The Comfort Zone

The other day, a friend of mine wrote on Facebook that she was anxious for springtime to arrive because she misses sitting on her deck in the mornings having her coffee. Then I was watching a sitcom rerun in which a little boy could not go to sleep without his favorite blanket and his recording of soothing sounds. These things got me thinking about how we all have our little rituals that we find comforting.

I have a few. After I get dressed in the morning, my one cat likes to sit with me for a while, and I pet her and rub her belly. It's actually more her ritual, as she will meow at me as if to remind me it is our time to sit together.

I have also made it a daily habit to eat lunch at my computer. It is just something that I have to do, even though I sometimes worry I will spill pop all over my keyboard. Thank goodness I have a backup keyboard.


I also regularly feed the outdoor critters. Even in frigid winter weather, I try to get out to the tree to fill the bird feeder as often as I can during the week. It is something I enjoy doing. I like seeing the birds come flying around the feeder, even before I have gotten back inside the house. It is like my little appointment with nature.



There are those parts of our daily routine, no matter how mundane, that can be comforting, help break up stress, and make us content by helping us to maintain a balance in life between the must-do and the want-to-do. The day just doesn't feel right without them, and in fact, not doing them can lead to a bad day.


Sometimes we just need our favorite blanket to get to sleep.