Trying to Be Danish

I found a list on Pinterest called "7 Day Hygge Challenge." Hygge is a Danish word that basically means self-care. In Denmark, they really know their shit. Basically the list had prescribed things you should do each day for a full calendar week starting with Monday. I decided to try it, but not tell anyone incase I failed. Hygge isn't something you need other people's approval for, right?

On day one, when it suggested I "unplug," I realized I was going to fail before I even began. So, in true Allison fashion, I decided to not follow the list to the letter, but instead incorporate a few of the suggestions here and there and see if it brought me any joy.

I won't list off everything, but here are the items that I did succeed at:

1) Treat yourself to a new candle! I was in Chapters and saw this "Good Vibes Only" candle and knew this was a sign. Never mind that I already have a dozen unfinished candles around my apartment, this one had a message that went with my whole 2018 theme!
2) Make something! One of the suggestions was to bake something. I do enjoy baking, and I certainly enjoy eating, so this one was easy. I hate dishes, though. This is an obvious negative side effect of baking. If you care, I made coconut oatmeal cookies.
3) Have a pyjama day. Though, I do this a lot - and I not always in the name of Hygge. Sometimes it's more like "I don't feel like facing the world, and would rather be a hermit" behaviour. I once had a three-day weekend and asked my friend to text me to remind me to go outside. You know, for fresh air.

What's the lesson in failing? The lesson is I didn't fail, because I'm not Danish. Self-care becomes bullshit if you start doing things for the wrong reason. If the goal was to just finish a list of items, then yeah, that's a fail. But it's what's on the list that matters. So, yeah, these Pinterest lists and suggestions are great for inspiration, but in the end you have to make your own list tailored to your own needs.

I've also been trying to learn how to meditate from a book called "Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics." The problem is I'm so fidgety I don't always absorb the lessons like I should...but I think that's the point of the book. I'm going to try some of this hippy shit...but that doesn't mean any of you can say "Namaste" to me unironically. Also, if anyone uses the term "gratitude" in a sing-songy voice, I will probably laugh. Take your goop-loving Gwyneth Paltrow bullshit elsewhere, I ain't biting! I'm just trying to chill out over here.