Here it comes. I’m #sorrynotsorry for the complaining you’re about to hear. 

It’s November, and we’re not digging it. We just set our clocks back an hour & are now getting minimal hours of daylight. The weather in Massachusetts is growing drastically colder. (To the point that yesterday’s 55 degrees felt like SUMMER). Seasonal depression is hitting hard and fatigue sneaks up on us a little more each day.

Classic New England, griping, amiright?

Yes, we New Englanders are famous for having terrible attitudes about the winter. All you hear in line at Dunkin’s is, “Nasty out there, huh?” From November ’til April. 

As if it’s our first year experiencing cold and dreariness. 

We pride ourselves on surviving these long winters with a heavy dose of complaining & misery. But we could learn a thing or two from our Scandanavian brothers & sisters. They’ve found a way to survive longer & darker winters than we do… AND have better attitudes about it.

Will you take the “Hygge Challenge” too? Here are some things we’re going to try & maybe you can, too.

1. Enjoy the holidays for as long as we want.

I *totally* used to be one of those people that was like, “No Christmas music until Thanksgiving and oh my gosh, I can’t believe you’re putting up your tree before December 1st.” AKA: A stinkin’ Scrooge.

But I’m noticing that, for me, the Christmas season is the most fun part of the winter. Listening to Christmas music, having a gorgeous green tree in the living room, covered in colorful ornaments & lights, cozying up to a great old movie. It’s really all so uplifting and fun. So, whatever. I’ll get my tree whenever I want & savor the holidays this year. 

2. Get outside more.

There’s a Norwegian saying that goes, “There’s no such thing as the wrong weather, there’s only the wrong clothing.” 

One of our favorite pastimes in the winter is going out for a walk in a blizzard. (Which we get a lot of here in Central Mass). We bundle up like crazy and walk the quiet dusted streets at night. It’s so romantic, and, surprisingly, once you get a good little clip going — it’s not really that cold. Especially if you’re layered. 

Most New Englanders suffer from Vitamin D deficiency, thanks to these miserable winters. But Vitamin D is still widely available in the winter. All it takes is 15 minutes outside to re-up. So, bundle up & take a quick stroll. I promise it’ll make you feel better! 

And for those of you more adventurous than me – maybe take up a winter sport! Snowboarding, skiing, snowshoeing and ice-skating are all awesome ways to keep active and enjoy the cold months.

3. Take some time off.

Anyone else get so exhausted this time of year? Whenever we’re really tired, we say to each other, “Don’t you think our ancestors probably did very little labor in the colder part of the year?” Who knows if that’s true, but there’s undoubtedly a pull on our bodies to rest more in the colder months. The week in between Christmas & New Years is usually off for a lot of kids. Maybe you can take a vacation that week and get some rest? If not, try to look for a time where you can afford a 3-day-weekend away, or a random Tuesday off work just to relax.

4. Get into a book series.

Okay, it’s probably just because we’re incredibly introverted… but come on, isn’t winter the best time to start cozying up to a great book? Take a break from the screens & engage in some enriching art. A few years ago, I read the Harry Potter series throughout the winter. The Chronicles of Narnia are great! Heck, read Twilight if it’s fun for you!

5. Get some vinyl.

Thanks to hipsters, the vinyl record is back. And yes, you’ll hear us admit (along with all those hipsters), that it really is the *best* way to listen to music. Plus, tons of record stores are coming back into business lately. If you’re in Worcester, there’s a new one downtown that you should check out. A lot of small cities have record stores popping up, and it is so much fun to search through the stacks for an old classic. Or hey, you can grab our latest album on vinyl, too!

6. Speaking of music, how about a Playlist?

We made this awesome playlist on Spotify for all of your Hygge needs. It’s our favorite chill-out music that’s perfect for a romantic night in. 

And we’re sure there are thousands of other ways to experience a “Hygge”-ful season. We’re going to try out some of these ideas, but we’d love to hear from you. What are you going to do to make it a great winter? Tell us in the comments below!