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How to Bring Hygge to the Office this Winter

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How to Bring Hygge to the Office this Winter

Hygge is all the rage these past few years. Everyone should have more hygge in their life. Which is exactly why we’re going to figure out how to bring hygge to the office this winter.
 
Very simply put, “hygge”, pronounced “hoo-gah” is a Danish word to express everything to do with coziness. Actually, it’s much more than that. According to VisitDenmark.com, “hygge means creating a warm atmosphere and enjoying the good things in life with good people”.
How to Bring Hygge to the Office this Winter Cozy qs creative qscreative

Hygge, to me, is reading my favourite book while curled up on the couch with a cozy blanket. My favourite candle is flickering out of the corner of my eye, with the window cracked open just enough to hear the sound of the rain. This is my #PNW version of hygge.

Why bring hygge to the office this winter?

how to bring hygge to the office this winter candle tea fresh air pnw

Having a hygge home is very important to me. I have my go-to setup if I’m hanging around the house. I’ll light a candle, turn on our fairy lights, and open the blinds to let some soft light in. I open the window just enough to let in some fresh air and curl up in a cozy blanket on the sofa with a cup of tea.

This is my favourite space to be: hanging out, reading or working. In fact it makes me sad when I have to put real clothes on and actually go to the office. This is what sparked the idea for this post. While I do not condone going to the office in your pajamas, I have identified a few other ways on how to bring hygge to the office this winter. So that you don’t have to be sad about leaving your home in the morning.
 
Over time I’ve made my cubicle more personalized and comfortable. Let me share with you how to bring hygge to the office this winter. A few small touches can make a BIG difference in your satisfaction with your space. Be prepared for your coworkers to become jealous. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

“it makes me sad when I have to put real clothes on and actually go to the office“

1. Heated Blanket

This is actually the holy-grail jealousy-inducing item on this list. I have had almost half of my coworkers from my previous job copy my heated blanket idea. I don’t mind one bit, it’s actually a pretty great setup. Plus, you won’t annoy anyone by having your heater on all day. I don’t know how people can be so warm all the time. I am usually freezing! Also, why is the air conditioning on in December!
 
A lot of the time I sit with the blanket wrapped around me. But on a cold morning it sure feels amazing to cozy up in the warm blanket while I’m working away. It’s the next best thing to wearing pajamas. I use a heated throw, which I love. But I also recommend the heated shawl by Sunbeam if you want your blanket to heat up extra warm. Plus, it’s quite a bit thinner (but hotter!) and more low profile than the throw.
 

2. Stock up on Spicy 'Warming' Teas

OHHH the season of tea! Haha, I am kidding, I drink tea all year round. My preference for this time of year are generally malty, spicier teas. Nepal Black from DAVID’sTEA with honey always hits the spot, but a spicy chai can’t be beat this time of year.
 
I often drink tea before bed. I know we’re talking about bringing hygge to the office, but many people like caffeine-free tea later in the afternoon. While I usually prefer caffeine, I LOVE the flavour of these two teas without adding anything to them (bonus for no added sugar!):
 
I love that the Yogi tea comes with an affirmation, which is always fun. Also, these are both teas that I like steeped for an extra long time. The Lemon Ginger gets spicy and the Cinnamon Rooibos Chai gets sweet if you let them steep for a while.

This time of year, anything with warming spices has a place in my heart: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, star anise. Ugh, so good!

Make it Special

Every year for the past few years my husband and I have purchased DAVID’sTEA’s 24 Days of Tea advent calendar. Its a special way for us to try new tea and get festive over the holidays. Of course, you could get yourself any holiday gift set of tea and treat yourself each day at the office.
 

Further, I highly recommend bringing your favourite porcelain mug to work for your tea. Throughout the year I do use thermoses, but I LOVE to warm myself up by holding a hot mug of tea. Also the best drinking temperature comes from closely watching your mug of tea and drinking the whole thing while it’s still really warm.

Finally, in the absence of tea, a fancy holiday coffee never hurt anyone! I’d watch the sugar in those things, but every once in a while it will hit the spot.

DAVID's TEA 24 days of tea how to bring hygge to the office this winter qs creative cozy tea
DAVID's TEA 24 days of tea how to bring hygge to the office this winter qs creative cozy tea

3. Update your Desktop Background

christmas tree holiday traditions winter bucket list
Changing your computer background is another way to bring hygge to the office this winter. It’s all about your atmosphere. Having something cozy or festive on there can put you in the spirit of the season. Some ideas that I would go for might include a warm looking fireplace, a snowy boulevard, or frozen lake. Think of where you want to be, and bring yourself there by updating your background!
Here are a few cool ones that I like:
Heh heh…did you see what I did there? 
 
