How To Create A Cozy Atmosphere at Work With Hygge!

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You spend at least 8 hours a day at work.  For some it’s more, for the lucky few, it’s less.  If you live in North America, for certain months of the year, you get up in the dark to go to work, and come home in the dark.

That’s a lot of dark.

So what would happen if you applied the Danish concept of happiness to your everyday work life?

This post was originally published in April 2019 and updated January 20, 2020.

Would embracing the Danish concept of happiness or HYGGE AT WORK make it better?

It really does, and I’m here to show you how.

You know Hygge? 

Would your co-workers think you’re crazy if you took a nap in the middle of the afternoon? What would your boss say if you started lighting candles all over the place? Well, maybe candles wouldn’t work unless you work from home. Then these amazing candles by Sand + Fog would be just the ticket!

Using the power of hygge to bring coziness and contentment into your life isn’t just limited to home and family.  Creating a cozy place to work by embracing hygge in very simple ways can take the rough edges of your office cube, create a small hygge community of work mates, and inject a little warmth and camaraderie.

Hygge isn’t about things, it’s about how you feel. Yet it’s the coziness of a soft shawl, a fragrant cup of tea shared with your cube buddies in the afternoon, softly talking, sharing funny stories, that will not only get you through the day, but also make you want to go to work.

Seriously, it will.

I do believe you can get to that cozy hygge place at work, by including a few small things, and some simple practices into your work day.  It’s kind of like self care at work.

This post will help you create a happier work space and contribute to a positive work community. Thanks for staying with me!

This post contains affiliate links that I earn a small commission from at no cost to you. If you’d like to know more, you can read the Fine Print.

In The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living (The Happiness Institute Series), Meik Wiking says that “hygge is about an atmosphere and the experience it is not about things. It is about being with the people we love. A feeling we are safe that we are shielded from the world…able to let our guard down.”

Let me show you how.

If you’ve read my other posts on How to Live Hygge you’ll know that many people equate hygge or the Danish concept of happiness, with candles, warm drinks like mugs of hot chocolate, and big cozy fireplaces.

Sounds good right? And making your workplace, cubicle or office, just a little bit cozy, and helping to create a hygge-like community at work, why that would be awesome!

Yes, I agree with you.

But to make these things happen, to embrace hygge and live some of these concepts everyday, takes more than reading about it.  More than creating a list of things to do.  It takes two things really.

Just two.

Courage and action.

You see I want you to really benefit from the information in this article.  I want you to have a better life because of it.

Anyone can write a list post about 10 Great things…. and you may or may not read it, and then be onto the next thing.  Or you will bookmark it to read to later.  But we know what can happen there right?

I do it all the time.  We all have the best intentions.

So let’s talk about courage and action…

I think you have lots of courage.  Yes I really do.  You wouldn’t have stopped here, dropped everything to stay and read this post, to learn about something new if you didn’t have courage.  It takes courage for us to be open to change, to embrace new concepts, and even more to look at what isn’t working for us right now.

Why we feel stressed, or things are just a little ‘off’.

I expect that it’s the same for you too.

So well done.

Now let’s talk about action.  Such a little word, but oh so powerful.  Action and I aren’t really good friends.  But we will be, someday.  I’m one of those people who loves to make list after list, fill up my beautiful daily planners with good intentions.  And we both know how that story goes.

By taking action, I don’t mean you must go to the office tomorrow, completely revamp your workstation, organize a potluck, and get everybody to buy into this ‘hygge thing’.  No not for one minute, because that will just give you so much stress, we don’t want to think about it.

You’ve Got This

Your action is to do one thing at a time, to push yourself forward to this wonderful hygge life, even if it feels uncomfortable at first.

Hygge at Work: 10 Easy Steps to make your work space cozy!

Now that we have had the talk about courage and action, why don’t we move your hygge at work plans one step forward.  Let’s discuss a number of ways you can be cozy and comfy at work. And we’re on a budget too, so no big expenses ahead!

Spoiler alert! My fave is # 2!

1. Nothing says cozy like some beautiful plants and we love the beauty of succulents.  They are so easy to care for, come in many interesting designs and beautiful shades of green. Or stop at the grocers or fruit stands on your way to work and pick up a big bouquet of fresh cut flowers.
2. Set Up a Tea Station for yourself and co-workers to join in. You can pick up some clear glass jars at the local dollar store, grab a tea infuser, a small French press, some cute mugs and tray – and set up your own hot beverage space for about $15.  You could also have some fun with a monthly tea subscription box! Everyone pitches in a few dollars and each month you get a variety of teas to share! Kind of like a tea of the month club.
3. Take your tea or coffee break at the same time every day, so that folks know they can wander over to your workspace at the same time and enjoy some hygge tea!
4. Sweaters and blankets can be layered over the back of your chair, or piled on a cabinet. I love my cozy blanket shawl that the kids gave to me last Christmas.  Offices are usually too cold or too hot, so be cozy being able to layer up or down.
5. Have a potluck lunch. Once a month organize a group to bring in their favorite recipes for lunch.  Everyone gets a lunch break, and you can share your meal together around your workstations, or even better, stake out the common areas, where the comfy couches and chairs are! You can bring pretty napkins and paper plates, and ask everyone to bring their own dishes and cutlery.
6. Move around – take a break – eat your lunch outside.
7. Create a playlist of your favourites.  Or sign up for Audible! Such an amazing resource, and you get two free downloads when you sign up..
8. Photos, fresh flowers and art prints – One of the easiest ways to add some hygge at work is to bring in some family photos, and brighten up your workspace with some cute art prints.
9. Random acts of kindness – is there someone new that could use a friend? Or perhaps you know of someone who is struggling with elder care, or balancing child care and work. Think of small things that you could do to lighten their load.
10. Celebrate an event. This could be a holiday, and achievement by your team, meeting a deadline, winning an award, anything at all really. Decorate your workspace at Easter, St. Patrick’s Day or the 4th of July!  Dollar stores like Dollar Tree are great places to get fun decorations.
11. An inexpensive desk lamp can soften the harsh glow of fluorescent lighting.  I’ve actually taken this one step further and asked to have the bulbs removed from the fixture over my cube.  That way I eliminate the harsh glare from both the lighting and the computer screen, reducing the impact on my eyes.  Maybe this will help you too!

Thanks for staying with me, to read this article, for taking courage and action to make your life better.

I would love to hear about your results and I hope you enjoyed our list of ways you can cozy up your work space, and inject some hygge into your work life.

Feel free to share with your friends! 

They might enjoy some Hygge at Work too! 

RELATED: Want more hygge?

• How to Hygge All Year Long
• Springtime Hygge
• Hygge in Summer
• Autumn Hygge is the best!
• How to survive winter with Hygge!

Best, xo

Judy