Getting Cozy

According to the Farmer’s Almanac, autumn, in the Northern Hemisphere, begins September 22nd this year. This is called the autumn equinox. 

To mark the changing of the seasons, where the days are getting shorter and the weather’s getting cooler, I’ve put together a shopping guide for my favorite cold-weather activity- getting cozy. Specifically, getting cozy in bed. I love nothing more than swathing myself in layers, burying myself in blankets, and diving into a book. 

When I think about coziness in general, I harken back to studying abroad in Denmark in college. I’d gone there to take a course in the discipline of Positive Psychology. Since Denmark has been consistently ranked among the happiest countries in the world according to the World Happiness Report, I figured it was just the place to deep dive on what contributes to human well-being and happiness. 

And for those interested, happiness in this context refers to how satisfied citizens may be with their lives. That metric was created by analyzing, “comprehensive Gallup polling data from 143 countries for the past three years, specifically monitoring performance in six particular categories: gross domestic product per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make your own life choices, generosity of the general population, and perceptions of internal and external corruption levels.” 

At the end of the course, it was clear to me that Danes were consistently in the top three happiest countries because of their cultural focus on social support and work-life balance. 

“In Denmark, working conditions are generally good, and an ordinary work week is 37 hours, and a minimum of five weeks holiday annually is the norm. Along with a stable economy, this has created a content workforce across the board.” 

Which aligns with the Danish term hygge. “Hygge is about taking time away from the daily rush to be together with people you care about - or even by yourself - to relax and enjoy life's quieter pleasures.”

The New Yorker outlined that the colder months would be the most hygge time of year. “It is candles, nubby woolens, shearling slippers, woven textiles, pastries, blond wood, sheepskin rugs, lattes with milk-foam hearts, and a warm fireplace.” While this Danish idea lends itself well to the idea of getting cozy and the winter months, I’ve learnt that it’s something that can be done during any season. 

As explained by Kaja Kubika, a native Dane, Creative Strategist by day, and YouTuber-

“Hygge is something you can do all year long. Having drinks with friends during the summer is hygge. Going for a walk or to the beach is hygge.”

Even with these misconceptions about when, where, and how to hygge, the overall idea stands though. Taking a break from the outside world and general coziness lends itself to happiness. 

So while things may not be so great out in the world right now, maybe you can use this shopping guide to help bring some joyful color and coziness to your life this autumn

Prianna Pathak