How to Hygge Like a Pioneer

We’ve learned how to live hygge like a hobbit and like Harry Potter, but this month I thought it would be fun to learn How to Hygge Like a Pioneer. As a child one of my favorite authors was Laura Ingalls Wilder. She’s known best her Little House on the Prairie children’s book series. Her books made me want to live in a log cabin in the middle of nowhere. Perhaps that is because there is something inherently hygge about living as a pioneer. Let’s explore that idea together!

1. Set Aside Technology

The first and most obvious way How to Hygge Like a Pioneer is to set aside technology. In case you didn’t know, there was no electricity on the prairie. No cell phones. No internet. They didn’t even have proper plumbing. Of course I’m not advocating a return to the dark ages, but there are many benefits of taking a break from technology even for an hour a day. It can reduce stress, improve your mental and physical health and even improve your relationships. For more reasons why you might need to take a media fast, check out the 7 Reasons to Take a Media Fast by my dear friend Maggie.

2. Plant a Garden

The second way you can live hygge like a pioneer is to plant a garden. 24 hour grocery stores did not exist in the 1870s. People had to grow their own food in order to survive. They had to go outside and get their hands dirty. If you are looking for a way to live hygge like a pioneer, I recommend planting a garden.

3. Make Food from Scratch

Speaking of growing your own food, pioneers also had to make their own food from scratch. They couldn’t drive down the road to grab a loaf of bread. They had to learn to bake their own bread using the ingredients they had on hand. If they wanted soup they had to gather vegetables from the garden and cook them in a pot. Make a meal from scratch in order to try living hygge like a pioneer.

4. Learn to Live Without

My husband made fun of me during the beginning of the pandemic, because I said, “Welp, we just need to learn to live without.” I’m not sure why he found that so funny, but it was true! We have all grown so accustomed to having things right at our finger tips. Amazon can have almost anything delivered to your door. Groceries are ready for pick up in less than an hour. However, that is not how things were for the pioneers. When they didn’t have things, they learned to live without. I think we could all benefit from doing just that.

5. Find Joy in the Simple Things

With less technology there were less options for entertainment for the pioneers. They found joy in the simple things. Taking a walk, working in the garden, knitting, sewing, reading or just talking to one another. They did things the slow way and were happy with much less than we have now. To hygge like a pioneer we need to find joy in the simple things.

6. Work Hard for What You Want

Another thing that set the pioneers apart is their hard work ethic. Think about it. They crossed miles of wild land in covered wagons to get to their new home. Then they had to build that home. And grow food. And find water. Life was not easy and they had to work extremely hard for what they wanted. In my opinion, we are becoming more and more lazy as a society. We need to learn what it means to work hard for the things we want.

7. Live in Harmony With Nature

The last way you can hygge like a pioneer is to live in harmony with nature. Like I mentioned before, pioneers crossed miles and miles of land to find their homes. They had to work with wildlife and changes in weather and seasons. They had to figure out how to live in harmony with the nature around them. Our poor planet is hurting, and we should all try to live in better harmony with the nature around us.

Thank you for reading 5 Reasons You Need to Garden This Year. For more tips and tricks on how to live a more simple, hygge-filled life, take a look at our latest content: 

How to Live Hygge Like Harry Potter
How to Live Hygge Like a Hobbit
14 Day Beginner’s Guide to Living a Hygge Life
Why You Should Make Hygge Living a Priority This Year

As always, if you have any questions feel free to send me an email or message me on Instagram. Follow @bestillandhygge on Pinterest for more travel tips and tricks and subscribe below for new content every week.

Love Always,