It’s known as the Nordic secret to happiness and its basic elements include spending time outdoors (yes, even in the Nordic winter!), remaining active, keeping food simple and nourishing, being kind to yourself, being sociable and spending time with loved ones.

Signe Johansen, author of How to Hygge: The Nordic Secrets to a Happy Life, writes “A life of hygge requires kindness: to ourselves in the everyday acts that bring contentedness and pleasure, and kindness to others in spirit of kinship and conviviality.”

I plan to incorporate more hygge into my life and this “month for love” feels like the perfect time to start. On the list: I’ll stop hiding from the cold, bundle up and get outdoors more often, open the scented bath salts I got for Christmas and soak in a hot tub, keep candles burning, mix up a pot of hot chocolate and invite a few friends over for a game night. Already, the grey February Pittsburgh skies seem brighter.

Learning about hygge has renewed my commitment to savor the simple pleasures in life. What do I hope to achieve? A deeper sense of contentment, coziness and a sense of well- being. Now that feels like love to me.