8 Tips for Achieving Maximum Coziness

8 Tips for Achieving Maximum Coziness

As winter moves along, you may want to just hibernate until spring - and that may be truer than ever this year. But there are some simple ways to find joy in the quieter months of the year.

While the trend may have come and gone in the US, the art of hygge, that feeling of being ultra-cozy and content, is just part of everyday life in Denmark. The thing is, the Danes know how to thrive in winter. You might already know they’re the happiest people on earth, but did you know a lot of them attribute their unseasonably sunny outlook to their home and self-care habits?

When it’s cold and rainy out, and you’ve been stuck inside for who knows how long, binging the next series on your “recommended” list might feel like the most appealing option. But if you’d like to mix things up, here are a few ideas to channel the Danes and make an intentionally delightful day out of drab weather.

Set the mood

Candles are a key ingredient to an extremely comfortable atmosphere. Not only do they provide beautiful, soft lighting, but they also add warmth and scent to your space.

Tip: Choose a pure beeswax candle, it not only smells amazing but it’s nontoxic and won’t give you a headache from fragrance.

Bake something

Comfort food is central to the cozy experience. But it doesn’t just begin when you eat the cake (or cookies or pie), it begins when you imagine the creation. Flip through your favorite cookbooks or browse some eye-candy baking sites, choose your ingredients carefully, and mix them with care, taking your time to enjoy the task at hand. It’s just a bonus that your baking will flood your space with delicious smells (and taste good too!).

Tip: Reach out to a friend or family member whose recipes deserve appreciation and ask if they could show you how to work out their spectacular skills.

Add texture

Plush throws, sheepskins and cushions make for a much more inviting space. Cover your surfaces in as many luxurious fabrics and pillows as you can find and snuggle down.

Tip: Be on the lookout for inexpensive, yet high end fabrics. Try the thrift store, Facebook Marketplace, or estate sales.

Get out the board games

Pull your partner or kids away from their screens and gather around the table for some old-fashioned fun. Whether you go for the competitive strategy variety or laugh-out-loud social games, there are options for everyone. For the minimalists among us, even a deck of cards can offer plenty of entertainment.

Tip: Looking for remote gaming options? There are many online group gaming apps, and many people have come up with creative ways to play the classics via Zoom as well. Start up a game and maintain your connections year-round!

Perfect your hot drink game

Hot cocoa, hot coffee or tea, apple cider, mulled wine; pick your poison. Whatever it is, find your own special recipe that is so delicious you can’t wait to show it off. Host a virtual happy hour and share it with family and friends.

Tip: Why, yes, you can put whiskey in those drinks. But it’s usually a good idea to perfect a mocktail version, too, for those who don’t partake.

Embrace sweater weather

If you don’t already have a favorite sweater, it’s time to find one. It should be something that makes you feel at home when you slip it on. Cashmere, wool, mohair, anything will do. Whatever you choose, pair it with thick socks!

Tip: Find some beginner books or tutorials and try your hand at knitting, crocheting or weaving, and make your own sweater over the course of the winter. Find an online or local knitting circle for tips and encouragement.

Curate your cold-outside playlist

Make yourself a mix of music that inspires you to do all those things that make you feel absolutely endeared to your space. Put it on shuffle, relax, repeat.

Tip: Instrumentals are classics for a reason, they can work as background for just about anything. When in doubt, most music services have pre-made playlists, some of which you can filter by mood.

Do seasonal activities

Making caramel apples? Check. Working on (or giving up on) your New Year’s resolutions? Check. Canning, puddle jumping, snowball throwing, signs-of-spring spotting? Check!

Tip: Whatever your favorite seasonal activities might be, create a plan to make them happen, put it on your calendar, set a reminder on your phone, or find an “accountability partner” and feel the magic of even the most blah weather wash over you.