Hygge: "A quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being"

As endless as something like depression can be, many people only realize their depressive state because they have also experienced kindness, support, and comfort. I think when telling the stories of people that struggle with depression it's as important to remember that we're more than our mental illnesses. While I can’t speak for everyone featured in this series, I think that my being is as much my depression as it is my passions and aspirations

And so, without further ado, I present Hygge x Depression, a series on physical areas of comfort in juxtaposition with depression.

“If you want to participate in this project or have a question for me, please send a message through the contact page.”

Shirley

Hygge: To me, hygge is a fleeting moment in which I recognize a pure sense of enjoyment. I feel genuine at the gym, knowing that my surrounding peers are busy focusing on their own activity to place attention on others. At the same time, it's the place that inspired and connected me to close friends who have contributed to other experiences of hygge.

Depression: When they say "you are your own worst enemy," they're not wrong. In my room where I'm the most comfortable and alone, I am also vulnerable to a trainwreck of thoughts and emotions.

T 

Hygge: "I feel hygge when I'm in the warmth of home and protected from weather like storms and snow." 

Depression: "I feel depression strongest when I'm isolated." 

Jamie

Hygge: "I feel hygge when I go for long drives with no real destination. On a warm night with the windows down, driving on quiet roads helps me clear my mind and center myself around something simple and sensory. It allows me to be comfortable in the moment—I don't have to think about anything besides the immediate processes of driving the car and taking in my surroundings."

Depression: "When my depression is bad, it isn't really sadness. It’s just sitting around and not feeling anything. Eventually nothing seems like it’s worth taking care of. I stop texting people back, I stop taking showers, I stop going to therapy. I stop investing in anything because it all feels like more trouble than it’s worth. So instead of engaging, I just sit on the sofa until it's time to go to bed again."

Morgan

Hygge: "Right when I wake up in the morning. Everyone knows that moment when they wake up and everything's okay. I never appreciated it until recently.  I just moved out from my mother's home and I have my own space for the first time in a few years. In the morning, light comes in from my windows and hits spaces in the carpet. It's the first thing I see every day and as weird as it is it makes me feel at peace."

Depression: "Parties. I can enjoy myself but there's this constant nagging of loneliness which is the biggest symptom of my depression. I always feel it but being surrounded by people and still having that crushing weight is devastating. I'm exhausted by the end of the night because I've spent hours overthinking everything I do. Parties are a reminder that there's something really wrong with me because no matter how many people surround me, I'm alone."

Steven

Hygge: "I feel hygge when I'm practically anywhere with my close friends. Getting food, playing games together, you name it. It usually takes a lot out of me to engage socially for prolonged spans of time. But with the right people, I feel radiance and warmth for as long as we're together — be it a friendly wave as we cross paths or a multi-day sleepover."

Depression: "I feel depression strongest when I'm alone and under a lot of stress. I'll often get hit with a whirlwind of assignments that are due at the same and cripple my psyche. Lying in bed, thinking of all that needs to be done, and feeling like I can't reach out to anyone makes up the trifecta of me falling to my lowest point."

Michael

Hygge: "I feel the most hygge when I'm playing fighting games with other people. This outlet has given me a way to express myself freely without judgement. The community within fighting games is amazing too. I can honestly say that my life would be ten times different if I didn't have this outlet or community."

Depression: "I feel the most depressed when I'm emotionally rejected. The carnival was the first place I experienced that feeling. I essentially run on my emotions; to reject them is to basically reject me as a whole."