How Hygge Supports Mental Health Through Comfort and Connection

Luzia Bowden
7 days ago
3 min read

Mental wellness isn’t something we switch on when life gets overwhelming—it’s something we quietly build through the rhythms of our days. The way we rest, the way we gather, the way we allow ourselves to feel safe and connected all shape our inner world. The Danish concept of hygge offers a powerful reminder of this truth. Hygge isn’t about aesthetics or trends. It’s about creating conditions where the mind, body and soul can finally relax.

How Hygge Supports Mental Health Through Comfort and Connection

What Hygge Really Means

Hygge (pronounced hoo-gah) is often described as “coziness,” but that translation barely scratches the surface. Hygge is a felt sense of warmth, ease, belonging, and emotional safety. It’s the glow of candlelight on a dark evening, shared laughter around a table, or a quiet moment that feels deeply nourishing. More than anything, hygge is about presence—being fully here, without rushing, performing, or striving.

Hygge and the Nervous System

One of the most profound aspects of hygge is how it supports nervous system regulation.

Modern life keeps many of us stuck in a state of constant alert—scrolling, responding, producing, and consuming. Our nervous systems rarely get the signal that it’s safe to slow down. Hygge intentionally sends that signal.

Soft lighting, warmth, and familiar environments help calm the stress response.
Slow activities—like sipping tea, reading, or cooking—activate the parasympathetic nervous system, often called the “rest and digest” state.
Predictable, comforting rituals create a sense of safety, which is essential for emotional regulation.

Hygge doesn’t force relaxation; it invites it. And that invitation can be deeply healing for a mind that’s been overstimulated for too long.

Hygge Is About Connection - Not Screens

While hygge is often pictured as a solitary, cozy moment, at its heart it is deeply relational. In Danish culture, hygge is commonly shared—with friends, family, neighbors, and loved ones.

True hygge asks us to put our phones down. Not out of discipline or guilt, but out of devotion to real connection.

Sitting at the table without distractions
Making eye contact during conversations
Letting silence exist without reaching for a screen
Laughing, storytelling, and simply being together

These moments of IRL connection help regulate our nervous systems just as much as physical comfort does. Humans are wired for belonging, and hygge creates a space where connection feels easy, unforced, and genuine. In a world that constantly pulls our attention away, hygge gently brings it back—to the people in front of us.

“Hygge is about an atmosphere and an experience, rather than about things. It is about being with the people we love, a feeling of home, a feeling that we are safe.”— Meik Wiking

Practicing Hygge in Everyday Life

Hygge doesn’t require perfection, money, or a specific look, it’s about intention and feeling.

Create a sense of warmth - Choose soft lighting over harsh brightness. Add textures that feel comforting. Let your space support calm instead of stimulation.

Slow the pace - Do fewer things at once. Let moments stretch instead of rushing through them. -Slowness is a form of care.

Build small rituals - Morning coffee in silence. Evening walks. Reading before bed. Repeated moments of comfort teach the nervous system what safety feels like.

Choose presence over productivity - Not every moment needs to be optimized. Some moments are meant to be enjoyed, not measured.

Gather without distraction - Invite people over. Share food. Leave phones in another room. Let connection be the main event.

Hygge as a Philosophy of Care - Hygge is not escapism. It doesn’t deny difficulty or pretend life is always soft. Instead, it offers a way to tend to ourselves and one another amid uncertainty.

It teaches us that:

Rest is not laziness
Comfort is not weakness
Connection is essential to mental health

Hygge is a reminder that well-being grows in small, repeated moments of warmth and attention.

In conclusion

Hygge isn’t something to achieve. It’s something to allow.

A quieter evening. A shared meal. A moment without a screen. A space where your nervous system can soften and your relationships can deepen.

Sometimes, mental wellness begins not with doing more—but with gathering closer, slowing down, and choosing warmth. 🕯️

A Book to Explore Hygge More Deeply

The Little Book of Hygge by Meik Wiking - Written by the CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen, this book explores hygge through culture, science, and everyday practices. It’s accessible, thoughtful, and grounding, a lovely companion for anyone seeking more ease and balance.