Creating a Culture of Calm
Hygg-Ed
Ikigai | Finding Our Sense of Purpose
There are times in life when we find ourselves thinking, 'Now what?'.
Life changes, and so do we.
Careers come to an end, children grow up and move out of the family home, relationships can shift and sometimes the person we once were doesn't quite feel like the person we are today.
Ikigai is a Japanese concept that is used to find deeper meaning and purpose in our lives. It doesn't have to be anything radical. Ikigai can be found in our everyday lives - people, places, activities and moments that give us a sense of joy, connection and fulfilment.
Sometimes we don't need to completely reinvent ourselves - sometimes we simply need time and space to rediscover what we already value and get to know the person we've become.
The Power of Ikigai
Ikigai has deep roots in Japanese culture and is often described as our reason for being,
or our reason to simply get up in the morning.
Ikigai isn't trendy or a new concept. It is wonderfully ordinary.
For some, it's simply about creating the space and time to enjoy the things that
calm and nourish your mind, body and soul -
Music
Baking
Gardening
Supporting your community
Working towards something
Learning a new skill
Planning something to look forward to
Ikigai simply encourages us to pay attention to what already makes life feel worthwhile - and more often than not, it's the everyday things that create a sense of fulfilment.
This is where Ikigai and hygge compliment one another.
Hygge invites us to notice and appreciate the warmth, connection and simple pleasures of the present.
Ikigai asks us to notice what gives those moments meaning.
Neither asks us to be extraordinary -
they simply connect us to everything that makes us human.
What to expect
Like every approach within The Calming Collective, Ikigai isn't about following a formula or
knowing all the answers.
Instead, its principles can be gently woven into 1:1 coaching, community sessions, workshops and restorative experiences when you find yourself seeking greater clarity, direction or purpose.
Through conversation and reflection, we might explore what brings you joy, what matters most to you, the strengths and experiences you've gathered along the way, the people and places that give you a sense of belonging and what you would like the next chapter of your life to look like.
There is no expectation that you'll leave with your entire life mapped out,
but you can start to connect with the things that make you feel most like you.
Why this matters to me
I've spent much of my life doing what so many of us do: moving from one chapter to the next.
I've been a teacher, musician, leader, examiner, coach, wife, mum and expat. I've lived and worked in different countries, built careers, changed direction and experienced moments when the life I thought I was building suddenly dissolved, making us reconsider our next steps.
Through all of it, I've come to understand that purpose isn't fixed.
We change, and our Ikigai can change with us.
Hygg-Ed itself grew from that realisation. It has allowed me to bring together so many parts of my life — education, music, nature, wellbeing, creativity, coaching, my belief in the importance of human connection — and create something that feels meaningful to me.
I don't believe we all need to discover one enormous purpose. Sometimes noticing what is already there is purposeful enough.
Ikigai isn't necessarily about creating a new life.
It's about recognising the value and meaning within the one we already have.