Find Your Inner Hygge with These Cosy Reads

Brimming with good intentions and genuine desires for change, January brings the subject of self-care into sharper focus than any other month. The fresh start offered by a new year brings the opportunity to embrace new beginnings and establish good habits that promote wellbeing. Darkness is draining; it’s easy to feel all the more fatigued by the slog of daily routines and information overload in the depths of winter. This week we’re turning up the heat on the Danish principle of hygge, the art of transforming your home into somewhere you don’t just live in, but thrive. Ready to create a warm, cocooning ambience that is decidedly good for the soul? Get reading.

First things first, create a definite space for undisturbed relaxation. Dress a cosy nook with tactile cushions, throws and task lights that provide focused illumination, to create warmth and comfort as you curl up on cooler evenings.

It's recommended to ditch screens and their sleep defying blue light – including your phone - at least two hours before bedtime, leaving time to pick up a book. This month we’re loving:

Happy Inside by Michelle Ogundehin

Meet your one-stop guide to living well. Want to feel content, calm, soothed or energised? This book suggests we start by addressing what surrounds us. Combining Buddhist philosophy, mindfulness, colour psychology and good design, Happy Inside offers a step-by-step practical guide to creating a home that supports your well-being. It’s fast becoming our feel good bible.

Manifest by Roxie Nafousi

The new year is an excellent time to learn how to create the life you have always dreamed of. Whatever you’re coveting in your future, this meeting of science and wisdom promises to teach you exactly how to get there in just 7 steps. Utilising philosophy and self-development practice, Manifest is an empowering title packed with tips to help you achieve your life goals.

Bored of Lunch: The Healthy Slow Cooker Book by Nathan Anthony.

There’s no traps with this title; the home style recipes feature no fancy or hard-to-find ingredients. The perfect book for anyone who always finds themselves time strapped close to dinner time but wants delicious meals that you can pop on in advance, that genuinely make you feel great too.

Happy Skin Kitchen by Elisa Rossi

Want the secret to getting the clearest, most radiant skin of your life? Turns out it’s 110 plant-based recipes, packed with powerful nutrients to nourish you from within. It’s time to discard expensive creams and treatments; the path to flawless, youthful, happy skin actually starts in your own kitchen and you can read all about it here.

My Hygge Home: How to Make Home Your Happy Place by Meik Wiking

If, like us, you want to turn your home into a sanctuary and live like the happiest people in the world, just reading this book will make you feel more content. Offering the ultimate introduction to Hygge, you’ll learn how to use colour, light and space to create your happy place and celebrate cosiness the Danish way.

Need more soul food? Soak the day away. There is nothing more soothing than a luxurious bath to unwind in as you turn the pages of a good book. Treat your retreat to mood boosting fragrances that breathe a grounding sense of warmth into your bathroom, allowing you to truly relax and reset.