Hygge is all about cosiness, maintaining a pleasant environment and spending time with the people we love. But we can’t always be physically close to the people who matter, and in a time when it’s so easy to like someone’s Facebook status instead of making the effort to catch up with them, it’s worth thinking about new – or old – ways to reconnect. I believe you can find hygge everywhere, and there are ways we can send a comforting glow across the miles. I’ve come up with a few ways to show someone they matter even if they’re not nearby.

Put it in writing

If you’ve ever seen my handwriting, you’ll hope I never send you a letter. Someone once said it’s like hieroglyphics and they weren’t wrong. Someone once said my Teeline shorthand from my journalism training was more legible than my regular handwriting – they couldn’t read shorthand. But I love putting things in writing. When it matters too much to say it out loud, I write it down so there’s a permanent record. I used to write letters to my friends as a child and I’m desperate to find another penpal now. You know I care if I write you a letter. And is there anything more exciting than finding a handwritten envelope in the post? Go out tomorrow, buy some beautiful stationery and send a surprise letter to someone who matters. Knowing you’ve gone to the effort of writing and posting will make their day.

Say it with flowers

I rarely receive flowers, but when I do it makes me giddy with joy. They’re a great gift for any occasion – birthday flowers, thinking-of-you flowers, Christmas flowers, just-because flowers. They don’t last forever, but that’s alright, because a beautiful burst of blooms bring so much life into a room (and fresh flowers are great for hygge). I recently received this gorgeous New York bouquet from Prestige Flowers, and the peachy roses and sunshine yellow lilies are the perfect way to see out summer. I can’t stop admiring them, and they’re lifting my mood over and over again. It’s a brilliant way to literally brighten someone’s day.

Send a gift

I get a real kick out of sending people little surprise gifts. I just get them sent straight to their address so they think ‘Hey, I didn’t order anything’ and then boom! Pick’n’mix! It’s never anything expensive; just a little something that says ‘I’m thinking about you and I thought you might like this’. Sweets, socks, seeds and books are my favourites, but this is a chance for you to get creative and put your knowledge of your friends and family to the test. If you’re ready to do a random act of kindness, pick a lucky recipient out of a hat, set a tiny budget and see what you can find!

Tell them

Everyone likes to hear compliments, but I feel like Brits in particular are bad at paying them when they’re due. I know I’ve always been a bit rubbish about this, so I’ve been making a concerted effort this year to tell people when their hair looks nice or when they’ve had a great idea. Nowadays, if I remember a funny thing someone said months ago, I’ll text them about it to let them know it’s still making me laugh. If you’re thinking about a friend just because, tell them! I love knowing people are thinking of me, so I like to do the same in return.

Be kind

Give to charity, pick up your brother’s favourite biscuits on the way home, do a chore someone else doesn’t enjoy, send a terrible joke to a friend, stroke a puppy, write someone a song, choose a pub that serves someone’s favourite drink, put someone’s phone on charge if they forget before they fall asleep, organise a film night for your friends when it’s cold and blustery outside, create a signature cocktail for someone, lend someone your favourite book, send a postcard, give someone a lie-in. Being kind is the best way to encourage hygge, and you can do it absolutely anywhere.

What do you do to stay connected with far-flung friends and family? Do you have any ideas of your own for keeping the hygge alive across cities, countries and continents?

Post written in collaboration with Prestige Flowers. All thoughts my own.