Rainy Days, White Noise and Hygge

ZEN TIP TUESDAY #21

For ZTT #21 I welcome myself!  Hello – I’m Min from Write of the Middle!  Yes you read right!  Hey, it’s my party and I can play too if I want to! 😄

I wanted to throw in a simple little ‘Gem of Zen’ that contributes to me feeling a sense of zen, and I’ll post some more down the track as well.  This one relates to a rainy day, the Danish word ‘hygge’, a nice hot drink, blankets, a good book or maybe some crochet, and lying about on a cosy lounge or sofa.  I hope you enjoy!

If you’re joining us for ZTT Link-Up #019 – welcome and I look forward to reading your post!  Please be aware that the last ZTT Link-Up will be #020 next week on Tuesday 18 June.  It will then cease.  More details on why I have decided to cease the link-up can be found in my introduction for ZTT #20 last week. 

Today I’m flying to Melbourne with my daughter.  We’re going to be seeing the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child productions tomorrow which I’ve very much been looking forward to.  Anyway, since I’m travelling and away from home, it might be a while before I can respond to comments and read and comment on any posts linked up,  but I promise I will get to it as soon as I can!

---

Give yourself permission to just be

Sometimes we need to give ourselves permission to just be.  Stop the striving.  Stop the achieving.  Stop the productivity & creativity, turn off the television, switch off from social media, get away from technology, and just be. 

We can plan activities and put aside time to try and achieve this but sometimes opportunities are presented to us.  We need to recognise these opportunities and take advantage of them whenever we can.  We deserve it!

Rainy days

One such opportunity for me, and maybe for you too, is a rainy day.  A cold and rainy day is even better and if it happens to fall on a weekend or a day where there are no urgent or necessary plans, bingo!  Maybe it’s an evening – perfect!  Switch off that TV and read on.

For some reason, I find a rainy day or evening much easier than other times to give myself that permission to relax.  The sound of rain is relaxing to start with, add in some thunder and cold and the comforting feeling of being inside safe and warm, and there’s my cue to take this opportunity to enjoy and just be.  Here’s the sound of rain to help set the scene for this post (note that this video goes for over 10 hrs so on this occasion maybe just listen for the duration of reading this post or until the next video 😂). 

White noise

So we’ve established that the sound of rain is calming, soothing and relaxing.

Many guided meditations have the sound of rain as background noise and many people seek the sound of rain in apps to help them fall asleep at night.  This is because the sound of rain is a form of ‘white noise’.  White noise is well known to help to relax you and also help you to sleep.  

Cosy and Hygge

There’s something so beautifully relaxing, soothing, and calming about feeling safe and warm and cosy inside.  The Danish call it ‘Hygge’.  Hygge (pronounced Hue-Guh) is a Danish word used to acknowledge a special feeling or moment. It can be alone or with friends, at home or out, ordinary or extraordinary, but always cosy, charming or special. 

This is the feeling that I get when it’s cold, raining and/or storming outside and I am snug inside curled up with a hot drink, blankets, a good book, or maybe even crocheting.  Here’s a quick video (3 mins 45 secs) that explains Hygge a little more.  Warning … watching this will RELAX you!

So it’s raining and cold outside.  We have the beautiful white noise of rain to listen to.  We’ve switched off our devices, including the television!  We might light some candles and create a soothing and relaxing atmosphere.  We have a lovely warm cup of tea or coffee or maybe a hot chocolate.  We curl up somewhere comfy with a blanket and then we indulge in some reading or maybe some crocheting or knitting.  Whatever you would like to do.  Maybe you just lie back and close your eyes!  Maybe you’re listening to music.  The key is to consciously be kind to yourself, to fill yourself up with the things you love, have a sense of gratitude, and a feeling of safety and cosy relaxation.

Hygge Benefits

Obviously, by relaxing our mind, body and spirit there are many benefits to our wellbeing.  There have been a variety of benefits tied to the practice of Hygge. Happiness researchers continually find Denmark to have some of the happiest people on Earth, which Danes attribute to the practice of Hygge. Feeling increased happiness could certainly be a perk of practicing Hygge, but there may be other emotional, physical and relationship benefits as well.

Emotional benefits:

• Less depression and anxiety
• Increased feelings of self-worth
• Increased optimism
• Lowered stress
• Greater sense of mindfulness
• Improved self-compassion
• Increased practice of gratitude

Physical benefits:

• Improved sleep
• Weight regulation
• Fewer cortisol (stress hormone) spikes
• Improved practice of self-care
• Reduced need for unhealthy coping behaviors like alcohol or drugs

Social benefits:

• Focus on togetherness
• Feelings of comfort and safety
• Increased trust 
• Increased intimacy
• New social connections
• Improved existing relationships
• Less reliance on social media

Conclusion

So, what better to bring you some zen but to disconnect from technology, enjoy some white noise in the form of rain, combined with some comfort and indulgences in a cosy indoor ‘hygge’ environment?  I feel relaxed and more zen-like just by writing and putting together this post.

There are other ways I achieve the sense of Hygge too, and I’ll share those over time as well.  In the meantime, I hope that you recognise and take advantage of opportunities to just BE, and get yourself some Hygge – all the cool kids are doing it!

 

Do you love a rainy day or evening?  Do you take the opportunity to really savour it?  What gives you the ‘Hygge’ feeling?

 

Ciao for now,