Happiness pursuit, the Scandinavian way

It seems that in childhood we have the natural knack for hygge

I have previously written about happiness, but today's post is about the Scandinavian approach to it.

 I just watched
WHAT IS HYGGE ? THE NEW TOP INTERNET TREND.


I carefully listened to Jenny Mustard, and yet, what exactly is hygge?

According to the online definition,  hygge (pronounced “HUE-gah”) is:

 "... simply the Danish ritual of enjoying life's simple pleasures. Friends. Family. Graciousness."

Can I make hygge and coziness a mission in my life at least during this Holiday season? How do I achieve it? 
 
The hygge video by Jenny Mustard's was so intriguing, that I went on a detective trip around Internet to learn more.

My curiosity brought me to yet another video, this of Living Danishly: inspiring ideas from the world's happiest country. The talk was by Helen Russell, who shared life experiences from Denmark, including her understanding of hygge.

Helen's description of how relaxed Danes are about their jobs and working hours immediately connected in my mind to a recent LinkedIn post. 

The post was about Mark Douglas, the CEO of the marketing and advertising company SteelHouse. Mark gives a three-day weekend every month and a $2,000 annual vacation bonus to his employees (OK, ...one of my browsers is on job openings in SteelHouse). No wonder the company has "virtually zero turnover". I am sure that even if Mark's employees have not heard about hygge, they know how it feels. 


I have also heard about German companies that allow their employees to "borrow" a couple of retirement years when they are still young and healthy.
 
The concept of hygge reminds me of a thought I recently heard and will re-phrase here: 

"If you live with the past, you will be depressed, if you live with the future, you will be anxious, if you live in the moment, you will achieve peace of mind". 

We do not have the power to change the past, we may not be able to influence the future, the only power (limited or not) is this of determining what we do at the moment. Today is the day we can change things.

Actionable

• Live in the moment, and plan for experiences that create memories.

•  If you are still unsure how to practice hygge, then probably some sound therapy will help? (just kidding)