Simple ways to find comfort and happiness

10 Tips for Finding Everyday Comfort

1. Today when you ask someone, "How are you?" take the time to really listen. Slow down for five minutes and be present. Listening to another person is a true gift of comfort in our busy world.

2. Encourage someone to take a comfort break with you. Go to a matinee move, see an art show, take your shoes off and walk on the sand, or relax on lounge chairs in the backyard.

3. A comfortable home benefits everyone who lives there and everyone who visits. Find easy ways to create more comfort in your home. Get new throw pillows for the sofa, fill a vase with fresh flowers, make Sunday morning breakfast, or clear out the linen closet and neatly fold the towels.

4. Imagine a thread connecting every human being. Connecting yourself to the web of life can provide comfort. We are not in each other's way, but we are the way for each other. We are the sources of comfort for one another.

5. Create a moment in the morning that brings comfort to those around you. Put out a bowl of fresh fruit on the breakfast table, give your spouse a good morning hug, say hello to the person serving coffee, or offer someone your seat on the bus.

6. Is there something that has given you comfort that you could now give to someone else who is needing comfort? It could be a book, a picture, a figurine, a rosary, or a soft sweater. Offer this gift as a sign of support and caring.

7. Listen to another person without any pressure to give advice or solve a problem. Allow yourself to lean back, let go, and give the person plenty of room. Listening is enough. Sometimes all another person wants is the comfort of being listened to, without interpretation or interruption.

8. Appreciate the comfort you can receive from the presence of simple but sacred objects: a wedding ring, a favorite bracelet, a photograph of a loved one, an icon. Take a look around. Recognize the objects that are giving you comfort - privately, quietly, daily.

9. Your everyday routines can be a continual source of comfort. How many times has that first sip of coffee or tea in the morning brought you pleasure and comfort? How many times has snuggling into your bed at night given you comfort? What other moments in your day bring you comfort?

10. Discover how comforting simple gratitude can be in your life. Throughout the day, say the words, thank you, quietly to yourself as you eat, as you walk, as you give someone a hug.