When you come home after a long day, being as cozy as possible is the ultimate goal. Let go of any worries that you might’ve picked up from the day and allow yourself to decompress. Cozymaxxing isn’t just about physical comfort but also about fostering mental and emotional well-being. Activate your parasympathetic nervous system and exit your fight-or-flight mode to achieve total relaxation.
The cozymaxxing trend took off where most trends nowadays are born… TikTok. Cozymaxxing is a fun term for cozy maximalism. Cozymaxxing is encouraged anytime of year, but is even more enticing in fall and winter when the weather takes a frigid turn. Today, we’ll go over how you can incorporate cozymaxxing into your daily life to encourage a healthy mindset.
Beat Burnout-
Life can get busy and hectic. Capitalism makes it feel as if you’re not constantly working, you’re failing. That’s why fighting back and taking time for yourself to recharge is so important for your mental and physical health. Having mini self-care routines at night can put you in a more relaxed headspace to give you adequate rest, beat burnout, and decrease anxiety.
With inflation and the cost of living rapidly rising, coupled with the pressure to ‘’keep up’’ on social media, people are teetering on the edge of burnout. Even though making rest a priority might seem challenging, it will help your mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being in the long run.
Self-Care-
Cozymaxxing is ultimately a self-care ritual. Engaging all of your senses to help you unwind and forget about the stress of the day. With the world seemingly on fire and nervous systems everywhere absolutely shot, the one who has to take regulation into their own hands is you.
Especially when the days get shorter and darker, SAD (seasonal affective disorder) can affect many people negatively and cause depressive episodes. Even if you don’t technically suffer from SAD, colder and darker days can be a huge bummer. Maximizing a sense of coziness at home can help get you through.
Solo Cozy-
Similar to its cozy cousin, the Danish word ”Hygge”, which loosely translates to cozy, is encouraged to be shared with friends. The cozymaxxing trend holds no such restrictions, but where hygge is focused more on connection, cozymaxxing encourages ‘more is more’ and can be done in a group or solo. You should do both, since both alone time and being social are important.
Cozymaxxing Your Senses:
Cozymaxxing is best when you appeal to the 5 senses: touch, taste, smell, sight, and sound.
Decor-
Set up your space in a way that is calming to the mind; neutral and earth tones work best here. Keep things relatively clean, dust-free, and as decluttered as possible. A clean and tidy home leads to a clearer mind. Add plants or flowers or winter foliage for a natural element, and add texture in places like throw pillows or artwork.
Scents-
Use candles, a diffuser, or incense to invoke a serene environment. Scents that work best to invite calm are soft and soothing, like:
- Lavender
- Vanilla
- Sandalwood, and
- Ylang ylang
- Cedarwood
Sounds-
To create a peaceful atmosphere in your home, choose chill music like:
- Soft jazz
- R&B
- Classical
- Binaural beats
- Crackling fireplace channel
- Enjoy complete silence
Touch-
No one is cozymaxxing with their jeans or bra still on. As soon as you get home, change into your comfiest sweat outfit, fuzzy socks and slippers, and silkiest or coziest pajamas. Adorn your sofa or love seats with knitted or plush throw blankets and pillows, or use a weighted blanket to help melt your stress away.
Lighting-
Lighting is key in setting up a cozy atmosphere. Bright overhead lighting is the antithesis of cozy. Opt for several forms of dim, moody lighting from:
- Lamps
- Candles
- Salt lamps
- Fireplace
- Fairy lights
- Wall sconces
- Nightlight
Dim lighting makes it easier for you to relax and feel calm at the end of a long day and can help your brain produce melatonin, helping you to fall asleep more easily.
Cozymaxxing Activities:
While scrolling TikTok isn’t completely off the table when cozymaxxing, it’s also not the most cozy activity you can do. Try these instead to relax your mind completely.
Comfort Show-
Watch your favourite show or movie that never gets old. Watching reruns can give you a nostalgic sense of comfort. If it’s during the holidays, watch your most beloved Christmas movies. Make popcorn and snacks, and complete a Christmas movie marathon.
Reading-
Instead of spending copious amounts of time doomscrolling, opt for a healthier mental alternative. Spend a bit of time every night reading a book. Commit to what you can realistically handle, whether that be 10 pages per day, 1 chapter per day, or 30 minutes of reading time.
Bath-
Taking a warm bath is the ultimate multi-sensory experience. Go the whole 9 yards by lighting candles, adding Epsom salts, and bath oils. If you’re careful, bring in a book or set up your laptop in a spot it won’t get water on it and play your fav show or a podcast.
Cozy Activities-
Take up a cozy activity before bed to help clear your mind and soothe your nervous system. Adult colouring books, journaling, knitting, or puzzles can help you anchor to the present moment while also creating something.
Baking/Cooking-
Getting your hands dirty in some cookie dough or testing out a cozy winter recipe is another way to practice mindfulness. Chopping, measuring, and stirring are grounding activities that can get you out of your head. Even if you’re not super comfortable in the kitchen, just like anything else, the more you practice, the more natural it becomes.
Warm Beverages-
Nothing says cozy like a hot cup of tea as a part of your nightly ritual. If you’re not into tea, hot chocolate, decaf coffee, or golden milk can help you wind down for the evening. Aim to stick with warm decaffeinated beverages at night so you don’t interrupt your sleep. Check out our post here for more caffeine-free ideas.
Final Thoughts-
TikTok’s cozymaxxing trend can help soothe your mind and body to recharge your energy. Engage your senses by putting on your most comfortable clothes or PJs and set the mood by keeping your home clean, decluttered, and filled with warm, soft lighting. Use candles or a diffuser to fill the air with calming scents like lavender or vanilla. Fill your home with chill music to promote tranquility, or if you’re not in the mood for music, put on a comfort show or movie.
Choose cozy activities like knitting, journaling, reading, colouring, baking, or taking a bath. Do some of these or all of them regularly, and always have a warm beverage in hand. Cozymaxxing is a choose-your-own-adventure. You can do it with friends or family or on your own. Regardless of how you choose to do cozy, hopefully it can help you feel calm, relax your nervous system, and help you properly rest and regenerate.
