2019 – The Year of Caregiver Hygge!

January 1, 2019

By Sherri Snelling

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Our wishes every year are for caregivers to find the balance they feel they may need in caring for their loved one and caring for themselves. This year Caregiving Club is declaring 2019 “The Year of Hygge.”

You may ask, what is hygee? First of all, it is a timeless Danish tradition pronounced “HOO-gah.” Essentially it means coziness. The core elements of hygee are warmth, pleasure, calm, happiness and…unplugging from technology. I found this great infographic which sums it up nicely!

Creating Your Own Hygge

Here are some of the tried and true steps of achieving hygge with my personal spin:

Rather than reading a book on your tablet – crack open a favorite old friend – my go-to is Pride and Prejudice.

Pull on a pair of snuggly socks. I LOVE johnscrazysocks.com which is owned by a young man with an intellectual disability and 5 percent of the proceeds go to Special Olympics, autism and Down Syndrome charities. And yes – John even offers Pride & Prejudice socks (see below) – thanks John!

Wrap yourself in a snuggly blanket (mine was a gift from a dear friend – it’s called a Minky and is the softest thing I have ever felt. See my pet therapy dog, Penny, modeling the luscious pinky Minky blanket).

Sip cocoa or tea (or even red wine if it’s happy hour!)

Immerse yourself in the pleasure of having no distractions (time to hang the “Do Not Disturb” sign on our door.)

Finding Your Hygge Time

For family caregivers, finding time for hygge is tough. Constant obligations, responsibilities and the emotional roller coaster of caregiving can be a barrier to reaching “hygge time.” This is when caregivers have to double down and reach out for respite help. It can be done – just an hour here or there. And, not all respite care is costly.

Read my article below for ways to find cost-free respite breaks. It is essential to take a break, focus on something pleasurable that is just about you. You’ll recharge your batteries and come back to your caregiver life both mentally and physically stronger and more resilient.

Here is to all the caregivers and wishing them a yearful of hygge memories!