Hygge, Leadership, and the Permission to Slow Down

By Dr. Christine Fonner

December always changes the energy in the room.

In sessions lately, I’m noticing leaders who are tired in a deeper way. We are living in a time of just feeling mentally full. End-of-year deadlines, family obligations, planning for what’s next and yet the pressure to push through often feels louder than the invitation to pause.

Here’s what I’m seeing in the field: when leaders don’t intentionally slow down, their nervous systems stay stuck in reactive survival mode. That’s when communication strains, patience gets thin, and everything feels like one more thing on the to-do list.

This is where hygge comes in: an invitation to add softness to your leadership practice.

Hygge is about creating moments of safety, warmth, and presence. And while it’s often associated with cozy spaces, what really matters is how it shows up internally. Leaders who practice hygge create environments where people can exhale, think clearly, and show up more fully.

A few simple ways I see this working in real leadership settings:

• Building intentional pauses into meetings instead of rushing straight to outcomes
• Creating predictable routines that reduce decision fatigue
• Naming when the pace needs to slow so clarity and context can catch up
• Honoring reflection as productive, not indulgent

Routines help us function. Rituals help us feel connected. Both matter — especially during high-stress seasons.

When leaders model grounded presence, it gives everyone permission to operate from calm instead of urgency. And that’s often when better decisions, better conversations, and better work actually happen.

As we close out the year, here’s a simple reflection:

Where could you replace pressure with presence (even briefly) and see what shifts?

Leadership doesn’t always require more effort. Sometimes it requires creating enough space to think, feel, and choose differently.

With heart and strategy,
Dr. Christine