Hygge has been floating around lately and was recently named the 2016 Oxford Dictionary Word of the Year.

According to Oxford hygge is:

Southern Living explained it in their article Here’s What ‘Hygge’ Means- And Why You Should Try It

In essence, hygge is taking pleasure in the small things: time with friends, hot chocolate, getting cozy by the fire, playing board games, reading under a blanket.

As educators we rarely take the time to get our hygge on. For many of us education is a vocation more than a job. Many of our waking hours are spent planning, worrying, wondering, and reading. Figuring out the perfect strategy for that one student. Envisioning and re envisioning learning in our classrooms.

I was thinking of this as I spoke with a teacher today about our reading choices. Lately my reading choices are really professional development. Non-fiction is typically what you will find me cuddled up with on a Sunday morning.

Honestly, relaxing is not my forte. I’m not good at taking a break, a moment for myself beyond yoga.

I immerse myself in projects. I run head on into challenges. I over schedule myself.

I need to do a better job at savoring small moments. Pulling on a pair of plush socks, choosing the perfect coffee cup (most likely history related!), sitting in a rocking chair on my porch, and reconnecting with simple pleasures.

Setting aside the newest book on content area reading to dive into a piece of historical fiction.

Ignoring the onslaught of education related articles on my Twitter feed so I can sip my coffee slowly, enveloped by my great-grandmother’s afghan.

A little hygge is good for the educator soul.