scijessreads

AKA: Simplifying my life. One day at a time.

One can be many things at one time. Some of them are seemingly at odds. For example, I love to collect physical books (even if most of what I read these days are eBooks), but I also tend toward some version of minimalism and want to get rid of practically anything not nailed down. I’ve dabbled in minimalist YouTube channels and articles and documentaries, and what I’ve come to realize is that, like anything, there are a lot of different ways to find minimalist methods for yourself. It is not one-size-fits-all. There are some that claim to be minimalist you have to live a spartan life, almost monk-like. And others that just live with only what they truly need and love. I think I tend toward the latter category.

Over the past couple of moves, many things were discarded and removed before packing boxes and setting up again. It always amazes me just how much stuff a single person can accumulate over time. Things are acquired randomly, without much thought. If anything, what I have found for myself is that I try to be more mindful of bringing things in, asking if they REALLY suit my life. And it’s not a perfect process. Things come home that a few weeks later I look at and ask myself “why?!” I think at times items are bought because they represent a life I think I should live. And as the years crawl by, my mind is finally understanding that it is better to embrace who I am NOW, and not some hazy future or imagined version of me, and live for the current me. The me who actually has to use the things. And live with the things.

And yet… I don’t want a huge blank canvas of nothing to live in. I crave cozy and homey and comfortable. This is where the idea of Hygge comes in. It is the Danish (and generally Scandinavian to a degree) notion of wanting to live a life that is warm and comfortable and built around making things not feel so chaotic and detached. It talks about the importance of light (so many damn candles and flames, which sing to my closet pyro heart). Of homemade sweets and comfort drinks. It is warm sweaters and blankets and socks. It is honestly my dream. Being bundled up in a snowy cabin with a fireplace, a mug of cocoa, and a good book. Maybe the concept of hygge speaks to me because it is my core idea of comfort. It is my safe place.

These days, I have been lighting more candles in my daily life. The flicker and the gentle scents make my home feel more relaxed. I took my TV out of the main room and now just have filled bookshelves and a cozy couch corner that I call “my spot” (not unlike Sheldon’s spot in the Big Bang Theory, it is the perfect location. Close to an outlet, near a lamp, by a table, and the perfect distance from the ottoman to put my feet up). I have fluffy blankets over everything. I have removed as much chaos as I can and organized what is left so that at home I actually feel peaceful and not like an anxious squirrel.

Maybe it’s the introvert in me. The reclusive hermit that resides in my soul and demands that I stay inside because the outside is full of people. But the idea of cozy warms me to the core. And I’ve finally started giving in to that call and living my life for comfort, rather than chasing after every new idea and lifestyle.