Using Hygge to Promote Wellness and Coping With a Chronic Illness

Abstract

Hygge is a Nordic practice and mindset of creating warmth and comfort from within to improve one's wellness. Hygge has not been explored well in the scientific literature, especially in the context of a chronic illness. This article describes the experiences of an adult woman with cystic fibrosis, a progressive, incurable genetic disease primarily affecting the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts, as she uses hygge to cope with the daily challenges of her illness. She also uses hygge as a framework for an online support group she founded to encourage other women with CF in their quest for optimal physical and emotional health. Hygge offers practical self-care behaviors that have the potential to make positive impacts on quality of life across healthy communities and those with chronic conditions, especially in the current setting of a global pandemic.

Transcending Limitations: A Phenomenological Exploration of How Hygge Practices Enrich the Lived Experiences of Adults with Cystic Fibrosis

“…In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the stage was set for hygge, a lifestyle that embraced finding solace in the new normal of social isolation (Kurtz, 2020). Hygge is also being gradually incorporated into various communities facing chronic illness as a coping and self-care mechanism to promote well-being (Hobson, 2023;Ladores et al, 2022;Roth, 2017). Self-care encompasses a holistic approach to well-being, involving deliberate practices that address physical, emotional, and mental needs (Riegel et al, 2012).…”

“…The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how adults with CF use hygge practices to promote wellness and cope with their progressive disease. The study was informed by the lived experience of a member of the CF community who found restoration and focus through the incorporation of hygge into her lifestyle (Ladores et al, 2022). To our knowledge, this is the first exploration of how individuals with CF use hygge practices in their daily lives.…”