The Hyggelig Journey

Comorbidity refers to the simultaneous presence of two or more diseases or medical conditions in a patient. Common comorbidities include diabetes, obesity, heart disease, hypertension, dementia, and cancer. These are often described as pre-existing clinical conditions that require extra caution when assessing a patient’s health trajectory. Reframing aligns with the concept of cognitive restructuring. It is a psychological technique that involves identifying and then changing the way situations, experiences, events, ideas, and emotions are perceived. However, caution is necessary here — without proper professional guidance, one may enter the realm of reality distortion. An unhealthy example of reframing is excessive mentalisation. Many people engage in this because they believe that fixating on the details of a particular issue — such as a deadline — makes them more productive, when in reality, they are avoiding their emotions. A more humorous example is reminiscent of old C...

Love has a way of clouding the sharp edges of our rational minds. I have spoken before about how objectivity falters when we turn our gaze towards those we cherish. This loss of clarity is never more evident than in the intimate entanglement of lovers. Neuroscience reveals that when we look upon someone we love, key regions of the brain — such as the amygdala, the frontal cortex, the parietal cortex, and the medial temporal cortex — quieten, as if surrendering to the experience. The amygdala, our primal sentinel of fear and anger, dims its watchful intensity. In its silence, a deep sense of security and contentment blossoms, making love feel like the safest refuge. It is this neurological hush that allows us to trust so freely, to lay down our defences, and to offer ourselves with a vulnerability that would be unthinkable elsewhere. The frontal cortex, the seat of reason and judgement, relinquishes its command. In love, the need for meticulous discernment dissolves; we aba...