Hygge

Embracing “Hygge” in Your Workspace Did you know that in a world-wide happiness survey, Denmark wins almost every year? With the long, dark winters, it can be difficult to imagine why. The Danish will quote many reasons, such as a stable economy, a society built on trust, their excellent work-life balance, but also the unwritten, social laws of hygge and Jante’s law. Jante’s law can ultimately be summarized as never assuming you’re better than anyone else, or never behaving like you’re smarter than anyone else. While no workspace is made worse by embracing this sense of humility, in this blog, we wanted to focus on the concept of hygge and how you can apply it to the workplace. Hygge: (entry 1 of 2) noun: a cozy quality that makes a person feel content and comfortable. Hygge: (entry 2 of 2) adjective: invoking or fostering a sense of coziness, contentment, and well-being. Online, hygge is often used to describe a home’s aesthetic, often characterized by lighting candles and having plush blankets easily accessible, but culturally it is so much more than that, which is great, because candles and open flames are generally not welcome in most office spaces- except for those who work from home. Socially, hygge is recognized as more than a feeling; it is a conscious, prosocial act- to be present in the moment, to create a kinship with those around you, and to embrace the simple pleasures that life brings us. How can you foster familiarity, contentment, and …