Season 2 Episode 4 Show Notes: The Danish Guide to Life

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Season 2 Episode 4: The Danish Guide to Life

Did you know Denmark is ranked as the second happiest country in the world? I know I —and certainly my fellow Americans — can learn a lot from the Danes in this regard. So, in the newest episode on the Capsule Life podcast, we chat everything from lykke to hygge — the coolest things I’ve learned about the Danish culture.

But First, Who is Meik Wiking?

Meik Wiking is the guy who brought us The Little Book of Hygge and The Little Book of Lykke. He is the CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen and is widely considered one of the leading experts in global happiness. Meik took the leap to establish the institute when his close friend and mentor died from cancer at the age of 49. He thought to himself, ‘what if I only have 15 years left to live?’ So he quit his job and started studying happiness. He now rates his happiness at a 9 out of 10. Pretty amazing. 

Defining Lykke & Hygge

Lykke: loo-ka.
The Danish word for happiness.

Lykke is made up of six essential factors: togetherness, money, health, freedom, trust, and kindness. In the podcast, we dive into each of these six essential factors, and explore inspiring examples of lykke from across the globe.

Hygge: hoo-ga.
Well this one is a bit more complicated.
Hygge is about an atmosphere and an experience, rather than about things. It is about being with the people we love. A feeling of home. A feeling that we are safe, that we are shielded from the world. One that allows us to let our guards down.

We’re Already Hygge-ing, We Just Don’t Know It

You guys, hygge IS ME! I am hygge. And that’s one point Wiking made in an interview with the Telegraph — he said: “Hygge is just the way we live. Danes see Hygge the way Americans see freedom. It’s something inherently Danish, but Hygge happens everywhere.” He goes on to say that Danes have simply given the rest of the world a word to appreciate what they were already doing. 

While hygge first appeared in Danish writing in the early 1800s, its surge in popularity over the last several years is - in my experience at least - very coincidental to the surge in everyday pressures of modern life, modern technology, and the trend of always doing more (though, not ever feeling like we’re doing enough), and de-prioritizing self-care.

In his book, Wiking describes hygge as humble and slow — he says “it is choosing rustic over new, simple over posh, and ambience over excitement. In many ways, hygge might be the Danish cousin to slow and simple living.” Wiking also says “hygge is about giving your responsible, stressed-out achiever adult a break. Relax. Just for a little while. It is about experiencing happiness in simple pleasures and knowing that everything is going to be okay.”

Tune in to the episode to find out what’s in the Hygge Manifesto, how to make your own home more hygge, and how to build a hygge emergency kit among other tips!

Join me on this Capsule Life journey!

  • Subscribe to the Capsule Life podcast on iTunes

    • Like what you hear? I’d love it if you left a review! It helps me out more than you know!

  • This Capsule Life Community

  • This Capsule Life on Instagram

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Until next time Capsule Lifers — keep finding joy through intentional living.

Season 2 Episode 03 Show Notes: Little Daily Rituals

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Season 2 Episode 3: Little Daily Rituals to Feel More Fulfilled Show Notes

In this episode, we chat daily rituals — why are they so important? How do you determine what your daily rituals should include? This week’s challenge is to identify your daily rituals. If you need a kick-start, check out the free worksheet I built you below!

Defining Daily Routines vs. Daily Rituals

A daily routine is a series of tasks you complete every day in the same order, and is most likely not viewed as enjoyable or motivating. 

A daily ritual is similar to a daily routine because it’s also a series of tasks completed in the same order, BUT a daily ritual differs in its intention. A daily ritual is a meaningful practice that’s internally motivated. According to lifehack.org, a daily ritual can provide energy and enjoyment along with efficiency and structure.

Said another way, you can do routines on autopilot, but rituals are intentional.

Daily rituals help us live in a rhythm, manifest what’s important to us, and make us feel good about ourselves. 

