Comfort Reading: Nurturing the Mind and Soothing the Soul

Posted on June 20, 2023

People are constantly looking for different experiences to make their life easier and have a better life. Due to our nature, we seek comfort and convenience. In the quest, we can sometimes have various destructive and exhausting emotions from the struggle for survival during our daily routines. Sometimes we may feel like we have completely lost control of the flow. At times when we lose control, we may need to experience emotions and determine their position in our lives. Because this is important for the mind and emotion balance. Our emotions and feelings also play an important role in our reactions in life. When we reach harmony as a whole, we have an important comfort in our daily life. Can we have this comfort by reading?

So, is it possible for us to live in this “balance” all the time? We can never even get close to it. Sometimes there is nothing like diving into books for a bookworm, to reduce the noise in our heads and sometimes to correct our feelings and thoughts. Who can say no to a feel-good reading experience to relax, relieve stress, or sometimes lift our spirits? Yes, “Comfort Reading” I am talking exactly about you!

Stress: The Invisible Enemy Shaking Our Daily Lives

We continue the search for comfort in a cycle that repeats itself at certain intervals. This search causes a feeling of being more secure. In today’s world, stress is an inevitable factor in our lives. It has also been revealed by research that stress has many effects on human life such as body, mood, and behavior.

One of the comforting needs is to get away from the negative effects it creates and run into the arms of comfort. With these negative effects, we can get away from the point we want to reach while searching for some things without being aware of it in the rush and routine. I don’t think it should ever be considered a waste of time. Maybe the path you need to take is just not as straight as you want it to be.

Even though one of the most valuable things in life is “time”, I am one of those who think that life should not be lived quickly all the time. I think that slowing down and sometimes even stopping if possible is a very important need for human psychology. Especially for our sanity and quiet life. And I know that the basis of control is to accept what is before as it is.

Why is “Comfort Reading” Important?

I’m someone who tries to slow down the flow as needed and even gets inspired by it. I usually observe that when I feel comfortable, life becomes more beautiful and easier for me. In some moments when life gets tough, we don’t want anyone around us or we can’t find them even if we search. Therefore, having various ways to calm down with our inner voice becomes a very important and necessary skill for us individually. With the decrease in your stress level, you will be able to look at events with a healthier perspective and you will gain an important power about yourself.

Put everything aside, we all always yearn to temporarily get out of a mentally exhausting situation. It is always a good idea for me to achieve this by hugging books, getting through that day with my dear “comfort reading” and relaxing a little. Sometimes re-reading an old book, entering a world that is easy to read and relaxes us. It is an inevitable fact that books will help us have a more balanced and energetic day with the escape and the feeling of relaxation that books provide.

“Reading was my escape and my comfort, my consolation, my stimulant of choice: reading for the pure pleasure of it, for the beautiful stillness that surrounds you when you hear an author’s words reverberating in your head.”

— Paul Auster (The Brooklyn Follies)

According to Who, According to What?

When it comes to reading for relaxation, I guess everyone has a different taste. I think that the number of people who find this search for comfort in a world where they have read before is not small. Some want to read fantasy/science fiction to get away from the order we are in, or who want to dive into a romantic story. What kind of book we want has something to do with your current mood. For example, me! A story where I can feel hope and happiness is one of the things, I look for the most. I love happy endings. According to bookworms, we want to act with books, which are one of our favorite forms of entertainment, and sometimes according to the emotion they make us feel. The emotion we are looking for in this article is “Comfort”!

Let’s talk about a few great “Comfort Reading” options

Combining the classic and the romantic, Jane Austen’s novels: “Pride and Prejudice”, “Emma” or “Sense and Sensibility”.
From fantasy fiction and one of my childhood’s greatest entertainments, J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” series! I can never tell them apart, they’re all my babies. But for me, after the fourth book, it’s downhill, happy childhood is over!
For some, diving into a mysterious world; Mystery and crime novels: I think any of Agatha Christie’s books are appropriate, unfortunately, it wasn’t a genre that caught my attention.
Some more of my favorites, Chick Lit: Maybe “Devil Wears Prada”, “Bridget Jones’s Diary”, an old Jojo Moyes book.
She had us all under her spell, remember Elizabeth Gilbert’s “Eat, Pray, Love”. Books that will remind you that one has to turn within for the power one seeks in times of distress.
I think historical fictions are also at the top of the list among the books that are quite comforting for me. At the time, I enjoyed reading the books of Philippa Gregory’s series about Tudor history.

Let’s Get Personal Growth While Relaxing Our Heads?

I guess self-help/personal development books may not be the type that everyone would think of as a “comfort reading” category. When we read what we know or don’t know about ourselves, we want our focus to be clear and our minds clear. It’s not a couple that came together for me at first. But as I researched and read about it, I saw different perspectives and frankly, my opinion changed a bit.

Personal development books and the books we choose for comfort reading can help us understand both our thoughts and emotions while we read. These readings open a window to your inner world, making it easier for us to reflect on ourselves, and can provide insight into the person.
Both are books that have a high impact on our emotional intelligence. Examining and reading human behavior and reactions can improve understanding first of ourselves and then of our environment.
Ah! What do you think, if both are not motivating? While one is inspired towards goals, comfort reading can motivate by increasing positive emotions and thoughts.
But most importantly! I think the most important is the message of both of them: “Dear Myself!”. Taking time for ourselves is very valuable both for personal development and for emptying the mind and doing our emotional care.

I assume that every healthy individual does not forget that mental and physical health is a whole. While personal development readings offer the opportunity to develop yourself and discover your potential, comfort reading can help an individual reduce stress, relax and feel good. When we realize these points, it shows us how valuable the two complement each other. While both serve different purposes according to the needs and preferences of the person, they can unite on common points and help provide holistic development and welfare.

Epilogue

I repeat I am one of those who think that everything we do and every step of our life does not have to have great meaning. Every moment does not have to serve a purpose or that purpose does not have to be as important and meaningful as you think. Sometimes we may realize later that our experiences serve a purpose that we did not understand that day. Every passing time has a purpose and meaning in itself, you may just not be able to catch your eye at that moment. Some time should be spent by yourself.

If your need is to stare at that wall blankly and listen to music, I think you should do it! Also, re-reading a book you’ve read should never be considered a waste of time. Yes, we cannot turn back time in this life. Because, indeed, we’re always moving forward in time, but if your mind, emotions, and the inner world need the emotion that the old book reminds you of, you should take the time to do it. I don’t think there are major lessons to be learned from each book for yourself, either. But as someone who reads books, I know that books serve and nourish you in any way, whether you want them or not.