In addition to changing your desktop background, I recommend bringing a plant, such as poinsettia, into the office to place on your desk, which should add a sense of festivity and colour.

4. Find a Relaxing Playlist on Spotify

There are some great playlists out there. One for every mood really. Usually, I used to usr the free Spotify app since that ads didn’t bother me too much. However, my husband got me a Spotify subscription for my birthday so I’m all about it right now. Other than my own playlists, I enjoy “Your Favorite Coffeehouse” and “Hanging Out and Relaxing” playlists on Spotify.

Create your own Playlist on Spotify

I actually like to create my own playlists based on other playlists I enjoy. So for a while I listened to the “Your Favorite Coffeehouse” playlist until I started recognizing some of the songs. Then, I added the songs I liked to my own playlist.

how to bring hygge to the office this winter spotify playlist
Of course I select songs I already know I like as well. This way I can create a huge playlist (100+ songs) of all hand picked songs I know suit the mood I’m going for. Listen to my hand curated playlist: Happy Home/Calm Mind. I tend to like music that is calm, acoustic and moody: don’t say I didn’t warn you!
 

Also, I’m going to open myself up to embarrassment here, but I honestly LOVE Christmas music and will absolutely be listening to this at my desk. Whether I tell anybody in the office about it is another question.

On a side note, when I need to get lots of work done I listen to playlists especially made for focus. They have variations of white noise so that I can tune into my work rather than listen to stories that my coworkers are telling each other. Spotify has tons of these playlists, just search “focus”.

5. Dress Cozy

how to bring hygge to the office this winter tea cozy candle scarf sweater cold qs creative

Bring a cozy oversized sweater or scarf to keep at your desk. Cozy sweaters are downright comfy and scarves can also function as blankets. You can take your scarf and hang it over your shoulders if you’re cold. Sometimes I drape my scarf over my legs if I’m sitting at my desk.

I love knit pieces or anything with “holey” detailing. And rich colours are my favourite this time of year: forest green, classic red, mustard, and navy.
 
Mittens, a scarf and a warm hat are a great way to cozy up on an outdoor walk for your break. The change of temperature, fresh air, and getting your blood flowing will keep you productive at your desk instead of falling asleep. That’s probably the only caution of bringing hygge to the office: being so cozy you want to nap.

How will you bring Hygge to the Office this Winter?

I hope you have pinned down a few ways to bring hygge to the office this winter that will work for you. What’s your favourite tip? Do you have one to add? Share in the comments below so we can all incorporate more hygge into our lives!
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24 thoughts on “How to Bring Hygge to the Office this Winter”

  5. Hygge in the home is so important all year round, but this list for the fall is great! I love lemon ginger tea and have been drinking that lately at night time. I’ll have to look into the tea advent calendar, that is so fun! Thanks for the ideas!

    Reply

  7. I love the idea of changing your desktop background as well as the blanket idea! I’m on my feet a lot at work but it will be lovely sitting down and curling up with a blanket on my breaks.

    Reply

  10. this was such an interesting post to read and something i had never thought about before.. but definitely going to make the effort to light a candle while i work 🙂 thank you for sharing! x

    Reply

  16. I’m really impressed with your writing skills as well as with the layout on your blog.
    Is this a paid theme or did you modify it yourself?

    Anyway keep up the excellent quality writing, it’s rare to see a great blog like this one nowadays.

    Reply

  18. Great delivery. I like how you present the ideas and the photos. I keep a huge tea collection at work myself. Thanks for the inspiration!

    Reply

  20. I really enjoyed what you had to say, and more than that, how you presented it. It gave me some good ideas.
    I also love spicy teas in winter.

    Reply

  21. Wonderful article! This is the type of info that is meant to be shared around the internet. Giving people ideas on how to celebrate the season. I always dress cozy and wear scarves to work but now I am considering getting new teas for the winter time.

    Reply

  22. This is so fun! I too love the hygge ambiance and never thought about bringing it to work! I always update my desktop background, but will definitely be looking for aheat pad or something@

    Reply

  23. I drape a string of colored lights across my desk. I change out the color with dif seasons or holidays. Also, they’re plugged into my power strip so I can tell at a glance as I’m leaving for the day if I remembered to shut everything down because the lights are off.

    Reply

    • That’s such an awesome idea! I love that you can change the vibe up depending which season you’re in and the lights being an indicator if the power strip is on is brilliant. I love that!

      Reply

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