How to Live the Coziest Life (1)

Happy cozy season, lovers.

The more I grow older, the more I crave warmth in my life. To me, I find the most contentment in my life when I actually savor the small pockets of joy in my everyday.

A warm cup of coffee, morning sunlight, giggles with friends, or even just warm blankets coming out of the dryer.

Life can get so scary. And overwhelming. And stressful. But what brings me back to myself are these little pockets of warmth.

Pockets that are often so small that we forget to savor them in the busyness of everyday life.

And when I think about the word ‘cozy’ I think about things I could either add to my home or things that I could wear. But I also think that living a cozy life is definitely more of a mentality shift, where we embrace more of the warm and soft elements that add joy to the mundane. Things that add a little spark to the ordinary.

What’s funny about the list of things I’m going to talk about in this post, is that I used to enjoy a lot of these things as a child. A lot of the philosophy of “enjoying the small things of life” brings me back to my inner child, and that is such a sweet thing 😊

So, first of all, I feel like incorporating nature is one of the best ways to welcome more coziness into your life. Especially in your home.

I find that when I try to cut fresh flowers, take care of my home plants, and include actual living things in my home, it gives me that sense of being outside and in nature when it may be too hot or too cold outside. It’s also sooo good for your air quality and I find it makes my home feel so much more inviting.

Next, is learning to craft again. This one is quite special to me because I’ve never been an ~artiste~, but during COVID I started to paint, draw, and embroider. And by that I mean, paint by number, use coloring books, and use DIY needlepoint kits. But regardless of skill, being able to work with my hands to create something that would serve as a sweet memory or decorative piece in my home, brings me so much joy. It’s also a great way to spend free time that isn’t scrolling on my phone. It’s a great way to unwind and it brings me a sense of warmth.

During the fall and winter, I really enjoy drinking warm beverages. The thing about drinking something that is warm or hot, whether that be soup, coffee, or tea is you can’t drink it too quickly. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love me an iced drink in the summer time, and I truly enjoy my iced coffees. But, drinking hot coffee really reminds me to slow down and savor that one cup a day (or 4). When I drink cold drinks, I just don’t savor it as much.

It's so simple, but it helps me to truly enjoy what is right in front of me instead of always thinking about the next thing.

Another way to enjoy coziness is to welcoming people into my home. Physically inviting people inside my living space warms it up with memories, not just things. And I know that hosting and having people over can be intimidating. You feel pressure to have the perfect setup or cute aesthetic decorations. But the older I get, the more I realize that having a comfortable space to welcome people in is all you really need, and it doesn’t have to be anything fancy 😊

I especially love having friends and family from out of town come and stay with us. Waking up to my home filled with people I love and having my home feel so lived in and snuggly is one of my biggest joys in life.

So, it’s no secret that I love having morning and night rituals to look forward to. Waking up in the morning and knowing I’m going to have a nice cup of coffee in the morning, knowing that I’m going to make a nice dinner after work, and knowing that I get to do the same thing every night brings me a lot of comfort. I look forward to it. Finding those little rituals that I love makes everything feel warm and fuzzy.

This one might be a little controversial, but I’ve recently had to teach myself that my house doesn’t need to be perfectly clean for me relax. I don’t need to earn my rest. I know for a lot of people and myself included that cleaning is very therapeutic and it’s nice bringing order to things, especially after a busy workday. It can be something that you really enjoy, and I wouldn’t necessarily rest until it was done. I would see rest as a reward for some productive habit and I found that this mentality was preventing me from truly resting at the end of the day. Sometimes it’s worth it just to leave things as they are and realize that things will get done in their own timing. You can rest.

It can also give us a sense of control and it’s nice to let your body rest without having to do something productive.

Of course, disconnecting. I am on my phone so much more than I would like to admit. I don’t even want to look at my screen time, but lately there have been a lot of little projects that I’ve been trying to work on (i.e. my home crafts😊) that I just can’t scroll on my phone during. Of course, I may listen to a podcast or watch a Youtube video but I’m not actively thinking about connecting with other people. I’ve also realized that this is the reason I like a lot of little projects because it keeps me off my phone and is very therapeutic to be disconnected. This could include leaving your phone with your significant other, or leaving it at home and going for a walk. Obviously only if it’s safe to, lol.

Mentally checking out and focusing on what is at hand can lend such a feeling of peace and contentment, without any outside forces influencing your thoughts.

Now, I do this more often in the slower seasons of life, but I’ve been trying to bake more often. I love to cook but for some reason baking is not something I do as often and I think it’s because you really have to focus and be present in order to pay attention to exact measurements. It’s also so nice coming into your home and having the smell of something baking in the oven. It brings me back to being a kid and smelling my mom baking cookies or banana bread and feeling very grounded and safe. It’s very nostalgic.

Even if you have bananas that are about to go bad, maybe figure out a banana bread recipe with things you have at home. And then you get to share your creation with others, and it adds so much value to life just having little things to look forward to. Like the taste of warm banana bread with some butter on top. Yum 😊.

I’ve done this since I was in college, but incorporating a rest/reset day. I definitely try to do this on Sundays and it’s quite nice to have a set day to not be working and solely focusing on doing things that bring me back to myself. Spending time with family and friends, reading, napping, washing my sheets or my clothes, really getting into my extensive skincare routine, listening to music, journaling, or even just ordering takeout and binging Netflix all day. So many ways to recharge, so little time.

Going along with this notion, I’ve found that decluttering regularly allows me to really enjoy my space, have less to physically clean, and I feel more present mentally. I try to declutter once a quarter just to take stock of what I own and making sure that it’s still bringing me joy.

I am now realizing I have so many tips that I am going to have to split this post into two parts. I hope everyone enjoyed the first part of this 😊 I enjoy writing these posts so much, and hope that you all can celebrate the coming cozy season as much as you want!

Talk real soon,

Hannah xx