Goodbye Clutter, Hello Freedom: How to create space for Danish Hygge and Lifestyle by cleaning up, organizing and decorating with care

by Lena Bentsen

The key concept for Danish Hygge is to enjoy life in peace and harmony. Whether we want to admit it or not, we are affected by our surroundings. Danish Hygge is about caring, and when we do not care for our surroundings, clutter begins to spread its way into our lives, and Hygge is no longer a possibility. The good news is that we can deliberately change this situation. When you start caring about your home and your surroundings you will find that you have much more time for fun and Hygge. Once you know what you appreciate, where your stuff is, and can understand the difference between what is good and what is bad for you to own, you will be free to enjoy the life you truly deserve. Start now and experience the amazing feeling of freedom that comes from living in a home that reflects the best part of you!

Genres: Nonfiction, Lifestyle

139 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 27, 2016

About the author

Lena Bentsen is a Danish Life Designer with expert skills to create space for Danish Hygge by focusing on what your heart tells you to save and what you can say goodbye to, whether it’s your property or behavior.

Lena Bentsen is the author of five books on the subject, and is the founder of the Danish lifestyle magazine Liv & Sjæl (Life & Soul).

Her first English book, ‘Goodbye Clutter, Hello Freedom: How to create space for Danish Hygge’ has just been released on Amazon.

In Denmark she is very well known through the media, as being ‘The Grand Old Lady’, who was the first declutter expert in Denmark and started this wave. She is also trained in the Feng Shui tradition.

Since childhood, Lena has loved to arrange, decorate, organize, optimize, and to create. Observing and creating atmosphere has always been her no. 1 passion.

Reviews

[Leila Summers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seeing as I am moving into a smaller house in three months, this book found me at exactly the right time. It’s the perfect time to declutter and start new with just the things that I love or are useful and everything that doesn’t have a place in the new house must go. I’m really looking forward to following all the great advice in this little book and also to start introducing more Hygge into my life – such a fabulous concept from the Danes that really resonates with me. If you feel that you are suffocating from having too much stuff in your house, then read this book. It will give you the inspiration you need to get started on the road to freedom.

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a humorous and quick read, with tips about how to declutter and move toward Danish hygge. Her best tips include the following: There will never be a more perfect time to declutter; it is ok not to keep gifts forever; and if you haven’t gotten around to repairing something in two weeks, get rid of it!

[Ivinela Samuilova · Rating 5 out of 5]

This little book has a big impact on motivating the start of the decluttering process. Very sound points that bring relief from the sense of guilt. My biggest problem with clutter is the remorse I feel to throw out presents. I have a dung-hill of useless gifts. But this is not the only clutter I have stored at home. Piling up things of no use or that lose their utility with time seems inevitable nowadays. And here comes the point I liked best: ‘Anything that isn’t any longer in harmony with you and your life – out!’ Great advice that I’ll put in action right away. The practical tips for getting rid of different kinds of clutter are pragmatic too, which I also liked about the book.

[Araceli · Rating 3 out of 5]

It reminded me very much of Marie Kondo, but with less spiritual talk and very focused on creating the right space for you. Straight to the point, short, easy read. I've read other books on the topic, so I didn't find anything particularly new or striking.

I liked how it points out the most common problems with clutter at home and gives tips on how to address them. Also a nice introduction to the Danish concept of 'Hygge'

My main take aways:
- Start now!
- Clutter is a collection of homeless items, crying out for a place to stay
- Change focus to "can I do without x?"
- Don't accept/keep something in case it becomes useful in the future
- Life is too short for bad movies

[Kamaljit Suman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick easy read.

[Elizabeth Wolf · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐

[Astria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shorter and more straightforward that Marie Kondo (which gave me a sense of creeping dread.) My copy has tons of highlights, so many good and simple instructions. Recommend!

[Mancmummy · Rating 3 out of 5]

inspired me to sort out the bathroom, found 5 boxes of paracetamol at the back of the cabinet 😎

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some useful tips

I enjoyed this book but found it quite simplistic in parts, particularly towards the end which was recommending always completing a task before moving on to the next. That's a great aim but doesn't take into account interruptions or other demands on your time. The assumption that it is the woman who will want to tidy the house and declutter, and that she has a 1950s life of kissing her husband goodbye while he goes off to work, dropping the kids off at school then returning home with the shopping in time to prepare a cosy family meal is very dated and sexist to both women and men. Many women work now and have to fit all these 'complete circles' into a busy life balancing home and career. Many men are just as involved in tidying and decluttering as their partners. Maybe I'm much too British to be dedicated to Hygge! However overall, there was some decent food for thought on how we can better manage the extensive stuff in our homes, and some good hints and tips for how to get past blockages.

