Dreamin Reviews: American Cozy
By: Jasmin Roden, LMSW, CAADC
Close your eyes and think about the hardest winter days. Do you think of warmth and coziness or do you think of depression, cold, isolation, and gray? People’s mental health slips during the winter months, in particular the places that have harsh and long winters. like the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. One of the antidotes to this depressive feeling is Hygge. Hygge is defined as a cozy and content mood evoked by comfort and conviviality, originating from the Scandinavian countries. American Cozy: Hygge inspired ways to create comfort and happiness by Stephanie Pederson is a charming read about how to incorporate Hygge into the busy and fast-paced society in America. As I read this book, I noticed that a lot of these concepts and simple lifestyle changes are what many mental health therapists would discuss with their clients.
Throughout the book, some images in the book evoke feelings of coziness. The book is broken up into how to cozy certain areas of our lives, such as work, home, and social life. The best tip that I pulled from this book is how to cozy your space. For every item that is brought into the home, two must be removed, and carving out twenty to thirty minutes a day to tidy up around the home. My favorite chapter is on work-life balance: Hyggeified. Clearly, Dannish and Scandinavian people know a thing about boundaries. There are clear limits when a person is working and when they are not.
Hygge is not just what you can do in your environment but also a mental mindset. American Cozy highlights this towards the end of the book and explores ways and why shifting your mindset is important. Stress management is a part of living in Hyggified life. Ways that you can shift your mindset into a more Hygge-inspired lifestyle include:
Make gratitude your brain's default place.
Never say yes right away.
Notice one beautiful thing about every person that you pass.
Stop Complaining.
Say Thank you.
Celebrate small victories.
Limit media- one idea is to fast for two weeks from it and notice the effects.
Find time for charitable work.
Get enough sleep.
Exercise daily, minimum of twenty minutes.Preferably outside, yes even in the winter.
Get professional help from a mental health therapist if you continue to not find the good in your daily life.
Readability: Super easy and fast. The pictures are cute and made me want to curl up under a blanket.
Recommended Reader: I would recommend this read to people who suffer from Seasonal Affect Disorder. People who want to feel more content with what they have rather than wanting more.
It is important to note that these books and other resources are not appropriate or meant to replace mental health or substance abuse treatment. If your symptoms are impacting your daily life, please seek treatment.
The timing of my reading this book was perfect as I recently went to Norway on vacation. And I truly felt Hygge in just about every experience of the trip. I stayed in three different AirBnB’s during my trip and the aesthetic in each home was truly cozy.
The following four pictures are of a small cabin in the woods that is for fellow hikers to stop and rest in.
