“Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.” (Edith Sitwel)
One of the reasons that I love winter is that it’s a time for comfort. When the world outside gets darker, we turn our hearts inward … towards home, towards family, towards the galaxies of our our own minds.
January can feel bleak and desolate, week after week of feverish darkness, but the magic doesn’t have to end when Christmas does. Winter can be a season where we find magic and wonder in our peaceful surroundings. The only difference is in your perspective.
Winter is meant to be a time for slowing down and savoring the simple joys all around us. A time of simplicity. There’s a reason those “hygge” keep popping up on your Pinterest feed.
I think we hear the term “hygge” (for those who are unaware, it’s a danish word pronounced something like “hoo-gah”) so often, it can be easy to forget the real meaning. The other day, I found this quote in Bella Grace magazine and it really struck a chord …
“Remember that lovely evening, surrounded by friends at home, maybe with a glass or cup of tea, and baked goods on the table. There were candles, the rain was beating on the window outside. There was laughter, conversation, and a feeling of comfort … you were present in the moment together. There was no before or after that mattered. That’s hygge.” -Unknown
Doesn’t that just capture it? For me, the quote brings to mind a pleasant tingling feeling of cozy winter evenings, surrounded by twinkling lights and glowing candles and a hot mug of tea.
I’ve collected a few ways to reach that sense of peaceful comfort in the heart of these winter months …
Silent Mornings
Wake up thirty minutes early. I know it can be hard, since the world outside is still dark, but it’s worth it. Grab a steaming hot cup of tea, light a burning candle, and find a place to sit by a window.
Now take a few minutes to just sit in silence. Breathe softly on your tea to cool it down. Notice the world around you: the burning candles dribbling wax, the softness of the blanket in your lap, the steam rising in tendrils from your mug.
When you feel ready, you can journal or pray or meditate. When you’re done, turn on some music before you get ready for the day.
In the winter, I find that my music taste always shifts a little. You know those songs that make you feel like you’re drowning in a jacuzzi of bliss? Well, they’re not just for late night drives. Often times, ancient Christmas choir hymns have that same feeling. Search up some playlists on spotify or youtube, or compile your own. It will make your morning feel beautiful.
Peaceful Afternoons
On those slow and foggy afternoons, take some time to dig out your old journals, letters, and photo albums. Flip through the pages and get lost in the nostalgia of times past.
Did you find some particularly special photos? Print them out and put them somewhere you’ll see them everyday to bring a smile to your heart.
Did you find something written by an old friend? Take out your stationary and write them a note to let them know how much you love them. Chances are, you’ll make their day.
Evening Walks
Walks in the evening are so much more lovely in the wintertime: bundled up a thick coat and a beannie, the bitter cold nipping at your nose, your breath steaming in the frosty air. Get up, get out, get your blood pumping.
Dickens would wander the streets of London for hours every night, letting his imagination wander along his plot and shape the story into existence. This is a wonderful tip for artists … whatever project you’re working on, it has a mysterious way of working itself out in your mind when you get out in nature. Even if you have a lot on your mind, going on a walk is a certain way to put things into perspective.
The cold makes it all the more comforting to come home to warmth. When you step through your front door, take off your coat and rub your hands together for warmth. The world outside is dark. Your home is full of light.
Late Night Comfort
Find something to look forward to every night – whether a tv show or a book – that makes your stomach tingle with excitement. There’s nothing quite like losing yourself in a book and forgetting the world exists.
Before you start, make your space cozy. Grab your favorite throw blanket, light up some glowing candles and fairy lights, spray some air freshener. Boil some water in the kettle and make herbal tea in your favorite mug, or sprinkle some cinnamon on your favorite hot cocoa and put way too many marshmallows in it.
Here’s to a week full of hygge!
<3 Olivia Grace
