The Danish have a cultural exemplar when they are living the hygge life (pronounced hoo-guh). If you’ve not heard of it yet, just wait—you’ll be inundated by it in 2017. The premise of hygge is to purposefully find cozy ways of enjoying life to elevate your sense of happiness and well-being.
For those in Scandinavian countries, the cold weather dictates the mode of coziness. Some people speak of retreating after a long day with a favorite blanket, wool socks, and a warm cup of tea. It comes down to establishing a self-care ritual in a season (or world) that can be rather harsh.
In this episode of Persuasion, Erin Straza and Hannah Anderson discuss the “living the hygge life” trend as it relates to Erin’s book, Comfort Detox: Finding Freedom from Habits That Bind You, which releases February 7 from InterVarsity Press. Our pursuit of comfort in small things isn’t necessarily wrong, but the overindulgence can lead us to live within pampered cocoons, tucked safely into our comfort zones. Finding a balance between tending to your self and soul—perhaps through a hygge lifestyle—and pouring out your life for the benefit of others is a tricky one. Christians especially need to wrestle with the pursuit of pseudo comforts as a substitute for seeking true comfort in our Comforter God.
Listen to Persuasion Episode 85:
More from Episode 85:
The Year of Hygge, the Danish Obsession with Getting Cozy, The New Yorker
Comfort Detox: Finding Freedom from Habits That Bind You, Erin Straza, Amazon.com | Barnes & Noble
What the Hygge Trend Tells Me About True Comfort, D. L. Mayfield at Christianity Today
Theme music by Maiden Name.