The Hyggelig Journey

Throughout this month, I have seen many patients struggling with deep emotional instability. Given the circumstances, this is more than expected. However, I find this an opportune moment to reintroduce a model of emotional sustainability that can serve as a guide in times of adversity while you work towards a more pleasant, fulfilling, and meaningful life.   You are already familiar with the foundations of this guide, as I have outlined its core concepts in my last five articles. They are:   C  –  Connection : Building and maintaining supportive relationships with family, friends, and the community. H – Hope and Optimism about the Future : Believing in the possibility of a better future and working towards positive change. I – Identity : Developing or rediscovering a sense of self that is positive and resilient. M – Meaning in Life : Finding purpose through personal values, spirituality, work, or community engagement. E – Empowerment : Gaining confidenc...

Empowerment begins with the quiet realisation that, while we cannot govern all that befalls us, we are not without influence. It is the art of recognising one's inner authority — the ability to respond with intention, to adapt with grace, and to draw strength not from control over circumstances, but from alignment with one’s values. In this, empowerment becomes not merely a feeling, but a way of being. To deepen this sense, turn your attention to what is truly within your grasp. Act in accordance with your strengths, and let your choices bear the imprint of who you are becoming. Even the smallest gesture, when made with awareness, carries weight. In the context of a medical appointment, for instance, asking thoughtful questions and engaging with clarity in decisions about your care affirms your role — not as a passive recipient, but as an active participant in your own unfolding.

The meaning of life is deeply personal, and may be rooted in a range of sources — spirituality, family values, social roles, a bond with nature or animals, meaningful work, or cherished hobbies. Discovering what holds meaning for you — and weaving it into the fabric of daily life — can greatly strengthen resilience and nourish well-being. For instance, if your sense of meaning arises from a connection with the natural world, you might express it by spending time outdoors, tending to green spaces, or volunteering in efforts to preserve rivers and parks. At its heart, it’s about feeling drawn — even called — to a task that resonates with who you are.

  Setbacks — whether in the form of psychiatric relapse, bereavement, trauma, or sudden shock — can shake, or even unravel, a person’s sense of identity. In the aftermath, reclaiming a coherent and meaningful sense of self becomes a vital part of recovery. Identity is not fixed; it evolves in response to what we endure and how we grow. A key aspect of healing lies in recognising this change and embracing who you are now, rather than wrestling to return to who you once were — or to become someone else entirely. Individual therapy can provide valuable space to explore and reconfigure your sense of self. Creative practices such as writing, art, or storytelling can also support this process, helping you reconnect with your voice and shape a renewed narrative of identity.

  The ability to look ahead, envision the possibility of better days, and take thoughtful steps toward shaping them is a cornerstone of emotional sustainability. Yet for many, this is no easy task; adversity can make hope feel elusive, even out of reach. But hope is not merely a feeling — it is a skill that can be cultivated. By setting modest, achievable goals and acknowledging the difference they make, you begin to lay the groundwork for a deeper, more resilient sense of possibility. In doing so, hope becomes not just something you hold, but something you build.

The well-known sayings "no man is an island" and "one swallow does not make a summer" express a profound truth — that we all need the company of others. But mere company is not enough; what we truly seek is meaningful connection. This need to feel connected to something greater manifests in various collective structures, from social, familial, and romantic relationships to engagement in a community you care about, offering support and being an active participant. These communities can include social groups, neighbourhood associations, shared hobbies or collective activities, exercise groups, volunteering, common values in spirituality or politics, or even a shared identity, such as living with a chronic illness. The importance of this lies in maintaining an emotional support network, which is essential for well-being. Knowing that your thoughts and feelings are not isolated experiences not only gives life a deeper sense of meaning but also allows you to see how...

  When dealing with chronic health conditions, we often ask ourselves how we can reduce the severity of the condition by alleviating the most troublesome symptoms so that our quality of life improves. This is an important goal, but a narrow focus on eliminating difficult or painful symptoms as an absolute priority can sometimes do a disservice to those living with chronic illness, for several reasons. One issue is the expectation that chronic symptoms must disappear before pursuing other goals, as this may never happen. Another is that simply reducing symptoms does not necessarily lead to a “good” or fulfilling life. A more holistic approach aims to promote positive psychosocial factors that enhance well-being and quality of life, regardless of symptom severity. This perspective focuses primarily on how to cultivate these positive aspects in each person’s life, fostering resilience, social engagement, self-care, and self-compassion. In practice, this means paying attention to an...

It is somewhat harder to quiet the mind when agitation is driven by an element of frustration. This is because frustration, much like anger and envy, is an emotion that triggers transformation. When we find ourselves frustrated, we often say we are experiencing a negative emotion. More often than not, we absorb it like a sponge, and only with great effort do we manage to detach ourselves from what we feel. But frustration is often misunderstood. It is only a negative emotion if one remains inactive in its presence. However, if one does the opposite—learning to filter out the most visceral aspect of the emotion—what remains is the drive for improvement. Courage, in truth, is born more from frustration than from joy or ecstasy. The movement for universal suffrage, for instance, began with the frustration of women, outraged at being denied the right to vote by the society of the time. Had they lacked the courage to transform their reality, they would certainly never have gained that natur...