The last few months have been dominated by sickening, devastating and terrifying incidents and attacks. Our hearts have been broken by Manchester, London, Grenfell and so much more.

At this time of sadness it is important to strive to not let our minds be clouded by hatred and to become divided; instead we must seek to unite and find the joy and hope that we can.

This writer’s heart breaks every time she scrolls through social media or watches the news. Can we take a moment to think about the good in life?

Danes are world renowned for being some of the happiest people in the world, with Denmark consistently ranking amongst the world’s happiest nations.

There is no magic recipe for why this is the case but it can be summed up in one word: hygge. This loosely translates to “cosiness” and is the key to the warm, happy and accepting atmosphere within Denmark.

Hygge is all about togetherness, comfort and acceptance. This is an important idea to consider in light of what is happening across the globe, where attacks are designed to divide, subdue and breakdown our nations and communities.

After numerous conversations over the last few months it is clear that there is a feeling of a loss of hope and fears for the future.

Meik Wiking, the CEO of The Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen, wrote that when asking audiences to close their eyes and recall the memory of the last time they were truly happy that:

“I ask the audience to raise their hand if they were with other people in their memories; usually nine out of ten do so.”

Togetherness is the key to happiness: if the CEO of the happiness research institute of the world’s happiest country says it then it must be true, right?

To be angry about what has happened in Manchester, London and other places is natural. The imperative thing to remember is that we must not allow terrorism to turn us against each other and to instead direct our heartbreak and anger towards finding comfort, support and acceptance with each other.

To quote Martin Luther King, Jr:

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

If we want to live in a world that does not have its news channels dominated by stories that break our hearts and make our blood boil then we need to refuse to allow terrorism to turn us against each other.

Having put forward the case for why hygge is so relevant, especially now, let’s consider some ways to achieve hygge, with information accumulated during my time in Denmark, from friends and of course from experts too.

  1. Surround yourself with people who make you smile – my friends and I used to wander around Copenhagen watching the sunset at Nyhavn or stumbling upon a fantastic bar really late at night in Nørrebro
  2. Cook a meal together (even if you can’t actually cook I have found that even just chopping the vegetables has the same effect…)
  3. Have a movie marathon if the weather isn’t so good
  4. “You are what you eat” – Meik Wiking. If you want to eat that pastry, then eat the pastry!
  5. Spend at least some time without your phone – connect with the people and things around you
  6. Hot drinks are good for the soul
  7. Music and candles help to create a hyggligt atmosphere
  8. Host brunch
  9. Listen to old music – there is nothing that brings a smile to my face quite like the memory of dancing to old 90s pop music at the Studenterhuset in Copenhagen with my friends
  10. Explore where you live – you might find something new
  11. Take up a new hobby