Life’s Little Indulgences

On my visit to Denmark and other Scandinavian countries like Finland and Norway, I wondered how these countries have been at the top of the happiness index charts for five consecutive years. Upon chatting with some Finnish, Danish, Norwegian and Swedish people, and doing a bit of a research, I found several reasons for why this was so. I happened to stumble across an interesting Danish concept of Hygges (pronounced hyoo-ga). It loosely translates to “Cosyness of the soul”, or a feeling of wellness and contentment attained from life’s little indulgences – things like leaving our evenings free to relax, having a family dinner, or staying indoors with a hot cup of cocoa.

Walking down the streets of Copenhagen, I saw every little café with blankets on the tables and fireplaces on the sides to keep us warm – a cosy city indeed! My family and I spend every weekend together either playing a board game, cooking something together, watching a movie on Netflix, or doing a fun activity. And we definitely feel the ‘Hygges’ during times like these. It is quite evident to me that we can retrieve happiness if we learn to appreciate the little things in life.

I also think that every day comes bearing its own gifts, we just need to untie the ribbons. One of my favourite restaurants to eat out in is T.G.I Friday’s. It is quite interesting to note how this restaurant is open not only on Fridays, but all week long. This is quite an accurate example of how most of us don’t live our lives. We wait for perfect conditions with the anticipation of good times, relaxation, and celebrations. We long, maybe for the last day of school, our birthday around the corner, or for the summer to begin. But during the wait, we waste much of our lives not living the present moment. Why can’t we feel that ‘Friday-Feeling’ every day? Why can’t we learn to find wellness in every day? Why can’t every day be special?

– SaaniaSparkle 🧚🏻‍♀️