Getting comfortable By: Isabel Murillo Comfort can be seen as a sense of stability and a freedom of pain or stress. However, what does comfort look like specifically? Is it getting a hug from your favorite person at the end of a stressful day? Or is it curling up with a good book on a cold winter evening? The perception of comfort is quite complex, there are countless events, experiences and emotions that play a big role in comfort. Fortunately, comfort is in the eye of the beholder. “I believe you can't put a look on comfort, it's an expression that you can see when someone has that comfort that they get,” freshman Emma Zike said. There are roughly four branches of comfort, the branches include: Physical, consumption, familiarity, and social comfort. Although comfort is complex and can be seen as countless concepts, comfort usually falls under these categories. Physical comfort can be viewed as curling up with a blanket and reading a book. “I use art or reading as a way to soothe myself I guess you can say. Art helps me release/show emotion which I can be really bad at, and is something I struggle with. And reading just gets me outta my head. Because my brain is always thinking, and sometimes I need a way to take a break from my head, constantly thinking of the past or the trillion possibilities that can come out of me doing something,” said Freshman Alexandra Ureno. Consumption comfort is finding comfort in consuming food or drinks. “When I have comfort food it makes me feel okay, and it makes me feel better in some cases, especially if it is healthy food,” said Freshman Emma Zike.
Familiarity comfort is finding comfort in the things that are already familiar to you, this comfort can range from finding nostalgia in old movies, tv shows and even old toys. Social comfort is finding comfort socially, it can be venting to friends about a problem or it can be spending time with friends as a distraction from problems in life. Nonetheless, the good in finding comfort must always have a downside. Being too dependent on comfort can have negative effects on emotions, behavior and the day to day life. For example, being too dependent on physical comfort can interfere with sleep, relationships and can cause emotional instability, likewise for familiarity comfort. Being too dependent on unhealthy comfort foods can lead to an unhealthy diet and lifestyle. In addition, being too dependent on social comfort can not only cause emotional stress to the over dependent person in a relationship but it can cause emotional unwellness to both parties. Furthermore, any unhealthy comfort habit can be a likely sign that another problem is occurring. Similarly to how comfort is in the eye of the beholder, comfort is quite complex from an outside perspective. Watching others get a hug after a negative experience or watching someone relax themselves by playing video games after a long day of work can give many emotions, these emotions are impacted by other events and experiences that eventually build up the way one may see comfort altogether. In general receiving good comfort may seem like it brings great relief and happiness. However, watching others asking or receiving comfort may not feel the same. Insecurity, jealousy, negative experiences and events often play a significant role in how comfort is perceived. In general receiving good comfort may seem like it brings great relief and happiness. However, watching others asking or receiving comfort may not feel the same. Insecurity, jealousy, negative e
Isabel Murillo// EOTT experiences and events often play a significant role in how comfort is perceived. “Seeing others seeking comfort sometimes makes me feel a bit sorrowful, but also makes me feel responsible to comfort them,” said freshman Seth Thaoxaochay. Being in the state of emotional distress not only can take a toll on the person feeling the strong emotion, it can also take a toll on the people around them. Watching someone be in the state of needing comfort can make one feel sorrowful, however watching someone finally receive the comfort they needed can give off a surprisingly positive emotion. “I feel that seeing others seek comfort is a beautiful thing. Especially when it's someone you know and you know that they have problems seeking it and trying to get help that it brings you happiness. I try to be there so people can feel comfortable enough to seek that comfort they need from me because it is honestly very refreshing and it makes my heart happy that someone is getting that love and support they need to get through something,” said Freshman Emma Zike. In summary, there is no specific look on comfort, whether it's watching someone receive a hug after a negative experience or watching someone curl up with a book to find peace, comfort is in the eye of the beholder, it is a complex concept that everyone can experience in any situation.
