Find yourself struggling to find happiness while quarantining in your house right now, especially when it’s still chilly out? Maybe a little research on the Danish concept of hygge will give you a new perspective.

Hygge (pronounced hue-gah) is a Danish word used when acknowledging a feeling or moment, whether alone or with friends, at home or out, ordinary or extraordinary as cozy, charming or special. It is literally that feeling when you’re curled up with a book under a fuzzy blanket on the couch, sipping warm tea with a candle lit. Or when you and friends are sitting by a fire wrapped in sweatshirts, drinking beer. Or baking a loaf of banana bread with your family while it snows outside. Hygge is a feeling that doesn’t directly translate to one word in English; but coziness, comfort and contentedness come close. Danes created hygge to escape the dark, cold weather that is common in Denmark, and the boredom that comes with it. It is a way to appreciate the simple comforts in life, and something I can definitely apply to my life in cold, bitter Boston winters.

After picking up The Little Book of Hygge by Meik Wiking (and reading it in one sitting!), I was inspired to make some small efforts to notice the hygge in my life. I started savoring my morning tea slower, lighting a candle when I watched a movie and enjoying the fragrance of new recipes I made. Honestly, I can say this concept has made my winter in Boston a little more bearable and enjoyable. It was a concept I instantly connected with so well, and I think many people could connect to during this time of social distancing.

Here are some things you can do to create an atmosphere of hygge during quarantine:

-start a fire (indoor or outdoor)

-sip a hot beverage

-bake bread

-light a candle and dim the lights

-cook a simple recipe

-ride your bike outside

-pick up a book

Here’s to happy living!