Whether you’re looking for peace, balance and harmony in your home or are in pursuit of happiness, fulfilment and contentment, you may be looking into lifestyle philosophies such as hygge or feng shui.
But what exactly are these spiritual trends and do they really work? Let’s take a closer look.
Hygge – a Danish way of life
Hygge is a lifestyle that’s heavily adopted in Denmark. It’s about creating feelings of cosy contentment by embracing and appreciating the simple things in life. Hygge focuses on being present and in the moment. Actions such as lighting a candle in a dark room or drinking from the same China cup every night can bring hygge into the home as well as decluttering and ensuring everything you own has a significant purpose or place in your life.
Hygge is in direct contrast to over-consumerism and owning things just for the sake of it. Instead, Danes focus on surrounding themselves with things that make life good and banishing anything that doesn’t. All sounds amazing, right? But does it work?
Well, hygge is a huge part of Scandinavian life. It has been said to help Danes survive the cold realities of winter, bringing a sense of well-being to communities. One of the best ways to bring hygge to life is to follow the principles yourself with decluttering being a great place to start.
Think about what brings you happiness. Perhaps it’s that lovely snuggly blanket on your sofa or looking at your family pictures on the wall. Then think of things that you can do without that bring you no joy or are not used on a daily basis. By placing items in self-storage, recycling, repurposing or donating to charity, you’ll free up room and create a calmer environment which may indeed spark feelings of hygge.
And what about feng shui?
Feng shui translates directly from Chinese as “wind” (Feng) and “water” (Shui). It’s an ancient belief that the world is driven by unseen forces. The idea is to unblock the way for these forces to move freely and that involves arranging objects to bring about peace and harmony. Feng shui is about being connected to the spaces we inhabit and connecting to cosmic energy.
So how can you bring feng shui into your living environment? Well, one of the first steps is to slow down the energy flow through your house. If there’s a direct line of sight between the front and back door, the energy could simply be moving too fast. Simple fixes include putting down a rug, hanging pictures on the wall or putting some furniture in the hallway as this will help the energy to flow in a more graceful way.
Similarly, keeping the front door clear is another important feng shui rule as this is where energy enters your home. Metaphorically, you don’t want to feel like you’re walking into a wall when you enter your home as this can feel like a roadblock to your mind and thoughts. It’s all rather deep but keeping this space free is an easy first step for beginners.
Believe it or not, hygge and feng shui play a huge part in people’s lives. Having an open mind could lead you to try new and innovative things.
