Easing into Autumn
How I’ve Learned to Love the Shorter Days
Falling for Autumn
I’ve written a few blog posts before about my relationship with Autumn and the winter months here in the UK. But, as with all relationships, things evolve, and as I’ve worked on what to appreciate about the ‘ber’ months, my view has changed.
Difficult Winter Months
As the days shortened in August, we had a few cooler days in the last few weeks of the month. We can still get warm days in September, which I remember from high school. It was often a lousy end to the summer holidays, and then when we were back in a classroom, it was roasting!
I’ve noticed over the decades that the seasons have shifted slightly, and our winter can last into March and has even, on occasion, gone into April.
The leaves here don’t always change colour. They often fall while still green from lots of wind and rain. There are many dull grey days of rain over the winter months, which get me down.
I’ve known for a few decades that I struggle with the lack of sunshine that comes with the shorter days, and have looked at ways I can help myself. And until recently, October has terrible memories associated with it being my ex's birthday month and the month my father unexpectedly passed away.
As of October 17, 2021, I now have an amazing memory to focus on - the date I was baptised as an adult. The day I gave myself to Christ in front of my church family.
‘Coincidentally’, it’s the same date that’s the anniversary of my dad’s passing. Although believers don’t believe in coincidence, there is no Hebrew word for it.
Some Things That Help Me;
Getting outside during the day, so I’m getting what vitamin D I can.
Looking for the trees that I know change colour.
Appreciating the cool, crisp mornings.
Having a milky hot chocolate in bed as I read before lights out.
Noticing the blue sky and sunny days in between the grey ones.
It’s A Gentle Process
It’s not been an overnight switch and is very much still a work in progress. I find I struggle more when I’m low mentally, so the past few winters have been more difficult.
But now that I'm doing much better, I’m looking for ways to ease into Autumn again.
I love those cool, crisp mornings with blue skies. I enjoy going to bed when it’s darker instead of still being light out. (I go to bed between 8:30 and 9 p.m. and read for a bit.)
I’m looking forward to drinking milky hot chocolate in bed while I read at bedtime. I’m really excited about making my vegetarian bolognese again, as it’s been a few years. It’s my perfect winter comfort food!
Although I won’t want or probably shouldn’t have garlic bread for four days running, I need to find something else to prepare for evening weekday meals.
I want to stay away from chips (fries, for my American friends), but I could do jacket potatoes with baked beans. I could also mix in kidney beans and black beans with the baked beans.
Or, my friend gave me a recipe for an unspicy Mexican bean with rice that I used to have for my work lunches in my previous job. I could make a batch of that and freeze it as well, so it’s easily on hand. All I need to do, as with the bolognese and garlic bread, is take it out of the freezer the night before and then warm it up when I get home.
One night can be bolognese with garlic bread, another night Mexican beans and rice and the last two jacket potatoes and baked beans.
I only need four nights: Friday is pizza night, Saturday is burger night, and Sunday is a veggie roast.
Church Message Reflets What I’m Thinking
A recent message from my church echoed this thinking. The speaker shared their love of Autumn and the Danish practice of hygge (pronounced hoo-ga), and as they shared the ten principles, I was nudged to investigate it more profoundly than I had previously.
I’ve looked at it half-heartedly but not in any serious depth, but I think that it’s time I did.
What is hygge?
The Oxford Dictionary says that hygge is “a quality of cosiness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being (regarded as a defining characteristic of Danish culture).”
The Denmark website says it’s;
“taking time away from the daily rush to be together with people you care about - or even by yourself - to relax and enjoy life's quieter pleasures.”
And how;
“The word hygge dates back to around 1800, at least in the meaning it has today. However, various definitions of hygge can be traced back to the Middle Ages, where a similar Old Norse word meant "protected from the outside world."
"protected from the outside world." I love that! During the winter months, I tend to want to hibernate, but looking at it as protection is a much better and healthier perspective.
Hygge can be done at home or somewhere else, but it needs to be quiet so no distractions from TV or things like that. Food and drink are often involved; with or without others, there’s no specific plan. The point is to unwind, take things slow, celebrate small joys, or discuss things if you’re with others.
So, what does hygge encompass?
In my research, I found a website* that mentions a book by Meik Wiking, called "The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well",* which shares the ten principles of Hygge as atmosphere, presence, pleasure, equality, gratitude, harmony, comfort, truce, togetherness and, shelter.
It’s known that the Danes are considered the happiest people in the world.
Considering that in winter, they only have around four hours of daylight a day, that’s up to twenty hours of darkness!!! And I thought our winters here in the UK were terrible with our shorter days with their dull grey clouds and wet weather!
That could be a difference. Though Denmark may have colder days at 0°C or 32°F, they also may have less dull and damp days. They may get more snow but also have the infrastructure to cope, whereas here in the UK we don’t.
The concept of hygge seems to be comfort, cosy and feel good. It’s things like drinking a cup of hot chocolate while wrapped up in a blanket reading on a rainy afternoon. It’s about keeping things simple.
