'Hygge' in Paris

I moved to Paris last September to become an Au Pair, abandoning all I knew to be home. When you are a live-in Au Pair you often feel confused about what counts as your space. Is it my host family’s apartment? Or just my small room a few floors above? Living alone in a box room with minimal space is very normal here in Paris, but can still be difficult to get used to. My coping mechanism when missing Denmark and my bedroom at home is Scandinavia’s famous Hygge. In the dictionary Hygge is described as a feeling, thing, or atmosphere but remains a difficult word to translate into other languages. This may be due to the fact it means something different to everyone. Ask ten people what it means and they will each come back with a different response. However, at the core of Hygge is inhabiting a space that allows you to relax.

After the endless ‘How to Hygge your bedroom’ articles and lists that surfaced over the course of 2016, the word may now simply call to mind candles, fairy lights and cushions. While us Danish folk love all three, there is a lot more to it than how you decorate your house. It isn’t just a cosy type of interior design, or a minimalist line in the Urban Outfitters Homeware section, it is a philosophy. Hygge is a way of life that has been helping Danish people to understand the importance of simplicity for hundreds of years. The atmosphere Hygge creates brings us together with those we love. It inspires us to sit around the dinner table together eating and drinking. It reminds us to slow down, gets us laughing and talking over the big and small things in life.

While a lot of Hygge derives from spending time with friends and family it has also helped me to feel at home while living in a new country away from my loved ones. I can evoke the feeling of Hygge by creating a space in which to do nothing but enjoy life, to unwind and think about the little things we often forget. After a bad day here in Paris I have a few simple steps that I personally follow to unwind and give myself the Hygge feeling: The day has been tough, the weather is terrible and I feel like the world is against me. But then I get home, take a long shower, light some candles and find the chocolate I have been saving for a really bad day. Simple, but it works, and I feel calm and at home. Creating your own Hygge process is useful when you are traveling or moving, and your home country feels very far away. It is much easier for me to create a warm atmosphere with candles, something sweet and to surround myself with the things I love than it is to go home. You just have to find your own way. The Danish people seem to be happier thanks to Hygge and it has helped me since moving to France, so maybe you should try it too?

Written by Natalia Sick Conradsen