The Hyggelig Journey

  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...