Monday the 16th of January is Blue Monday. It is the point when January couldn’t get any worse – Christmas has become a distant memory, credit card statements begin to arrive and the temptation to abandon new year’s resolutions reaches crisis-point –it is known as the most depressing day. So I left the toddler at home with daddy and went to get my British Hygge on at Young’s House of Happiness. Situated in the wonderful and cosy Finch’s at Finsbury Square, Moorgate.
It was a head-to-toe immersive celebration of British hygge. Coats and bags were whisked away by happiness hosts and then I was handed a kit containing an eye mask and slippers to leave all traces of the outside world at the doors of the pub.
There were complimentary massages, pop-up chatter corners, letter writing stations, thought-provoking wellbeing talks and ‘happiness bursts’ hosted by Laughology. Other activities included:
Tea blending – beard grooming – shoe shining – make your own energy balls – whisky tasting – cake decoration – thank you card writing (posted into Young’s House of Happiness postbox) – swap shops – yoga – Young’s bookshop – snuggle spaces with hot water bottles and blankets – curated talks by happiness, mindfulness and lifestyle coaches
I then left with a goody bag which contained Haribo, which tells you all you need to know. Okay, okay, it also contained water, a sleep mask, slippers and whisky. There is no more that you need people, trust me. The toddler may not have been talking to me when I got home but it may have been worth it. I drank whisky, I listened to great talks from @laughology, I ate comfort food, I had rum punch, made some tea and a cake…the lists goes on.
REVEALED: IT’S THE SIMPLE PLEASURES THAT WILL MAKE US HAPPY IN 2017
- A happiness survey conducted by Young’s Pubs shows that Brits don’t need a happiness formula – just take inspiration from the hygge trend and celebrate the simple things in life
- Going on holiday, finding cash in an old pair of jeans and freshly washed sheets are the top three things that make Brits happy
- Heading down the pub or to a restaurant emerged as the happiest places for Brits outside the home
- Young’s Pubs have analysed the research to create the ultimate zen space this Blue Monday –Young’s House of Happiness. Tell Young’s Pubs how you’ll be beating the blues using the hashtag #HouseofHappiness
A poll of 1,000 people commissioned by Young’s Pubs has revealed that Brits have truly embraced and adapted the Danish trend of hygge, the art of creating cosy atmospheres and enjoying the simple pleasures with those around us. A third of Brits describe being at their happiest while wearing PJs and slippers, 43% said getting together with friends and family made them happy, with comforting dishes coming out on top of a poll of mood-boosting foods. Informed by these findings, Young’s House of Happiness Blue Monday pop-up welcomes visitors into a haven of head-to-toe simple pleasures and wellbeing sessions.
HOW TO COMBAT THE BLUES THIS MONDAY AND EVERY MONDAY
A calming environment is key to finding your home-grown hygge haven in 2017, with 38% of people linking where they live to feeling content. Beyond the sentiment of ‘home is where the heart is’, pubs and restaurants came top of the list of places linked to happiness; more than half of the population believe that going to the pub makes them happy, with 55% heading to their local to enjoy the company of friends and family, as well as indulging in pub grub.
HIGH ON THE HAPPINESS STAKES
The research by Young’s Pubs also lists the top three moments guaranteed to cheer Brits up as going on holiday, finding an unexpected £10 note and snuggling into clean bed sheets. By comparison, the top three things that bring the nation down are encountering rude, ungrateful or grumpy people in our everyday lives.
EAT YOUR WAY TO HAPPINESS
Clean eating isn’t fuelling the nation’s happiness, the research shows a traditional roast dinner with all the trimmings, a fish supper and chocolate are the top three foods we turn to for a pick-me-up. Women are three times more likely to turn to chocolate for a boost than men, while Londoners emerged as those most likely to opt for fish and chips than other popular comfort dishes.
FEEL-GOOD BEATS AND BOOKS
Many of us tackle negative thoughts with distractions plucked from popular culture; 64% of us watch our favourite comedy shows, stand-up acts or boxsets and nearly a third plug into uplifting pop ballads to raise a smile. When it comes to literature, romance and crime fiction top the list for putting us in a better mood.
Emma Dickinson, Young’s marketing and events manager, says: “The Danish concept of hygge feels like a new philosophy that the nation is adopting, but in reality, Young’s Pubs have been offering the same intangible sentiment since 1831. With Blue Monday heralded as the gloomiest day of the year we feel it is a great opportunity to remind the nation that our pubs are the perfect environment to get together with loved ones by a roaring fire to enjoy comforting food and drink.”
YOUNG’S HOUSE OF HAPPINESS
Hygge has invaded headlines, bookshelves and Instagram feeds this autumn and winter, with the latter voted in the survey the unhappiest season of the year. This Blue Monday, Young’s has used the research to create a House of Happiness, packed full of comforting experiences to make people smile and feel more positive, although the nation’s pubs have epitomised hygge for centuries.
As well as escapism pods designed to disconnect mind, body and soul from the stresses of everyday life, there will be complimentary slippers, massages, comfort food canapés, reviving teas, pop-up chatter corners, thought-provoking wellbeing talks and ‘happiness bursts’ hosted by Laughology.
For the other 364 days of the year, visit your local Young’s or Geronimo Inns pub for an authentic taste of British hygge since 1831.
Top 20 things that make us happy
- Going on holiday
- Finding a ten pound note in an old pair of jeans
- Getting into bed with freshly washed sheets
- Sitting in the sun
- Booking a holiday
- Seeing an old friend
- Getting a quiet moment to yourself
- Cuddles
- Finding a bargain in the sales
- Being surprised with flowers or chocolates
- Chocolate
- Listening to your favourite song
- Going to the pub with friends
- Hearing a baby laugh
- Eating comfort food
- Winning a tenner on the lottery
- The smell of freshly baked cookies
- Smell of cut grass
- Looking back at old photographs
- Getting a promotion at work
Top 20 things that make us unhappy
- Rude people
- Ungrateful people
- Grumpy people
- Feeling ill
- Losing money
- People taking you for granted
- Dogownerswhodon’tcleanupaftertheirdog
- Cold callers
- Rude shop assistants
- Badly behaved children
- Queue jumpers
- Screaming kids
- It rains when you were due to have a day out
- Noisy neighbours
- Stressful workload
- Rise in petrol prices
- Slow internet connection
- Automated phone systems
- Tailgaters
- Job instability
Join the conversation online this Blue Monday and throughout January and February with the hashtag #HouseofHappiness at @YoungsPubs on Twitter and Instagram.
https://twitter.com/YoungsPubs
https://www.instagram.com/youngspubs/
https://www.facebook.com/YoungsPubs/
#HouseofHappiness
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