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 is about feeling in control and using that sense to harness what strengthens you from within — perhaps even inspiring others in the process. Not everything is within our power, but we can choose how to respond and how to maintain a mindset open to adjustment.   To enhance your sense of empowerment, focus on what is within your control. Make the most of your strengths to cultivate a life that reflects your choices. Even small changes can have a significant impact. For example, during a medical appointment, ask questions to ensure you understand your treatment options and agree with the decisions being made.

The meaning of life is personal and can be linked to different things, including spirituality, family values, social roles, a connection with nature or animals, work, or hobbies. Identifying what holds meaning for you and incorporating specific activities that bring this meaning into your daily life enhances resilience and well-being. For example, if you find meaning through your connection with nature, you might experience it outdoors, among greenery, by volunteering for park and river conservation efforts. It is about feeling a sense of calling towards the task.

  When people experience setbacks — such as psychiatric relapse, bereavement, trauma, or shock — they may question or even lose their sense of personal identity. For these individuals, reclaiming that sense of identity is crucial. An identity can change as a result of what you have been through or are currently experiencing. Part of recovery is accepting this and finding a positive sense of identity in the person you are now, rather than struggling against yourself to be someone else. Individual therapy can often help explore your sense of identity, and you may also find that activities focused on identity — such as writing and art — can be beneficial as well.

  Knowing how to look to the future, see the possibility of better days, and then take thoughtful steps to help create them is a fundamental part of emotional sustainability. For many, this is challenging, as it can be difficult to hold on to hope in the face of adversity. However, hope is something that can be developed. By starting with small goals and recognising the impact they can have, you can build hope around what you are capable of achieving.

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...