What Is Hygge?: How Embracing “Cozy” Traditions Can Improve Mental Health

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Hygge is the ultimate wellness word of the winter season. If you’re not familiar with it, “hygge” is a Danish word—pronounced “hoo-guh” or “hue-gah”—that essentially means a quality or feeling of coziness, comfort, contentment, and well-being. 

In this article, learn more about what hygge is and how you can embrace these feelings of coziness to support your mental health and well-being. 

What Is Hygge?

According to Visit Denmark, the word hygge is derived from an Old Norse term roughly meaning “well-being” and has been used in Danish writing since the 18th century.

Hygge encourages feeling cozy, relaxed, safe, and comfortable and is used widely in Scandinavian countries (and has now made its way to the United States).

While hygge can mean something slightly different for everybody, the overarching tenet of hygge is celebrating slowness, relaxation, and life’s quieter pleasures—which is perfect to do during the cooler weather of winter when more time is spent indoors. 

Some examples of hygge might include:

  • Creating a cozy space and warm atmosphere with blankets, throw pillows, candles, warm lighting, and gentle music
  • Reading or sitting quietly alone or with loved ones
  • Drinking tea, hot chocolate, or coffee by a fireplace while it’s cold outside
  • Sharing home-cooked food with others 
  • Spending quality time with close friends or family 
  • Baking cookies or bread in a cozy kitchen 
  • Spending quiet time in nature 
  • Journaling or meditating with calming music playing
  • Taking a warm bath with scented oils or candles 

Essentially, hygge is all about creating environments that are peaceful and calming. If none of the above things sound comforting or inviting to you, take some time to consider what you would choose instead. 

However, hygge isn’t only for the wintertime—you can practice hygge year-round! 

Some examples of hygge in the summertime might include picnicking on a sunny day, going to the beach and watching the waves, enjoying the later sunsets with an outdoor dinner party, having a bonfire at the beach, watching the sunset with a cold drink, swimming in lakes, gardening, or stargazing on a warm, clear night. 

How Do Other Cultures Practice Hygge?

Although “hygge” is distinctly Danish, many other cultures have similar hygge-like practices and rituals, such as:

  • Fika in Sweden: A Swedish tradition of taking a slow coffee or tea break from work, often accompanied by pastries like cinnamon buns (kanelbullar).
  • Ikigai in Japan: Less about rituals and more about larger philosophies, like finding your life’s purpose and pursuing activities that bring daily fulfillment, which may even help you live longer.
  • Koselig in Norway: Like hygge, koselig (“koosh-lee”) means “cozy” and entails creating relaxing atmospheres with loved ones. 
  • Gezelligheid in the Netherlands: A Dutch word similar to hygge, meaning coziness, togetherness, and comfort. 
  • Gluggaveður in Iceland: Translating to “window weather,” this word means watching the weather from your window, such as seeing the snowfall while you’re cozy inside.

Mysa in Sweden: Also similar to hygge, mysa roughly translates to “to cozy up” or “to make things cozy,” embodying comfort, warmth, and mindfulness.

Benefits of Hygge for Mental Health

If just reading the list of ways to practice hygge made you feel warm and fuzzy inside, then you can understand how hygge benefits mental health. 

The main ways hygge helps with mental health and mood are by reducing stress and promoting relaxation—this makes sense as the whole goal of hygge is comfort, coziness, and well-being.

While everyone can benefit from hygge, it may be even more pronounced in people who are used to high-stress, go-go-go lifestyles—taking the time to get cozy and slow down can have profound effects on stress reduction. 

Engaging in hygge rituals—like enjoying that perfect cup of coffee or cuddling up with a favorite novel—can trigger the release of feel-good hormones like serotonin and oxytocin.

If you practice hygge with others (you don’t have to, by the way!), you can bolster connections and relationships and reduce feelings of loneliness. 

Some other ways that hygge might benefit mental health include:

  • Improved mindfulness
  • Improved sleep quality (by reducing stress and promoting relaxation) 
  • Reduced burnout 
  • Promoting healthier lifestyle habits (by encouraging work-life balance) 
  • Improved mood and may reduce symptoms of seasonal affective disorder (SAD)
  • Reduced screen time and more in-person connections 

Although there are not too many published studies on the topic, some research has looked into the benefits of hygge.

