Hygge Holiday Challenge

Hygge Holiday Challenge:
Since I just learned about this minutes ago, I'm already behind with this challenge.  But ... and this is important ... I'm smiling because this seems like a way to be loving to myself.  First, I need to run over to the University City Library and get this book:

The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living ~ by Meik Wiking, 2017, psychology

Embrace Hygge (pronounced Hoo-ga) and become happier with this definitive guide to the Danish philosophy of comfort, togetherness, and well-being.  Why are Danes the happiest people in the world?  According to Meik Wiking, CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen, the answer is Hygge.  Loosely translated, Hygge is a sense of comfort, togetherness, and well-being.  "Hygge is about an atmosphere and an experience," Wiking says.  "It is about being with the people we love.  A feeling of home.  A feeling that we are safe."  Hygge is the sensation you get when you’re cuddled up on a sofa, in cozy socks under a soft throw, during a storm.  It’s that feeling when you’re sharing comfort food and easy conversation with loved ones at a candlelit table.  It is the warmth of morning light shining just right on a crisp blue-sky day.  This book introduces you to this cornerstone of Danish life, and offers advice and ideas on incorporating it into your own life, such as:

Take a break.
Be here now.
Turn off the phones.
Turn down the lights.
Bring out the candles.
Build relationships.
Spend time with your tribe.
Give yourself a break from the demands of healthy living.
Cake is most definitely Hygge.
Live life today, like there is no coffee tomorrow.
Get comfy.

From picking the right lighting to organizing a Hygge get-together to dressing hygge, Wiking shows you how to experience more joy and contentment the Danish way.

I googled the word Hygge and got this, which seems to contradict the book cover (hoo-ga):

"Hygge (pronounced hue-guh not hoo-gah) is a Danish word used when acknowledging a feeling or moment, whether alone or with friends, at home or out, ordinary or extraordinary as cosy, charming or special."

I'm so ready to try something like this.  My version of the rules is to do the things on the list that fit me and my life.

1.  I'm willing to "start a gratitude list," but not "turn off the phone before bed."  Why?  Because I'm retired and live with other retirees, some of whom count on me to be there for them (even in the middle of the night) if they are having a bad reaction to a medication with the room whirling around or if they need me to drive them to the emergency room in the middle of the night.

2.  For the same reason, I'm willing to "go for a 30-minute walk" ― hey, it's on my agenda anyway ― but not "w/o phone."  My mobile phone is always in my pocket, in case I need assistance or someone to come get me.  Yes, I understand why this may work for young folks, but I'm 77 years old.

3.  I won't "invest in a cozy sweater" because I have enough sweaters to last the rest of my life.

4.  "Have a dance party"?  Hmm, I'll have to think about how to adapt that, like maybe dancing around my apartment by myself.  Or maybe I'll "party" by inviting a couple of friends to go out to eat together, letting our words dance all over the table.

5.  If the suggestions don't work on the day suggested, I'll shuffle them around and do what I can when I can.

Anyway, here's to having a fun December doing things suggested by or dreamed up because of Albie's list above and her "How to Hygge for the Holidays."  Thanks, Albie!