Daily Rituals for Creatives

Did you know rituals are particularly important for creatives? There’s an article on Psychology Today that references Mason Currey’s book called Daily Rituals — How Artists Work. The article says the book challenges the notion that artists just wait around for inspiration to strike — in fact, the 161 artists highlighted in the book lead what seem to be very routine lives: there are particular emphases on getting lots of sleep, engaging in lots of regular daily walking, and drinking lots of coffee (and for some, drinking lots of tea).

The article also mentions what is very apparent in the book is that creative work requires enormous amounts of discipline and that to do something creative, you get to work, and then inspiration follows. I absolutely find that to be true when it comes to podcast and blog development. I may have what I believe to be a great topic idea, but am not totally inspired to write — until I sit down and actually just start writing.

How to Set Your Own Daily Rituals

The best way to determine what should be included in your little daily rituals list is to really just prioritize what you want to get out of each day.

The following questions might help:

  1. What does my ideal day look like?

  2. What are the most fulfilling things I do? What are my most favorite activities?

  3. What causes me the most stress? And what are the things I do that help me manage stress?

  4. Is there anything I repeatedly do and regret because it wastes my time?

  5. What are small things that would make each day even a tiny bit brighter and better for me?

  6. What helps reduce uncertainty in my day?

  7. Is there a goal I’m working toward that can help prioritize what my daily rituals should include?

Little Daily Rituals Worksheet

This simple worksheet will guide you through questions and exercises to help you identify which daily rituals you’re drawn to so you can start implementing them in your life and get to living more intentionally.

Join me on this Capsule Life journey!

  • Subscribe to the Capsule Life podcast on iTunes

    • Like what you hear? I’d love it if you left a review! It helps me out more than you know!

  • This Capsule Life Community

  • This Capsule Life on Instagram

  • This Capsule Life on Pinterest

Until next time Capsule Lifers — keep finding joy through intentional living.

Episode 008 Show Notes: 10 Ways to Cut Down Your Screen Time

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Episode 008: 10 Ways to Cut Down Your Screen Time

In this episode, we chat about the elephant in the room: screen time. We talk everything from the addictive nature of it to its physical and mental effects to 10 ways to reduce the amount of time you spend scrolling vs. living.

Let’s get back to basics and fill our time with things that fill our souls. Who’s with me?!

Ah, less screen time. It’s the elephant in the room. With screen time apps becoming all the rage and the focus on how too much screen time affects your health, you know you should put limits on screen time and create a better routine. But why-is-it-so-hard? 

It’s true: screen time can actually be addictive.

According to results from a study by Dimitri Christakis, a psychology professor at the University of Washington and director of a children’s center at Seattle Children’s Hospital, certain types of fast-paced media might be truly addictive. Hellooo, social media!

And the Center for Humane Technology says social media sites know what they’re doing when it comes to using “tech trickery” like artificial intelligence-driven news feeds, notifications, and autoplaying videos. The group is quoted as saying: “These are not neutral products, they are part of a system designed to addict us.”

So how does screen time affect our health?

From physical effects like an increase in a sedentary lifestyle and interrupted sleep cycles to mental effects like anxiety, depression, social isolation, and social comparison, screen time can take a serious toll on our overall health.

10 ideas for you to cut down your screen time

Here are the first 3 ideas from the podcast — tune in on iTunes for the rest!

  1. Use the tools available to you — there are lots of apps out there and settings like “do not disturb” that help balance screen time.

  2. Create a sanctuary for your bedroom — the best way to get rid of the temptation to look at your phone while in bed is to get rid of the temptation entirely. 

  3. Prioritize exercise — according to Psychology Today, while stress and screen-time break down brain connectivity, exercise builds connections and actually makes the brain bigger, which helps fight depression, poor focus, insomnia, addiction, and anxiety.

Screen time studies & other resources

Join me on this Capsule Life journey!

  • Subscribe to the Capsule Life podcast on iTunes

    • Like what you hear? We’d love it if you left a review! It helps us out more than you know!

  • This Capsule Life Community

  • This Capsule Life on Instagram

  • This Capsule Life on Pinterest

Until next time Capsule Lifers — keep finding joy through minimal living.