I don’t know about you, but some days I just need to hunker down in my safe space and get cosy alone.

At times like this, I reach for my comfort kit. I keep it all in a handmade bag at the side of my usual chair, but I have at times kept it in a basket by my bed, in a box under the desk at work and in the smallest of pouches in my backpack on holiday. Basically, anywhere I might need a cosy cuddle or a moment of peace and calm after a busy day (or sometimes during!)

It’s an idea I first read of in the timeless book, Simple Abundance. I reviewed this as a hygge book last year and it is one of those rare books I own in both Kindle and Real versions. I can’t recommend it enough.

In the book, Sarah recommends keeping a “Comfort Drawer”, a place to stockpile small indulgences for when the going gets too tough and the tough cave in. I loved the idea at the time, still love the idea now and I know it’s as necessary now as it ever was.

My drawer/basket/bag usually holds a selection of items something along the lines of:

• Something edible. I love chocolate, and dark chocolate most of all. You can go posh with Hotel Chocolat,  but I love Aldi’s Moser Roth dark chocolate, which makes a treat everyday possible.
• Something to drink. I am still in love with real tea, so anything from Hoogly Tea or Bluebird Tea does me. For real comfort, I’d have to recommend a one-cup tea infuser. Pick your animal: Manatee or Sloth? And if coffee is more your thing (and I love a cafetiere on a slow Saturday morning) then I love Beanies coffee. We’ve worked our way through most of these over the past couple of years and they are delicious.
• Something to read. When my head is all to pieces and my name is a difficult bit of information, I love a good magazine. I do subscribe to quite a few, but currently my favourites are Country Homes and Interiors, Country Living, In The Moment, Flow, The Simple Things and Project Calm. I love the shortness of an article sometimes, and how a good one stays with you and keeps you looking for more.
• And some days I need a book. A good comfort book is one you don’t need to think about. I love visiting the books of childhood, so my top ones would be A Little Princess (specifically this edition, because I love the cover) or Little Women. Basically any childhood classic will do.
• I keep a couple of pairs of fluffy socks inside my bags or baskets, just to slip on when the feet chill. Don’t expect a link to sock, please. Life is too short and you probably have a favourite pair yourself.
• I have a small craft project specifically for days when the head has gone, or my heart is weeping. Usually a piece of easy crochet, such as a blanket (wonderful to snuggle under at a certain point) or a pad to draw in.
• I also keep my gratitude or list book there. Both of these are for lists, really, but my list book has the things I want to do, see, visit, read or watch, while my gratitude book is just the things I love about life. It never fails to bring back happy memories and put me in a good mood! 
• The final thing I try and grab when I need comfort is something small, either a child or a guinea pig. My daughter (who is actually taller than me) gives great hugs, but they don’t last long enough. A guinea pig, on the other hand, will sit still and snuggle into your neck for quite a while. The therapeutic power of animals has been well-proven, while human contact is vital for mental health.

Along with a blanket or duvet and a pile of pillows or cushions for support, this kit has everything I need to get me back to a state of stability. I used to always snuggle alone, but my daughter is a sociable creature who often seeks me out when I need comfort. She’s 15, and God knows, I’ll miss her when she moves out.

If you’d like to create your own comfort basket, or have already, then please share your pictures with me on Facebook or Instagram. I’d love to see them. And the infographic below sets out everything you need in one easy form. Please feel free to share, but do link back to this site.

I have been seeking comfort a little more this week, as the Autumn begins to settle in. My hands are cold at my desk, and I know that soon I’ll have to turn on my little heater. Fortunately, I have my Hygge Nook  to keep me warm.  I’m busy writing about Christmas, and how to make the time feel even more hyggely, so trying to keep my fingers warm over the office candle like Bob Cratchit is perfectly appropriate.

All of the products I linked to on this page have been bought and are used by me. I tend not to get promotional items to link to, I prefer to endorse the things I know and trust myself. Besides, hygge is such an individual thing, I might recommend a vase or a cushion that, to me, is beautiful but to you is the end of the world. Chacun à son goût, as the french say.

Both my books are available now, 50 Ways to Hygge the British Way  is available in Paperback and Kindle version and so is How to Hygge Your Summer, again in Paperback and Kindle form.  If you purchase any book through the links on this page, I get a couple of pence extra per copy, and if you’ve already read my books and enjoyed them, please leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads. I have a Goodreads Author’s Page!

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****How to Hygge the British Way Blog isn’t monetised. I have taken the decision that I want to remain neutral and not to promote things just because. I will only ever review items that I have bought myself, that I would have bought or that I think will help to promote hygge in a busy life. To do this, I need support. Even just the price of a coffee adds up to a book over time, and it means I can stay independent. Would you help? Please consider clicking through to paypal.me/HyggeJem and leaving even a small amount. I’d be very grateful. Thank you.***