We have collected together some of our favourite ways to feel truly cosy and calm this Autumn. With the weather getting colder outside, the darkness drawing in and summer remaining behind us there’s no better time than to reflect on what helps you feel your best.
We at Cornish and Cosy feel inspired by Cornwall, of course, and also Scandinavian living and the concept of Hygge. An originally Danish and Norwegian word that describes coziness it represents a lifestyle of everyday happiness. It is a concept described as the feeling of a hug without the physical touch. This article isn’t the place to unpack everything ongoing in the world around us right now, but we appreciate that a lot of people may be feeling overwhelmed by uncertainty at the moment. We do sometimes too. We find our combination of Cornwall and Hygge coziness can help bring sparkles of light to our days. We hope it can do that for you too.
Find Cosy Comfort
![A small, fluffy dog wrapped up in a beautiful, orange blanket. The dog looks very cosy.](https://www.cornishandcosy.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/1ADBD189-C79C-4F91-A65F-82998399EFD5-2-1024x683.jpg)
This one writes itself. It’s time to get cosy. Gather together everything you find warm and comforting. Find those lovely, snuggly jumpers at the back of your wardrobe. Pop on the fluffiest socks you can find. Snuggle up under a blanket. For us here in Cornwall, we love a crisp Autumnal walk with Ember; crunching through leaves and feeling the lovely fresh chill in the air. We also love coming home, taking off our boots and getting cosy with all of our lovely warm blankets and jumpers. It’s a beautiful feeling of warmth and snugginess.
Spend Time Together
![Group of close friends laughing together around camp fire. Retro camper van. Light bulbs in the background.](https://www.cornishandcosy.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/AdobeStock_303293775-1024x576.jpeg)
Who do you enjoy spending time with? If you’d love to start practicing Hygge and finding happiness every day then a great way to do so is to spend more time with the people you love. Perhaps this is your family, your close friends or your romantic partner. To truly practice this beautiful concept we recommend dropping the drama and talking together over happy things and sharing the moment. For us, we love a dinner party because we love sharing home-cooked food together. Sometimes we light up the fairy lights, build a fire in our firepit and eat smores together outside. Whatever you choose, be sure to practice feeling connected and together.
Practice Gratitude
![A photography of a woman in a warm, cosy sweater dress with a cup of hot tea.](https://www.cornishandcosy.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/allison-christine-3GNesMmbHBo-unsplash-1-1024x684.jpg)
Take everything in. Gratitude can be a challenging practice, especially with a lot of uncertainty in the world at the moment. However, to truly practice wholehearted living regular gratitude practice can help us let go of the feeling of scarcity. This means rather than always seeing what we do not have we pay attention to what we do have and feel joy. For me, this is best done by actually practicing it by writing it down in a gratitude journal. I often do three things I feel grateful for that day but it can be up to you. Maybe you feel grateful for that delicious cup of tea you had, or the flowers in your garden, or for making somebody laugh. Whatever it may be, take it all in and practice feeling grateful for what you have and experience the joy of that moment.
Be here, Now
![A woman and a small, fluffy dog wrapped up in a blanket looking out over the ocean.](https://www.cornishandcosy.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Blanketcoast2-1024x678.jpg)
Practice true presence in the moment. It can help here to practice groundedness and draw on the environment and your senses to encourage you to fully feel that moment. What can you see? What you can hear? Can you smell or feel anything? For me, perhaps I’m gazing out at the ocean and listening to the roar of the waves below and feeling the wind on my face. Rather than disconnecting to the present and rushing around instead slow down and allow yourself to feel. This can encourage us to stop living in the past or worrying about the future. It can also help us practice gratitude and togetherness. Next time you’re out for a walk maybe take in your surroundings, and if you do have a dinner party take time to listen before you think about responding. Just be here, now.
Find Pleasure
![A photograph of a mug of hot chocolate and sugary shortbread. Fairylights surround them.](https://www.cornishandcosy.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/becky-fantham-ji2lfHjp6Us-unsplash-1-edited-scaled.jpg)
What brings you joy? A part of Hygge you may be familiar with is the art of finding pleasure in the everyday. This may be enjoying your favourite cup of tea or a hot cup of mulled cider. It may be enjoying that sweet cider alongside a treat of spiced cakes or sugared biscuits. For me, I love baking and then sitting down to share what I’ve baked with people alongside a frothy hot chocolate. Whatever treats to enjoy just make sure you pop the kettle on!
Find Ambience
![A cosy photo of a lit candle burning and lots of fairy lights. They sit atop of warm jumper and a book.](https://www.cornishandcosy.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/anastasiia-romanska-T_odnurwEv8-unsplash-1-1024x678.jpg)
This may also be quite a familiar part of Hygge for you. Atmosphere. The key ingredients to this cosy tip are to turn down those bright lights, hang up the fairy lights and light those candles. Your home will instantly feel transformed into a beautiful snug. If you are lucky enough to have an open fire then pop some logs on, but you can also find a pretend fireplace on Netflix for those like me who don’t have a real fireplace. I think it actually makes you feel warmer!
Experience Harmony
Last but not least is the cosy practice of harmony and equality. Particularly during uncertain times, it can be easy to think of ourselves first. We might think ‘me’ instead of ‘we’. However, practicing Hygge is more about letting go of our egos and swapping the ‘me’ for ‘we’. This might be sharing out tasks. Perhaps this means sharing airtime, listening to each other and practicing feel here in the now. This is about practicing kindness and letting go of competition. We are together in whatever we face and perhaps now isn’t the time to challenge each other when we can work together.
![Two female friends in knitted warm sweaters having picnic near lake with autumn forest and lake on the background. Cozy fall atmosphere.](https://www.cornishandcosy.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/AdobeStock_287895516-1024x683.jpeg)
A Cosy Conclusion
There you have it folks! As you can see, Hygge isn’t just about fireside chats and pumpkin spice (though I do enjoy both of those things). It’s about feeling present, connected and grateful. And cosy! We hope this article inspires you to add coziness to your everyday. Whether you choose to find comfort in your home, surround yourself with others, or focus on living here in the now we hope you feel your best this Autumn. We look forward to hearing from you and would love to hear your tips for feeling cosy.
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