A Spot of Cozy

Winter, and specifically the holidays, have been a struggle for me for decades. So when I first came across the Danish concept of hygge, I was intrigued. There are a lot of interpretations of the word, from comfy cozy to the concept of slowing down and enjoying life’s pleasures. But my favorite translation goes back to the Middle Ages to an old Norse word that meant “protected from the outside world.”

You know that safe, warm feeling when you’re huddled under heavy blankets all snuggly in bed? Or the fuzzies you get inside sitting by a crackling fire, sipping cocoa, watching a heart-warming movie? And that inner glow that lights you up when you see holiday lights and smell fresh pine and burning wood? That’s hygge. And that’s the feeling I’ve been focused on capturing when the long, dark winter nights and gray, overcast days settle in.

I’m in the process of making little spots of cozy throughout my house. I’ve set up cloud lights in my bedroom, right above my bed. They cast a magical glow and can even blink and dance along to music. I bought an over-sized memory foam chair I plan to set up in my walk-in closet (as soon as I’ve wrapped all the gifts stored in there) and hang some string lights. Because sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and all kinds of wonderful poems and book ideas come to me. But I don’t want to disturb my partner by turning on a light and writing in bed. And I also don’t want to go out into the living room and wake the dogs, the cats, the boys. So a little closet hide-away just seems like the perfect answer.

We have two rescue kittens currently taking over our bonus room where we watch television. But once they’ve graduated from that room (or maybe even get adopted….) I plan on cozying up that spot as well. I’m thinking twinkling star lights, a little black-out tent, and lots of pillows and blankets.

It’s a work in progress, one that will slowly grow throughout winter, but just knowing I have these little cozy corners to tuck myself away in and feel protected fills my heart with happiness. It’s helpful not only as someone who tends to get overstimulated with sensory input, but also when dealing with trauma and the body’s automatic physical response to the time of year when things tend to crop up again.

The idea is relatively simple and really doesn’t take much. Just think about what things make you feel safe and cozy. Use all five senses. For me, visually, I prefer soft lighting. Pink and orange are my favorite (like a Himalayan salt lamp.) Anything soft is a must, and heavy is good too. My favorite blanket is a faux-rabbit fur. It’s the perfect weight and incredibly soft. I love any kind of quiet meditation music but lately I’ve been all about the handpan and Native American Flutes. Both of which you can find on Youtube. The smell of baking cookies, fresh pine, amber, lavender, or vanilla always calm me. And any warm drink, whether it be cocoa, coffee, or tea, perfects the whole experience.

If you’re feeling overstimulated this holiday season, rundown this winter, unsure or unsafe in your body, give yourself a spot of cozy. You deserve it!