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.

The dark, bright sides of self comfort

By: Chloe Resma

Taking time away. Therapy. Meditation. Deep breathing. All of these are ways some use to cope with undesirable emotions, along with many other methods. Finding the strength to take these steps towards healing isn’t always easy though. Being in a vulnerable and troubled state can make it hard to help oneself, and may lead to a self detrimental mindset. Coping in healthy ways is a struggle among many.

What brings comfort differs from person to person. Whether that be yoga, watching movies, playing video games, connecting with nature, scrolling endlessly through TikTok, or some other form of relaxation. Oftentimes in moments of sadness we turn to the things we find comfort in, but using positive distractions to mask emotions isn't always healthy. It ultimately gives the same effect as applying a bandage to a wound, the wound may still remain after removing the bandaid. Although there is a distraction blocking out the negative thoughts, doesn't mean they’ve gone away. This all depends on the individual and the problem(s) they are facing.

Coping methods bring a sense of release, meaning that they can be unhealthy. These include Cutting, Drug, sex and alchohol abuse, undereating or overeating, numbing out and fighting with others. Knowing and understanding the difference between healthy and unhealthy coping mechanisms is important. Just because it helps ease the pain in that moment, doesn't mean it’ll help resolve the problem in the long run.

Finding what works for you can be hard. Different people react differently to certain methods. Also, what may work at one point in your life may not help at another. Every moment and situation is different. Gaining consciousness of how oneself is doing in that present moment might help in finding ways to cope.

For some, being in a dark state brings along thoughts of self harm. Diverging these temptations can be a struggle but they should always be avoided. Replacing these tendencies with other coping mechanisms is crucial to the healing process. Losing hope that the situation at hand resolves could leave an individual

lacking the desire to practise self care. Reaching points such as these is completely normal and bound to happen at some time or another. Experiencing mental health struggles happens to most, it's part of character development and growth. Using healthy ways to deal with these bumps in the road will make struggles easier to overcome, even in just the slightest.

Finding comfort within oneself can be really difficult though, especially if the struggle is driven by self created lies, ideas and concepts. As a response to pain, some choose to numb out feelings and consciousness of emotions. This slows down healing. Instead, a healthy response would be to allow feelings, good or bad. Whether that present moment is a good one and you feel amazing, or if it’s terrible, live in it. That's the first step, from there, using healthy coping mechanisms and allowing space for all types of emotions is sometimes the best one can do. Taking it back to healthy coping mechanisms and bringing awareness to one's mental space makes obstacles easier to heal from and overcome. Practise healthy coping.