Somehow I failed to write a single post in the whole of May, despite it being my birthday, having two bank holidays and being (as it so often is) the best month of weather in the UK this year.

So it’s June, and I’m back at the desk. Do I have any reasons/excuses/desperate attempts to explain why I didn’t ever get a word down in May?

No.

That is to say: I have several, but none so absolutely powerful that you would look at them and say ‘Yes, we understand’. There was a touch of illness, a matter of some training, a touch more illness and a lot of real time spent with my favourite people and in my favourite space: home. I hope you’re all very understanding and smile when I say that I am not sorry to have spent so much time in the real world, touching grass, laughing with family and friends and otherwise remembering what hygge is actually all about, which is good relationships.

And then, one fairy night, May became June.

The world is still a crazy place. The news is still not making me feel happy, there are issues all over the place that need the patience of a saint to solve, but I’m releasing the stuff I have no control over to God. All I ask of Him is patience to deal with the difficult people I need to deal with. The easy people? They’re great.

And so I’m looking at June, July and August as the meat of summer and wondering what, if any, summer plans I have? What hygge am I looking at enjoying? Do you want the list? You like lists, don’t you? No order, just ideas? Great. Here’s my Summer Hygge plans for the year:

• Walk by a body of water: lake, river, stream or sea. Possibly even paddle in it, depending on where it is.
• Read a Happy book a week: Chick -lit, or as I prefer to call it, Choc-Lit. Probably at the weekend, definitely on an outdoor chair if possible, and with something nice to sip and nibble.
• Eat out regularly, either at lunchtime or in the evening. Even just a sandwich on a bench in the park, although I’m holding out for a pizza, chinese or thai with friends and at least one picnic on a day trip somewhere good.
• Drop the crochet, take the embroidery. I treated myself to a beautiful crewel work kit from Dizzy & Creative in Devon. It’s small enough to fit in most bags I’d take on a day out, and fits in an a5 plastic wallet.
• Step away from the Social. Last year I went Social Free for the summer and it was good, in so many ways. I’m thinking of doing it again this year, possibly just for July and August.
• Spend time just being. Praying, sitting watching nature, day dreaming (which turns into praying anyway) and letting to-do list slide. This depends a bit on:
• Simplify the to-do list. Pare it back to the absolute essentials plus a couple of fun to do items. Mine is clear the study ready for a course starting (I hope) in September, plus paint the garden chairs red. For regular housekeeping, I’m doing very little beyond clean floors and table tops.
• Get the summer playlist on. Mine is set up on my Amazon Music account, and called Because I’m Happy. It’s like a wander through my life, with all the music I remember from childhood, college, early marriage and present times. I just whack it on and sing along.
• Leave the electricals behind. When I get home after a day in the office or a day out, I’m hoping to leave the electricals behind, downstairs in the office or in my car. No TV, no radio, no electrical input for at least two or three hours most days of the week. TV should be an event we look forward to, not a mind-numbing way to stop the thoughts. That should give me even more time to read, shouldn’t it?

My life is still a matter of paring back to the essentials: every year I sort out more stuff, and every year I find things that I have held on to from pride or fear or sadness that I can release now. My summer hygge is about using that newly created space and time to be more present in life.

What would your summer hygge list have on it? What do you see yourself doing this year?

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 by Sergey Shmidt on Unsplash. I loved the sun, the yellow flowers and the hint of summer in the meadow.

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