What is hygge The art of living well and staying cosy at uni - Debut

What is hygge The art of living well and staying cosy at uni - Debut Theres nothing like autumn.  The leaves are turning colours, youve dusted off your cosiest knitwear, and its now the right temperature to be justifiably drinking hot chocolate. Hygge, the Danish concept of coziness, encompasses all of this and more. What is hygge? Before we launch into our full explanation, we have to nail the pronunciation. Jurys out on the most accurate one, but for now well stick to the most common hoo-ga. No really, what is hygge? Like many beautiful, foreign words, its difficult to pin down an English definition thatll give hygge justice. Marie Tourell  Søderberg, writer of Hygge,  describes it as the feeling of finding shelter after a long day of being outside in the freezing cold. Mmm. We also love  The Debriefs  attempt at explaining hygge. Picture this; it’s blowing a gale outside, your best friends are in your clean and softly furnished living room, there’s plenty of red wine, the heating’s on, you’ve cooked a banger of a meal, no-one’s got work tomorrow, Midsommer Murders is on the telly, the lights are way down low so, as the song goes; let it snow let it snow, let it snow. That safe and snug feeling you can imagine you’d have in that situation? That’s hygge. Sounds ideal to us. But in a cold uni flat, with hardly any budget for anything beyond Pot Noodles, how can students add a little bit of hygge to their life? 1.  Cozy your digs up A photo posted by Carrie (@onepleasantday) on Oct 9, 2016 at 2:33am PDT Were talking as many poofy cushions as you can muster from the charity shop, plenty of throws, and some investment in a legitimately nice-smelling candle or two (or five, the minimum suggested by Refinery29). Make it so that your little uni room becomes your hidey-hole for the winter. Essentially, make it hibernate-worthy. 2.  Crack out the knitwear A photo posted by LYDIA MARCEAU (@lydiamarceau) on Oct 8, 2016 at 9:48am PDT You know that one really comfy jumper with the holes in them you cant bear to toss away? Thats the physical manifestation of hygge. Something that gives you a sense of home, safety and warmth thats unparalleled to anything else in your closet. 3.  Dont forget the food A photo posted by foodgawker (@foodgawker) on Oct 8, 2016 at 12:10pm PDT Things that absolutely  scream hygge are slow-cooked simple stews, soups, and warm teas. Things you crave after spending a day in a windswept, rainy city. Bonus points if you put marshmallows on your hot chocolate. Go on. You deserve it. 4.  Gather your mates round A photo posted by Brenda Wong (@brendaisarebel) on Mar 26, 2016 at 9:51am PDT Hygge is better when its shared. Invite a few friends over to share a bottle of wine. If a fireplace isnt handy, cuddle up together under blankets and play some board games. The Danish believe that hygge is anything that gives you emotional warmth.  Talk about getting by with a little help from your friends. 5.  Have an amazing bath/get down with some self care A photo posted by Ellie / The Elle Next Door (@ellenextdoor) on Oct 6, 2016 at 11:58am PDT If youve been feeling burnt out lately and want to be anti-social for a bit, do it. Embracing hygge means embracing the rituals and activities that make  you feel good. Theres nothing like a good bath. Chuck in some Epsom salts and essential oils, read a book, light a candle and 1-2-3, re-la-a-a-a-a-x. 6. Turn your screens  off A photo posted by @theaterproject on Nov 1, 2015 at 4:20pm PST We mean it. You dont want to disturb your hygge flow with your Whatsapp group notifications blowing up your phone. 2016s been the worst year ever for news as well, so perhaps its a good time to just tune out, and hide away from the world. Just for a little while. Feature Image ©  Unsplash Download the Debut app  to get a head start on those spring internship applications. Follow Brenda on Twitter @brendaisarebel Connect with Debut on Facebook and Twitter