Summer Hygge

My summer pie made using forgotten can of pineapple, a dusty box of pistachio pudding, and maraschino cherries that were on their way out.

For desert-dwellers, like myself, the Danish practice of hygge - pronounced "hooga" - does not come for us in the cold, winter months, but in the hellacious heat of our Sonoran summers.

In the northern regions of Europe, the winter chill can be brutal in more than one way. The winter months often prove very isolating. The daylight hours are far too limited and it's far too cold to gather with friends.

Hygge seeks to shift seasonal depression to a time to step back from the rush of our day-to-day, to relax and reflect, to stay cozy and keep limited company with our nearest and dearest until the spring thaw chases off the chill.

In the Valley of the Sun, our seasonal depression prefers the summer when a walk outside will make you want to die, if it doesn't actually kill you. As July gives way to August, Phoenicians are ready to window shop on Zillow for distant, northerly lands.

The "Summer Hygge" offers an alternative approach to keeping cool when the weather is hot enough to cook a human brain. We pulled together a few suggestions for the perfect summer hygge.

1. Turn the Temperature Down

This might seem obvious and anchored in privilege but hear me out. The cost of air conditioning can be prohibitive for lots of folks who live in area, but there are options for achieving a cardigan-level cold.

Public places like libraries, museums, and shopping malls offer reprieve from the heat. Museums and malls provide an indoor space to get your steps in. Free cultural passes are available at the public libraries and most museums in the area offer a free day for the community.

And, of course, I cannot express my appreciation for the public library system. The Phoenix Metro Area has some truly amazing libraries that not only offer books - FREE BOOKS - but they provide a lovely, air-conditioned space for studying or working or just getting cozy with a book in a cooler climate.

2. Connect with Your Core

It's too hot for large events. Sure, sure, sure, there are pool parties and the like, but most of us would prefer not penciling anything in until late September. There's nothing worse than arriving to Happy Hour looking like a melting crayon.

No, only accept visitors who can see your home when it's not clean. The people who will eat pizza straight from the box and take off their shoes, well, maybe take off their shoes.

Opting to spend the worst time of year with family and chosen family should contribute to the calm vibe we're trying to establish. If the idea of spending more time with your "Core" group brings on a wave of anxiety, jump straight to No. 3.

3. Reflect and Relax

Spending more time indoors, hiding from the sun, can make space for important conversations with yourself. Hygge encourages us to reflect on where we are and where we want to be.

Taking a slow approach to the late summer in Arizona provides an incredible opportunity to look inward and around. What, or who, do you miss most? Are you relieved you don't have to meet coworkers for drinks? Do you miss your in-laws?

"Know Thyself" is perhaps the greatest axiom we have so taking the time to dive further into your inner workings is always time well spent.

4. Purge

I always love a summer purge. When the extreme heat warnings hit the airwaves, I have a list of projects to keep me busy. Obviously.

Cleaning out my closet is a personal favorite. This can be a whole afternoon of trying on clothes, checking for stains or holes, separating what I'm keeping from what I'm storing or donating.... really, the whole process is vivifying.

Sometimes we'll do a little Swedish Death Cleaning by going through old keepsake boxes, but that's a whole different article.

The kitchen also provides ample opportunities for seasonal sprucing. Checking expiration dates is a great way to mark the passage of time. I usually find a few things I forgot I had laying around and make meals centered on these random ingredients. French lentils become lentil ragout, coconut cream becomes curry, and all the half full bags of frozen veggies become a kitchen sink casserole in honor of my Midwestern roots.

The possibilities are endless.

5. Craft

As a child, I remember watching women laboring over an embroidery hoop in period piece dramas and thinking, "What a nightmare," but I am still learning just how wrong I was about so many things and this ranks pretty high.

Taking some time to focus on a craft or creative project shifts our focus from the rapid cycling of social media-news-errands-Netflix that keeps us running morning, noon, and night.

Knit a scarf, cross-stitch something sassy, paint a really bad picture of the family pet, it really doesn't matter. This is about stepping away from the daily digital deluge and constant multi-tasking of modern life.

Final Thoughts on Hygge

Change the way you approach the summer heat and create a calm reprieve from the outside world. If the Nordic nations can manage the long, dark winter months with a positive outlook, I think us desert rats can do the same. We just need to put our own Sonoran spin on hygge to take us through til autumn. We got this!