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The Intersection of KonMari and Hygge
Now you know KonMari and you know hygge. Two different, but on some levels very alike, lifestyles. How can you combine the two? Well, you’ll need to decide how far in either direction you want to go, or decide to meet in the middle. Either way it starts with Marie Kondo’s prompt:
Imagine your ideal lifestyle. If you’re looking for calm, balance, mindfulness and coziness, the KonMari-Hygge lifestyle is going to be perfect for you!
How am I achieving KonMari + hygge?
I can’t tell you what to do, or how to exactly find your ideal lifestyle. That is something that will need to come from you after hours or days, or even months or years, of introspection. But I can tell you what I have done & what I am doing to make sure my lifestyle goal is realized, and realized as quickly as possible.
I feel like I’ve been on this path forever, but could never quite define it until the worlds of organization & coziness collided. I have always been an “a place for everything and everything in its place” person. I’ve also always been a person whose main objective is to be comfortable. I feel like I have a pretty good handle in the organization department, I feel like I have a pretty good start on finding total home coziness, and I feel like I’ve pretty much mastered good times and good food with good friends.
I have the advantage of recently (4 years ago) downsizing from a 2,200 square foot, 5 bedroom house to a 1,000 square foot, 2 bedroom condo. Why is that an advantage? Because it forced me to get rid of all sorts of stuff I didn’t use, want or need. It made me embrace the fact that if I didn’t love it, it couldn’t come with us. Since that move we’ve bought another house and while it’s not as large as the last house, I’ve had to buy some stuff. Fortunately I’ve stuck to the “if I don’t love it” routine so I haven’t surrounded us with cluttery junk.
What I’ve done to KonHygge my life:
Yes, I just made up that word. Think it will stick? 😉
- Decluttering, organizing and purging is, and always will be, a part of my life. It’s one of my passions and it keeps me feeling balanced. Things serve their purpose, and then they do not. Once they don’t, it’s time to go.
- I keep our “stuff” to a minimum, but I’m not a minimalist. Does that make sense? In following the KonMari method:
- I don’t let our unworn/unused/ill-fitting clothing pile up, our books are relegated to an area of the house and I’ve learned to love audiobooks.
- Important papers are filed and I try to only touch papers one time- they are filed, placed in my husband’s stack, or thrown away.
- Most areas in the “komono” category are under control and well organized, but I have some work to do in this area.
- Same with the sentimental category. The house we purchased was actually the cottage my grandfather built in 1976 and has been our family cottage ever since. When the sale of our “home base,” so to speak, became a reality, my husband and I decided to purchase it so our family could continue to enjoy it for generations to come. But with the cottage came everyyyyything in the cottage. I’ve done the difficult task of saying goodbye to everything I wasn’t emotionally attached to, and I kept what I am emotionally attached to to a minimum. Now I need to do something with all of it!
- I keep our stuff organized- in spite of my family’s best efforts to hide things from me. Organization means you can spend less time looking for your things & more time doing other things!
- I’ve started saying “no” more often. How does fit either the KonMari lifestyle or the hygge lifestyle? Well, by saying “no” I am no longer swamped with activities and participating in things I honestly don’t want to do. You’d be surprised how much time that frees up in your schedule, and how easily that time is filled with things you truly enjoy. That’s hygge.
- I’m making it a point to slow down & enjoy the simple things in life.
- I’ve started cooking again- not that I stopped entirely, but now I am enjoying the process. I’m experimenting with new recipes and putting thought into the preparation. I look for tasty, high quality ingredients when I’m out and cooking is fun again. That doesn’t mean we never get takeout or go out to dinner, because we definitely do!
- I take a few minutes each morning to quietly sip my coffee, rather than rushing to get started working, only to discover 20 minutes later my coffee is cold. During this time I look over my bullet journal, moving things I didn’t get to from yesterday to today, and seeing what’s on my plate. If dinner isn’t already planned, I browse through some recipes and decide what to make for dinner. This 10 minute exercise gets my day started and let’s me know from the start what’s on my plate for the day.
- When we make plans with friends it’s usually at one of our houses. I make it a point to make an appetizer from scratch because the preparation for an evening of fun brings me as much happiness as the evening itself.
- My husband and I make it a point to reconnect regularly- especially during the times he is in Illinois and I am in Michigan. It’s easy to start doing your own thing, but by re-centering ourselves when we’re together we have a chance to have so much fun- even if we aren’t really doing anything. Cozying up to watch a movie or get caught up on our DVR’d shows is hygge.
- Instead of complaining about the snow, and other things out of my control, I am making a mindful effort to live in the moment.
- Since purchasing our cottage we’ve been slowing updating it to make it “our own.” As we go room by room I have started simply with the decor, adding items as I find them, all in an effort to create a welcoming, cozy home. The bedrooms are simply decorated with everything guests may need, cozy blankets and the comforts of home. If it’s the slightest bit chilly our fireplace is roaring. There are almost always candles lit and there is no shortage of blankets.
- While it is easy for me to hole up, especially when I am in Michigan, I make it a point to leave the house on occasion. And when I do, I do my best to take in the scenery, the people, the farms I pass by, all of which makes me stop for a moment to be. Even the most miserable of my chores (which happens to be going to Walmart, and I *cannot stand* Walmart) is made better by splurging on coffee from Biggby so I can pretend I’m at Target. 😉 It helps!!
- I consider each purchase of decor for my home. I ask myself “do I LOVE love this?” It’s my version of “does this spark joy?” If I love it, it gets to live with us. If I don’t, it stays on the store shelf.
I can’t say that I never feel rushed, or that I am never stressed, but by living more intentionally I’m not nearly as rushed or as stressed as I’ve been in the past. Hygge is enjoying life year-round. It’s not something that can only be achieved in the coziness of winter. In warmer months it’s going for a bike ride, meeting friends for a picnic along the lake, having friends visit for a weekend and bbq’ing. As you can see, it’s a way of life and not a “thing” at all.
Can you do KonMari OR hygge, but not both?
Absolutely! If you think you can, you can. It’s 100% about your comfort level. Keep what you need and want to keep, organize it the way you are comfortable with, and make your life as hygge (or not) as you’d like!
For me, I don’t think I can. My personality is not one that can be calm & cozy if my surroundings are disorganized chaos. For me the hygge lifestyle and the KonMari method go hand in hand and work with the path I have been on. Having my thoughts defined as well as they are by both lifestyles is awesome because it fills in the gaps that I was missing. Since reading The Little Book of Hygge and watching Tidying Up I’m able to connect some of the dots that were weren’t connecting and I feel like my goal is really well defined. And, most importantly, attainable. Getting myself in the habit of being mindful and living intentionally is a lifestyle change in progress, but I am motivated enough to stick with it and see a real change for the better.
Are you ready to ask yourself what your ideal lifestyle is? Get to it! Life is short.
These additional blog posts may give you some great ideas on how to achieve your own version of KonHygge! While you may not implement every idea you never know- you may find a couple things that will work great for you!
How to Make This Year Your best Year Yet!
5 Big Ways to Simplify Your Life for a Better Tomorrow
How to Stop Procrastinating- 4 Totally Weird Ways that Actually Work
Do These Things on Sunday and You’ll Have an Awesome Week!
The 7 Habits of Truly Happy Women
And be sure to check out our related Pinterest boards- they are loaded with ideas from other great bloggers!
DIY for the Home: Organization & Cleaning Tips
Home: Beautifully Inviting Homes With Cozy Touches
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