Two trends I’m embracing in 2019? Fika (Swedish coffee breaks) and hygge (a sense of cozy contentment that originated in Denmark).
Both concepts are all about slowing down, and embracing warmth and time with loved ones. It’s about the little things, really! Whether that’s 30 minutes spent enjoying a cup of coffee and pastry with a friend (fika) or curling up indoors, lighting some candles, and playing a board game or enjoying a good book (hygge vibes, for sure)—I hope that embracing fika and hygge will allow me to slow down in the coming year.
Anna Brones and Johanna Kindvall write in Fika: The Art of the Swedish Coffee Break, “Functioning as both a verb and a noun, the concept of fika is simple. It is the moment that you take a break, often with a cup of coffee, but alternatively with tea, and find a baked good to pair with it. You can do it alone, you can do it with friends. You can do it at home, in a park or at work. But the essential thing is that you do it, that you make time to take a break: that’s what fika is all about.” How lovely! I know I can’t be the only person who’s looked up to realize that an entire day has passed me by and I’ve barely moved from my desk or even looked up from my computer for more than a brief moment. Fika seems like a simple, yet revolutionary answer.
Embracing hygge can be an awesome way to brighten your home and life, as well! A bit more info on this beloved way of life in Denmark: “Pronounced ‘hoo-ga,’ this Danish concept cannot be translated to one single word but encompasses a feeling of cozy contentment and well-being through enjoying the simple things in life,” Lyndsey Matthews wrote for Country Living. What I’ve taken away from my (not-so-scientific) study of hygge: all winter long, I am going to embrace candles, throw blankets, lots of hot drinks (tea, mulled wine, and cocoa), and, perhaps most important of all…less time on my phone! To me, Matthews’ suggestions for introducing hygge to my life seem like the perfect way to make it through the coldest days ahead.
So, what do you think? Is fika your cup of tea (or coffee…sorry, had to!) and does hygge make you want to curl up by a roaring fire? 2019 resolutions—set!