[Tweedledum · Rating 3 out of 5]

I downloaded this from kindle unlimited feeling I needed a mental boost to encourage me to carry on the attempt to get on top of some of my accumulated clutter. A quick and somewhat repetitive read serving to instill the Bentsen's favourite mantras. It did inspire me to go through an over brimming bookcase again and clear out one shelf load of books but I am not sure I am ever going to enter Hygge nirvana.

I notice Bentsen did seem to be directing all her advice to the female of the species even commenting that she anticipated the male partner's response to his wife or partners clearing out was likely to be "don't touch my stuff" .

She feels that the best policy is either to lead by example.... Or to put all his stuff out of the door..... Hmmm

[Leah Martinez · Rating 1 out of 5]

Couldn’t get through it. Seven pages in the Bentsen comments about a woman’s place and her role as keeping her man happy by being attractive. In light of current events, this isn’t worth my time. She may have some insights into clutter and minimizing but in skimming the rest of the book, I decided not to alienate myself further. If you feel a woman has more worth in this world, do yourself a favor and pass on this one.

[caroline redmond · Rating 4 out of 5]

A clear and concise guide

reading this felt like getting advice from a wise friend. A chat over a cup of hot chocolate. I've read many books on decluttering and This one is one of the best, it offers clear advice much of which is new . Now I'm off to light a candle and close some circles

[Melissa Gray · Rating 3 out of 5]

A practical guide

Some very sound advice that I will definitely use. I just felt it took a while to get to that part. However I would still recommend it as a reference tool to get started.

[Sparrows · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was much more my speed than the similar Marie Kondo book. More straightforward and less New Age-y. I'm looking forward to letting a LOT of stuff go...especially those inherited things I've been hanging on to.

[Shirley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now I can do this

Best book ever on how to declutter . It is very detailed and so encouraging. Now for the first time in my life I think I can do this. I will read this every year.it's like a diet for your house.

[Jacki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring

I’ve long needed to downsize and organize everything in my newer way smaller apartment. This book helped me to see my clutter and collecting in a whole new light.
Thank you

[Tatumhart · Rating 2 out of 5]

The last 20% about maintaining order was helpful. I'm not sure if the last 20% was worth the cost of the book.

[GM · Rating 2 out of 5]

basically keep things w/ good vibes or u really really like
don't be lazy, don't let clutter build up, and clean everything asap.

[Nadia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good advice

A quick read with a few good tips that can be practically implemented. A bit on the short side but a good read for an update and some tips

[Maggie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thought I would pick up some useful tips, but no, nothing new to learn here.
Glad it was a free read.

[Rita S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book and good advice

[Maria Maloney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Logical and makes perfect sense

A refreshing easy way to clean and organize with great suggestions on how to overcome hurdles especially with other family members.

[Hebrews13:11-14 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly loved this book because it is full of great advice and straight to the point without any repetition. It tells you how to keep things organized once and for all and not just for a few weeks.

[Emma Kieninger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Encouragement and tasks to achieve freedom!

Similar in style to Marie Mondo, charming "from a friend" advice on giving your surroundings room for hygge- a Danish concept of cozy peacefulness.

[fhsjkdhvkf · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was not the audience for this book.

[Louise Pitot · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m sure that everyone could benefit from this book as many of us have too much stuff in our homes that prevents us from living well and having more free time. I like the way that the author explains everything – it makes so much sense and there is a lot of information here that I haven’t found anywhere else. She discusses the different blocks or areas that cause us to acquire guilty clutter such as gifts, inherited things, photographs, hobbies, memories or expensive things, and offers practical advice for sorting out each area. Especially insightful for me was that everything must have a home, a place where it belongs otherwise it will end up being clutter and it must go! Valuable and inspiring read!

[Jessica Powell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Introduction to the Danish concept of 'Hygge' and how our homes can be better organized to encourage it. A nice enough read, but I didn't come away feeling inspired as I have with other similar books I've read on the subject.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid three--really simple and easy to understand

[Kate Forth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick & Straightforward

A pleasant read. Would be a good intro to the topic if other books had not already been read on the subject.

[Granny Swithins · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nope. Stick with Marie Kondo.