What do you do when - as a hygge witch - your home doesn't feel like home?
When it feels like the house is pushing you out, reminding you that it's not yours?
When your skin feels overgrown?
These are some of the questions I posed myself as I spent the last three months dealing with sickness and bereavement. I've felt like everything I loved - all my passions, my routine, my lifestyle - were stripped away from me as I drove backwards and forwards in slow meandering traffic; checking in on my medicated dog, my stressed mother, my terminal father at the hospital, and then back again to my new relationship. I was reminded that I was renting my home; that it's not mine to do what I want with, and that I was living in a state of a packed bag while still paying rent.
I felt like without my home I had lost who I was.
But times of darkness are always where we can shine the brightest, and as I realised what I had lost and what I craved, I began to take steps to bring the magic and comfort of a hygge home with me even when I am not in the most magical of moods. Here are some of the tricks and tips I utilised to bring the Hygge Witch back:
1. When you have time, pick a small house-based project and get started. It could be clearing out your closet, re-painting the walls, scrubbing your shower or rearranging your living area. The satisfaction of completing a small project will have you feeling more connected to your space, wherever it may be.
2. Make your home where you are. If you were like me and travelling between homes, bring things with you that make you feel more at ease there, such as keeping a spare hairbrush and tooth brush at your partner's place, and bringing your special milk to your mother's house for a coffee. Having these items already on hand means that you don't have to be lugging everything back and forth and can make you feel a little more settled.
3. Take time out for you to recharge, My social batteries were insanely depleted at the end of the day, so there were moments where I had to take time out away from everyone in order to recharge so I could do it all again. Whether that looks like a self-care night in, or treating yourself to a massage or having a bath, make sure you take time out to do you.
4. Bring your dog if you can! Not everywhere will allow pets unless they are a service animal, so make sure you check before you bring them, but I found the trips that I could bring my dog with me made me feel less anxious and more connected to myself and my life I had created for us. He came with me to my mother's, and to the hospital, and I got to spend some lovely lazy days just he and I - it was very crucial to my mental health!
5. Bring a pocket or travel alter with you to practice on the go. Travelling witches have been known to bring with them a pocket alter in a handy tin or bag with some basic spell items in them so that they can conduct their spells wherever they are. Some of my favourite pocket alter essentials include birthday candles of different colours, clear quartz crystals which can be used to mimic the properties of other stones, bay leaves, herbs, and coins. You can also create a finished house magic themed alter to bring the comfort of home with you.
6. Return to your routine as best as you can. Finally, once you have retained a bit of breathing room, it is important to reconsider your previous routine, your current one, and what sort of things you would like to work towards in the future. Did previous routines work for you? If not, it is time to set your routine again with mindful consideration and move forward.
The beauty of hygge is that it is a feeling; an inner contentment and peace when mindfully in a moment. It is not restricted to four walls and a door, or a specific place. Hygge and the magic of home can be carried with you within your heart wherever you go - remind yourself of that when you are feeling less than comfortable, and take those steps to bring that comfortable and content feeling with you wherever you go.
You'll start to feel more at home in no time.
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