leaving our bodies susceptible to illness and fatigue.

Promote Kitchen Time

Comfort is regularly found by many in the kitchen. Whether it comes from preparing a meal they love or eating food they love, there is plenty of coziness that comes out of the oven. That’s why it is important to make sure your kitchen is a welcoming and comforting place to you, your family, and guests. We’re happiest when surrounded by those we love and care about, and your kitchen plays a huge role in bringing everyone together. Teach others about why you find comfort in the kitchen so they can learn to appreciate it as well.

You can also use this bonding time as a way to promote health. Show others ways they can prepare healthier food for themselves and tell them why it’s important. During winter months especially, healthy eating tends to be shoved aside, so let people know they can still get comfort out of healthy food. Plus, eating more cleanly and healthier will in turn increase their happiness levels.

Hygge Decor for a Cozy Home

Incorporate hygge decor in your home, from relaxing soft-lit candles to cozy, homemade chunky-knit blankets.

Here are a few of our favorites.

1. Balance + Harmony Soy Wax Candle | Amazon, $15.99

2. Handmade Oversized Chunky Knit Blanket | Amazon, $69.99

3. Faux Fur Pom Pom Knitted Throw | Pottery Barn, $104

4. The Year of Cozy: 125 Recipes, Crafts, and Other Homemade Adventures | Amazon, $18.50

5. Mongolian Faux Fur Throw Pillow | Target, $19.99

6. Cable Knit Throw Pillow with Faux Fur Trim | Target, $24.99

7. Macrame Hanging Planter | Amazon, $8.64

8. Ribbed Chenille Scarf | Gap, $29.95

9. Gold String Lights | Amazon, $15.99

10. Metal Fireplace Log Basket | Pottery Barn, $129

11. The Mug | East Fork, $36

12. Copper Kettle with Thermometer | Amazon, $42.97

13. The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living | Amazon, $11.49

This post contains affiliate links, but are always products I love, use myself, and highly recommend!

Don’t let winter get you down and negatively impact your health. Turn to hygge and your home to increase both your health and happiness. By making a few changes and adjustments, you can be well on your way to living a cozier, happier, and healthier life just in time for the new year!

How do you incorporate hygge into your home? Let us know in the comments below!