The Hyggelig Journey

Suddenly, without warning, the mind rises and begins to walk on its own. One step, then another, then a thousand. It moves without direction, yet always in haste. It wants to understand, to predict, to grasp the world in its hands. But the world slips away—as it always does. To think is to exist, they say. But what if thinking too much is a way of not being at all? Overthinking steals the moment, turns the simple into a maze, fills the quiet with noise. And then—the pause. A break in the current. A deep breath, a touch against the skin, a feeling without a name. The fine needle resting on the body, the inhale and exhale, the silence between one thought and the next—that is where life is. It is not about banishing the mind but teaching it to stay. To let it be without devouring. Because in the space between thoughts, life happens.

Over the years of studying human behaviour, one question has remained particularly complex: why do chronic anxiety sufferers so often push their emotional well-being to the background? How many times have I heard patients say they just can’t relax? That they went to the beach only to return feeling exactly the same? That they took a holiday but never truly unwound? Why is it so difficult for them to switch off from anxiety? From a biological perspective, it seems that in individuals with chronic anxiety, the amygdala remains highly sensitive, always on the verge of activation. This fuels that constant sense of uncertainty — the ever-present “what if this happens?” and “what if I can’t handle it?” As a result, the prefrontal cortex struggles to maintain rational thinking, making it easier for irrational thoughts to take hold. Yet, just an hour of mindfulness meditation, a session of music therapy, a visit to the sauna, or even a gentle walk outdoors could be enough to eas...