My last post was rather honest, wasn’t it?

That was how I felt that day. Darn it. Total honesty in a pretty blog. Who’d have guessed it?

Well, I wrote it, published it, sat back, read it and thought: “You know what to do? You always know what to do. Accept guilt-free your actions and their consequences, balance life so that you focus on the important things and move on.”

I went and prayed, and cried, and prayed and cried some more. I took some time off, just spent an hour in a quiet spot where I can reflect on life (for me, that’s a Catholic shrine near the house that’s open daily until 6) and sat in stillness. I listened for the first time in ages.

And peace found me. For me, that’s a gift from God. A warm hug from my loving Father above. Christianity offers one permanently a fresh start if you need it: every day the world springs fresh, every day the ability to seek for and ask for forgiveness is there and every day the chance to walk a new path is available. One is still in the same place, the same job, the same house… but the path through to the end is altered slightly. Reframing negative thoughts is a powerful tool used in counselling and it’s useful for anyone who (like me) occasionally lets the world get too heavy, too close, too dark.

I have also found that the advice given re: reframing negative thoughts seems a lot like the advice God gives to handle life: be grateful for the good you have; find a friend to share the burden; spend time reflecting (praying) on the issues; be consistent in pursuit of good habits. I went to Church that Sunday, and let the experience wash over me.

And Easter crept in. We’re approaching the end of Lent now: I’ve been reading non-fiction books as my Lenten practice, and trying to live a simpler life. I went back and reread a bit of Happier, and refreshed my memory of Cosy Happy Hygge. Yes, I’d let my hygge slip. I’d forgotten the simple practices that make me happier. Taking time to appreciate Creation, stopping to be, not do. Time before I get up to wake up fully and set my day’s intentions. And time to feed my soul through reading, craft, art or prayer.

It’s been a clear two weeks. That’s not a long time, but it is enough to let the Easter Hygge begin. I cleaned my living room and kitchen, set out my (few) Easter decorations: some painted eggs, mainly, and a small statue of the Pieta we (DH and I) bought in Rome on our first holiday together. I treated myself to a new tea, Lapsang Souchong, from a local tea shop and I’ve started to be strict about making a pot and drinking it.

I’ve washed my summer clothes and started wearing the brighter colours with a cardigan, if necessary. I’m trying to make sure I have a pot of flowers in the house, and I’ll look out for some new geraniums again for the porch.

And I’m taking time to create. I got some empty sketchbooks that I bought a while ago, found my artists pens and I’m keeping a journal/sketchbook. Few words (my words go here) but plenty of small, imperfect, snatched pictures of life.

There’s two weeks left until Easter. The sun is shining here, the leaves are budding, the sap is rising. I’m feeling grounded, and more alive than I have for the while. I have projects simmering, ones that I know will feed my soul and use my skills to the max. I have time off work booked, and that is something I know I need. And my house is whispering to me. I need to show it some real love: the occasional lick of polish isn’t cutting it anymore.

The same is true of my social media habits. The occasional lick of goodness isn’t enough any more. Easter: let me get Easter out of the way and I shall reframe my socials and commence Operation Positivity again.

How to Hygge the British Way is my gift to the world. I don’t get paid for writing it, I’m not in it for the kudos, financial rewards, to become an influencer, work with brands or otherwise make any money from the blog. That’s why there are no ads, and any products I mention and recommend have either been gifted to me or bought by me with my everyday wages or donations from supporters. Every book I review has been bought and read by me, unless stated otherwise.

I do get a couple of pennies each time someone buys from the Amazon links on my page, as an Amazon Affiliate, but otherwise if you’d like to support me, I like to give something back in return. That’s why I write books. It always feels good if you get a book back in return for some money. You can find a full list of my books at my Author’s Page on Amazon, but especially recommended for this time of year are:

Cosy Happy Hygge: Setting up a rhythm to life and rituals to enjoy it to make for a more balanced life that handles waves and storms better. The book has small and easy ways to make your life flow with grace and happiness, which lead to more hygge.

Happier: Probably my most personal book, it’s the story of how I used hygge and the little things in life to help boost my happiness. I still go back and reread to remind myself what I need to do to be a happy human. And it’s always the little things.

My Christmas books are always available: Have Yourself a Happy Hygge Christmas is a good place to start, on how to make the season cosier, happier but Enjoying a Self-Care Christmas may be a faster and more seasonally appropriate read.

I’m currently working on two book projects: I have a hankering to rewrite 50 Ways to Hygge the British Way, so it’s not available at the moment, but even dearer to my heart and my next stated aim is to finish and publish my next book, Simple Plus Cosy = Hygge. It will be about homemaking and how the home we create shapes the hygge we have. Hopefully it will be finished by the end of summer 2025.

If you’d like to support me, but don’t want to buy a book, I have a Paypal.Me account as Hygge Jem. Every little helps, so even a few pence goes towards the books, goods and courses I use and recommend on the site. I’m grateful for every little bit that brings me closer to my dream of full-time writing, and I know I couldn’t still be writing if it weren’t for the support of many readers and friends out there. Thank you all for every little bit of support, emotional, physical and financial, you give me.

If you’ve enjoyed this article, don’t forget to share it or save it so others can enjoy reading, thinking about and living hygge as well.

The photo between post and promotions is Photo by Σελήνη on Unsplash. Orthodox Christians often use red eggs as Easter decorations, to symbolise the tomb and the resurrection. These are beautifully decorated, I think using wax-resist techniques. It’s an age since I let myself have a play with Easter decorations. Something to think about in the next two weeks, perhaps.