One small study from 2024 looked at how practicing hygge impacted the quality of life in people with cystic fibrosis, a genetic and progressive condition that causes respiratory issues, digestive problems, physical limitations, and often poor mental health.1

In this study, practicing hygge profoundly influenced the physical and emotional experience of 15 adults living with cystic fibrosis. The authors concluded that incorporating hygge practices into cystic fibrosis care plans could improve psychological well-being and quality of life.1

Another unique study looked at the impact of hygge on incarcerated women in Denmark.2

In this research, nine women in a Danish prison reported using food and various props to create feelings of hygge in their cells and common areas.

Hygge was said to have “a deeply positive impact on their lived experience of incarceration,” suggesting that even small hygge-like practices can benefit mental health in stressful and often unsafe environments. (It may be important to note that Danish prisons are night and day from most other prisons in the world, with a focus on humane conditions, dignity, private living spaces, comfortable facilities, wearing one’s own clothes, and generally treating inmates very well.)2

How to Hygge: Tips for Embracing Coziness This Winter

Ideas to Hygge This Winter

Although we’ve mentioned quite a few ideas for practicing hygge already, here are some specific ways you can embrace hygge and coziness this winter:

  • Create a warm ambiance with fairy lights, soft yellow lights, or lighting candles. 
  • Add fluffy blankets, soft throws, and cushions to your living room or bedroom.
  • Bring natural elements of the outdoors indoors, such as pine cones, garlands, or other greenery. 
  • Bundle up and go sledding in the snow, followed by a steaming cup of hot chocolate.
  • Try out new hot teas or make homemade lattes or mulled wine. 
  • Try a new baking or cooking recipe. 
  • Opt for cozy clothing and loungewear like oversized sweaters, fuzzy socks, and scarves.
  • Take up a relaxing hobby like knitting, drawing, or crocheting. 
  • Curl up with a good book under a blanket—either an old favorite or one on your TBR (to be read) shelf. 
  • Host a board game night with friends. 
  • Make hearty and cozy meals, like homemade bread, soups, stews, casseroles, or other comfort food. 
  • Anything else that makes you feel cozy, comforted, content, safe, and warm! 

Hygge FAQs

What is the psychology of hygge?

The psychology behind hygge is that certain rituals and activities can make us feel safer, more comfortable, more connected, and calmer. This Danish concept celebrates slowness, relaxation, and life’s simple pleasures, which fosters feelings of contentment, safety, and nurturing. 

What are the ten rules of hygge?

There are not necessarily ten “rules” of hygge, but some principles that were first shared in “The Little Book of Hygge” by Meik Wiking include: 
– Atmosphere (cozy spaces) 
– Presence (mindfulness and being in the present moment)
– Pleasure (simple joys)
– Equality (inclusivity) 
– Togetherness (connecting with loved ones)
– Gratitude (appreciating the little—and big—things in life)
– Harmony (ego-free spaces) 
– Truce (focusing on peace and calm; no drama) 
– Comfort (relax and recharge)
– Shelter (create a safe space and sanctuary)

How do Danish pronounce hygge?

The Danish pronounce hygge more like “hue-gah,” with a stronger emphasis on the “hue” part.

Why is hygge so popular?

Hygge is likely popular because people inherently want to feel safe, secure, calm, content, and relaxed. Our modern society is often high-stress, low-connection, and not very mindful. Embracing hygge rituals and activities can make us feel more grounded, relaxed, calm, peaceful, and connected to ourselves and others. Hygge provides a sense of both emotional and physical security and is often a refreshing alternative to our busy, distracted, and overwhelming lives.

  1. Pitts LN, Woods B, Polen M, Nichols LS, Ladores S. Transcending Limitations: A Phenomenological Exploration of How Hygge Practices Enrich the Lived Experiences of Adults with Cystic Fibrosis. Creat Nurs. 2024;30(1):74-86. doi:10.1177/10784535241228522 
  2. Smoyer AB, Minke LK. Hygge: Food and the construction of safety among incarcerated women in Denmark. Appetite. 2019;141:104319. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2019.104319 



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