Hands in the air for the official start to the summer season, guys! While “summer” and “hygge” may not typically be paired together, I’m here today to tell you all the ways summer can feel just as cozy as winter—with a few seasonal tweaks, of course.
Below, five ways to make this your most hygge summer yet!
Plan a weekly gathering. This can be the same each week (think: an evening roasting smores over a bonfire, movie night, a walk to get ice cream), or it can be something new and novel each week. The important piece: lock down the day of the week and the time your gathering will happen, notify the troops (i.e. family members, neighbors, friends, co-workers), and be consistent!
Have your outdoor hygge supplies collected and in one spot, i.e. a basket or bag that’s kept near your front door or in your car. For a beach or park outing this could look like a blanket, towels, paperback, water bottle, sunscreen, bug repellent, frisbee, sunglasses, and baggies of trail mix or dried fruit bars. The key here: already have together whatever will make getting out the door (quickly!) realistically happen. Then more summer memories (and hygge!) will be made.
Assign your summer a theme. This could be “water” (i.e. do as many water activities as you possibly can, such as pools, beaches, lakes, water balloon fun, water park adventures, etc.), “friendship” (i.e. book friend dates in advance, call friends while you’re on your daily walk, invite friends over to BBQ), “reading” (i.e. make your summer reading list, request books from the library, go to author talks at your local bookstore, join a bookclub). Themes help give meaning and purpose—important aspects of hygge.
My theme this season is “summer nostalgia”—reflecting on favorite memories/activities from summers of my childhood and bringing these to life for myself and my kids. Ideas I’ve been playing with are water balloon fights, outdoor concerts complete with dancing and a picnic, “scary” stories told around a campfire, messy crafts, talent shows, and visiting a local carnival and riding all the rides.
Send summer mail. Postcards from your travels, or long handwritten letters from days at home. Typically when we send snail mail, we receive snail mail…which is so very hygge, right?
Do things you normally do inside, outside. Outdoor movies on the green, outdoor concerts or plays, outdoor sports viewing, outdoor cooking, outdoor games of chess or other boardgames, outdoor picnics, outdoor naps (bonus on a hammock!)
How are you planning to bring hygge to your summer this season?
Sending light and love,
Jess (Your Ayurvedic Health Counselor, Making Holistic Health Cozy, Not Clinical)
Let’s Work Together!
Are you interested in working 1 to 1 on aspects of your holistic health? Here are the options I’m delighted to offer at all different price points:
*A donation based Holistic Health Happy Hour, where we meet for 30 minutes and discuss any holistic health question you have. These are offered a few times a month and you can sign up for a date here!
*The Ayurveda Concierge Service (i.e. becoming a paid subscriber to this newsletter.) For $7 a month or $70 a year you can email me and ask your holistic health questions, and I’ll respond from my personal Ayurvedic lens. Cozy, not clinical!;-)
*Book an Ayurveda Health Counseling session (either one time or 6 months.) These sessions allow us to take a deep dive into your rhythm, routines, lifestyle, foods, and health concerns. We start at the root, and improve from there using simple and sustainable micro-changes.