The Danes include things like burning candles, putting the fire on, cosying up under a blanket, and comfort food and drinks. Who, reading this, has done any of these things without realising it had a name? * raises hand *
How can I practice hygge as a Christian?
I must explore what each word means: atmosphere, presence, pleasure, equality, gratitude, harmony, comfort, truce, togetherness and shelter, are there scriptures that echo these?
Atmosphere - What is my home like? Is it cosy and comfortable? Do I need to make any changes to it to reflect the simplicity of hygge? I know that I need to clear the rubbish and clutter and ensure everything has a place. Put on my fairy lights and light non-toxic candles, do I have a suitable blanket to cosy up under?
“And whenever the tormenting spirit from God troubled Saul, David would play the harp. Then Saul would feel better, and the tormenting spirit would go away.”
Presence - How can I be present? How can I ensure I am enjoying the moment and being more mindful? Just sit in silence with a cup of tea and speak to God, enjoy the moment and be present with Him. Turn off electronics by a certain time, get back to no laptop after I’ve eaten my tea during the week and do my evening quiet time.
“Let us come to him with thanksgiving.
Let us sing psalms of praise to him.”
“For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.”
Pleasure - What things do I take pleasure in, that don’t involve electronic devices? Reading. journaling, getting outside, doing bible studies, and doing jigsaws.
“Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.”
Equality - the right of different groups of people to receive the same treatment. This is a tricky one, with being single, I don’t have a partner to include and I don’t think my housemate needs hygge.
“There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Gratitude - How can I practice thankfulness? Grateful journal. Prayer - give thanks to God. Do my gratitude prayer in the morning and my gratitude journal in the evening. Say thank You to God every time I have a successful sale at work, Thank Him for all the blessings I have throughout my day.
“give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
Harmony - agreement of ideas, feelings, or actions, or a pleasing combination of different parts
If my housemate is watching TV in the living room, I can do my evening quiet time in the kitchen. My housemate has as much right as I do to use the living room. I need to work on how it makes me react when he wants to watch some of his shows on catch-up. I have recently ordered a new kitchen table from IKEA that I have been looking at for a while so that will help me want to go into the kitchen to do my evening quiet time when my housemate is watching TV in the living room. I had some vouchers from work so they paid for most of it.
“Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all”
Comfort - This is an easy one, as it is one that I have practised for many years. My comfort foods are my homemade veggie bolognese, milky hot chocolate in bed with a book, and sitting under a blanket reading. When I’m home I’m in comfy clothes and when I get in from work, I get into my pyjamas.
“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
“The Lord is close to all who call on him,
yes, to all who call on him in truth.”
Truce - an agreement between enemies or opponents to stop fighting or arguing for a certain time. Again, if my housemate is watching TV in the living room, I can do my evening quiet time in the kitchen. I find myself getting annoyed when he does that because he’s very often in his room playing computer games, so I feel discombobulated when he’s watching TV downstairs. But when my new kitchen table arrives, I will be more likely to do my evening quiet time in the kitchen.
“Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,”
“without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self control, brutal, not lovers of the good,”
I’m not sure how this relates to hygge other than being the same as harmony for me.
Togetherness - How can include myself in my church community instead of hiding away as I tend to do more in the winter months? Church when I’m not working on Sundays, coffee mornings when I’m not working, and spending time with my community.
“In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus,”
“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.”
And shelter - a place giving temporary protection from bad weather or danger.
How can I find calm in the storm? By making my home cosy, comfortable and safe. Blankets, fairy lights, non-toxic candles, comfortable clothing and food and drinks.
“There will be a shelter to give shade from the heat by day, and refuge and protection from the storm and the rain.”
“If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.”
“The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”
“My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge;
My saviour, You save me from violence.”
Some of these principles are easy to understand, as I do them anyway, but others will need more work to incorporate. That’s why I thought that Bible verses may help me to find ways to incorporate them into my life.
What’s the next step?
As I mentioned earlier, at the end of August, I was planning my meals to batch-cook and then at the beginning of September the UK had another heatwave, from warm weather brought up from North Africa. All the cars were covered in sand from the Sahara!!!
The warm weather obviously paused my food prep switch, but at least I have that planned out for when it does go cooler.
I have my fairy lights ready to go, as there are some on my mantle that have been up since I moved in over ten years ago. They are Christmas lights but are plastic red balls so it doesn’t look obvious that they are Christmas lights. I have some hot chocolate powder ready to go, some blankets to curl up under, and non-toxic candles to light.
I recently signed up for Kindle Unlimited as I was reading so many books on it, so I will have books to read on there, I have lots of devotionals saved on the YouVersion bible app to do and I also have a few devotional books as well.
When my new kitchen table arrives, I will need to have a clear and sort out of the things that are piled up under my current one. I would also like to clear off and sort out the worktop where my things are as well as my kitchen cupboards.
I’ve been needing to have a ruthless clearout for a while because I’ve known for ages that I have far too much stuff. Not just in the kitchen but in my things in the living room and especially my bedroom. When my mood dips, I always end up keeping useless things just in case, and they are never needed.
