3 Hygge Hacks I Learned from Visiting Sweden in the Winter (They Keep Me Cozy All Year Long!)

This has been a doozy of a winter. First the polar vortex cast snow and cold blasts across North America, then the groundhog Punxsutawney Phil saw his godforsaken shadow, and now there are predictions of a warm but wacky and windy spring. The turbulent temperatures have made it trickier than ever to know when to pack up my wool sweaters, or even whether to dig into hibernation mode or get outside. The one constant so far this year has been this: my desire to be cozy. And, as the Danes will tell you, hygge is not limited only to the cold, dark months — you can practice hygge all year long.

So when I took a trip to Sweden in January, I kept my eyes peeled for any tips on how to keep my life at home feeling cozy despite the weather going on outside — especially from a place that is used to experiencing particularly dark and cold winters. Here are three tips I picked up and immediately folded into my apartment life back in New York. 

The Swedish concept of fika, or a coffee break, is so natural to me I assumed I’d already been doing it for years. But when I stopped into a cafe in Stockholm to partake in it officially, I realized I’d been getting it slightly wrong. I most often take my coffee to-go, but even when I sit to enjoy it, it’s usually accompanied by a book, journal, or phone scroll. 

But looking around, I realized most people in the cafe were simply sitting and enjoying their treats, or talking to the person they came with if they weren’t alone. So I decided to do the same; I sipped my cortado and ate my kanelbulle (the Swedish cinnamon bun I am still dreaming of) while just enjoying my own company. I also noticed that fika seems to last as long as you’d like it to. I lingered for about 30 minutes, and saw some people leave after 10 minutes, while others were there when I arrived and stayed after I left. 

Since returning home, I’ve been making more of a point to take mindful coffee breaks throughout the day — even if they don’t involve caffeine (I’m trying to stick to one cup these days). Pausing to be with my own thoughts or chat with a friend and sip on a hot drink not only creates a moment to warm up, but also gives me the chance to recenter myself — even during a busy day. 

When I told my friends I was going to Sweden in the middle of the winter, we laughed that I was traveling to one of the only places even colder than New York. I traveled with Volvo to Harads, a town with about 500 residents situated in Swedish Lapland and perched just outside the Arctic Circle. We were there to test drive the full electric Volvo EX90 on an ice track (read: a frozen lake), so the literally freezing circumstances (the average temperature in the area during January and February is a toasty 7 degrees Fahrenheit) were necessary. The thing is, it somehow didn’t really feel that cold. 

Of course, I was dressed to stay warm. But beyond my layers, what really helped cut the cold was how there was often a throw blanket or fireplace right nearby. Whether it was a fur draped over the back of the chair outside of a cafe or the fireplace inside my cabin at the Arctic Bath Hotel, warming essentials were never far away. This cozy rule has inspired me in my own home, where I’m now making sure to keep throw blankets not just in one storage basket, but in a few nooks throughout my apartment, so I never have to go far to get cozy. 

If you’re still on the fence about the “turn off the big light” debate, travel to Sweden in the dead of winter. Never have I seen a place so oozing with warmth and charm! From vintage-looking lamps in shop windows to twinkle lights strung through narrow alleyways, small lights were everywhere I looked. Even as we drove down completely snow-covered roads from the Luleå airport to the hotel in Harads, I noticed twinkle lights in the shape of tiny hearts dotting several of the windows of the rural homes we passed. 

Since then, I’ve been making even more of a point to turn off the overhead lights and turn on the smaller ones in my apartment. I start most mornings by turning on the table lamp by my dining table and the floor lamp in my living room, but lately I’ve been making a point to switch on the tiny one next to my espresso maker and it’s making my kitchen counter feel so much cozier. Plus, it’s a habit I plan to keep up even in the hot weather, when keeping the big light off helps things feel cooler, too.