While doing some research on my ancestral resiliency practices last month, I discovered that my paternal grandfather’s maternal grandparents were Danish. I’ve never been particularly interested in my cultural or genetic heritage and have always just joked that “I’m Heinz 57.”
I’ve always had a bit of a crush on Scandinavia and once had grand plans to apply to grad school in Sweden [then a few years later an actual person I had a crush on moved there and I let my Scandinavian dreams go, because I didn’t want to be perceived as a girl who followed a boy halfway around the world].
Anyway, once I realized that Denmark is a part of Scandinavia, I decided to dig in and really learn about Danish culture. The biggest thing to know about Danes is that they embrace something called “hygge” in all aspects of life… and I am VERY into it. It aligns well with the mindfulness stuff I practice from therapy, my love of creating cozy environments, and my tendency for introversion.
I’ve been in a bit of a slump lately, and I’ve been trying to make some changes to improve my mental health and general outlook on life. I lean heavily towards a more cynical view on humanity, and don’t spend enough time appreciating what good there is in my world, so this quote really punched me in the gut:
It is not about viewing life through rose-colored glasses or seeing the glass as half-full. Rather, it is experiencing the world via the soft glow of the candles, and seeing that the glass has water, and being grateful for things just being the way they are. — Astrid S. Nielsen, Hygge: Cozy Living The Danish Way
When I started my journey with therapy, I often mentioned that I wanted less extremes in my life and more “happy mediums.” I’m hoping that trying to implement hygge into my every day life will bring more of this into my existence. I think it might actually be working? I have been putting more effort into making my house cozy & decluttered, trying to minimize how often I am multitasking, and putting my damn phone down to pay real, solid, attention to my dog.
I often get so caught up in the daily slam of terrible news and wanting to change society so bad that I forget to slow down and enjoy life. I’ve been learning the hard way that I have to create space to enjoy life if I want to have any modicum of resiliency to stay in this fight for the long haul. I won’t be much use in dismantling white supremacy, the patriarchy, or capitalism if I’m a burnt out curmudgeon!
“Enjoy life. There's plenty of time to be dead.” — Hans Christian Andersen
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