How to Embrace Hygge and Boost Writing Magic
Ever feel like you lose a little writing magic during these long winter months?
It’s no secret that people are least productive in the winter.
To compensate, some writers try to force productivity. This can cause writer’s block and many sleepless nights.
Hello!
I’m a writer who has attempted to force productivity. It caused writer’s block and many a sleepless night.
As a result, I’ve spent a ridiculous amount of time experimenting with different ways to get (and stay) motivated.
What I’ve discovered is this: embracing hygge (hyoo·guh) is an easy way to boost creativity.
The True Meaning of Hygge (hyoo·guh)
Hygge is a Danish term used to describe, “a quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being.”
It’s important to note that despite what you might’ve heard or read about hygge, it’s not about buying things that promise to ‘make you feel’ cozy.
In fact, the moment you purchase something you don’t need, hygge loses its meaning.
Hygge isn’t a trend, lifestyle, or aesthetic. It’s found in the absence of stress and anxiety.
It’s a state of being.
Embracing Hygge to Boost Writing Magic
It’s easy to feel uninspired staring at the same four walls day after day.
And if you’re in the middle of a lockdown (hello, again!), hanging out at your local cafe just isn’t an option.
A comfortable space is crucial to getting the work done.
So how can hygge help?
It can be tempting to make big changes like ordering the latest and greatest, 24-piece-17-hour-assembly-and-good-luck-bud-cause-you’re-gonna-end-up-crying office collection.
But again, hygge isn’t about what you buy.
More often than not, what makes us truly happy are the little things.
So stay in your PJs. Enjoy a good, homemade cup of coffee by the window. Rearrange your furniture. Draw yourself a bath in the middle of the day. Write from the blanket fort your kid made.
Your options are endless.
When it comes to hygge, small changes are all you need to create a cozy atmosphere that will boost writing magic.
Stop Doom Scrolling and Really Connect
Let’s go back to the definition of hygge for a second.
While getting your cozy on alone comes highly recommended, you also need to connect with people.
So stop doom scrolling.
How many times have you caught yourself in a downward spiral, only to realize that your thumb is cramping because you’ve been doom scrolling for the past forty-five minutes?
You could argue that your dark fantasy side is yearning to get a feel for a more dystopian society.
But even your dark side needs a break once in a while.
Doom scrolling makes no one happy. Put your phone to better use.
Connection (and I’m talking about real, genuine connection) is crucial. Even for the most introverted of writers.
How you connect is up to you.
Whether you’re part of an online chat group, you love video calls, or safely meeting up with people in a local park, create a moment of connection.
Connection means you’re getting outside of your own head and sharing information and ideas, big or small.
Reach out. You’ll feel better for it, and your writing will follow.
Get Outside
True, nordic hygge involves incorporating elements of nature into that cozy writing atmosphere you’ve created.
The problem is getting outside in winter can often feel like the exact opposite of comforting.
It’s cold. It’s grey. And depending on where you live, you must gather all of your strength just to make it through the kind of slush that could only have been developed in the fiery pits of hell.
Don’t let Satan win!
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You’ve got so many different ways to incorporate nature into that cozy writing space you’ve created.
Open the windows. Bundle up and sit out on your balcony or in your backyard. Watch the fireplace channel for hours on end. Go for a walk if you’ve got the energy.
Whatever you do, you’ll know it’s right. You’ll unleash a little writing magic.
Daydream Daily
Daydreaming can generate feelings of comfort and well-being. The best part? You don’t need to go anywhere or buy anything to get your daydream on.
Daydreaming always turns my writing into magic. In more ways than one.
I daydream to figure out how the heck to incorporate magic and supernatural elements into my fiction. It’s what I do.
(Yup. I’m definitely that person who blocks out time in my calendar to stare into space.)
Before you give daydreaming a shot though, gauge your mood.
It’s really important to notice your thought patterns before you start. I can’t stress this enough. The last thing you want is to get sucked into a shame spiral.
So if you’re anything like me and have an ongoing conversation with yourself about things like:
That one time in kindergarten when your best friend tried to get you through a slide and accidentally pulled your pants down in front of the entire school . . .
This isn’t daydreaming!
You’re not taking care of your well-being. You certainly aren’t embracing any element of comfort.
Your inner critic doesn’t support hygge.
So guard your thoughts. Daydream with intention. Boost that magic.
Boost That Writing Magic
Magic isn’t just for us fantasy authors anymore– At least not when it comes to writing.
Creating a cozy environment and embracing hygge will give your writing a boost.
How can it not?
The best kind of writing magic is the type that flows uninhibited from your fingertips.
When you’re distracted by an uncomfortable writing chair or a lack of good coffee, that writing energy shifts to the wrong things.
Focus on doing things or creating a space that increases feelings of comfort and well-being. You’ll have no excuses, just some freed up mental space for a little creative inspiration.
At the very least, you’ll find it less of an epic battle to get a few good words down on the page.
One Final Writing Magic Tip: Stay Alive
Winter months are difficult for many reasons. Current lockdown and social distancing efforts don’t make embracing hygge any easier.
Here’s the truth: you don’t need to be productive. You need to do what you can to get through the day.
Sometimes that requires a different kind of writer self-care.
Comedian, writer, television host and actress, Amber Ruffin started a segment called, A Serious Message from a Comedy Writer.
To kick off 2021, comedy writer, Shantira Jackson introduced us to a new kind of resolution. It’s called: Stay Alive.
The video is really worth the watch. If you’re short on time, let me break it down for you.
The past 11 months have been devastating.
If you’re not doing everything you can to seek the things that bring you comfort, the next 11 aren’t going to feel much better.
Whether you consider it hygge, or your own special brand of survival, staying alive is the only thing you need to focus on.
So eat that second helping of brownies. Don’t make your bed or put away your Christmas decorations until March. Write for ten minutes once a week, or not at all.
Stay. Alive.
Focus on you, your comfort, and your well-being. That writing magic will find you again.
Want to learn more about the kind of writing magic that goes on in my brain? Check out Eve’s Return (Book One of the Book of Eve Series), a dark fantasy tale about one woman’s journey to save mankind from that time Eve ate an apple in the Garden of Eden…
eBook is now available for FREE on Amazon and Kobo.
