50 Small Comforts for Days When Life Feels a Bit Much

Some days are just hard.

Sometimes there is an obvious reason, while other times, everything feels a bit too much and you can’t quite explain why. On those days, I don’t think we always need grand plans, big changes or someone telling us to look on the bright side or to “just smile”.

Instead, perhaps we just need something small that makes the day feel a tiny bit more manageable.

For me, that might be opening some chocolate, chatting with a friend or spending a while rearranging my card collection. Or maybe it is building a small LEGO set, having one of my favourite ice lollies or spending some time around animals.

None of these things magically fixes anything, and of course that isn’t what this list is about, they are simply little comforts that might give you something familiar to hold on to, something to look forward to or even just a few minutes where your mind is focused elsewhere.

So, if today is proving difficult, here are 50 little comforts that might help make it feel a little more manageable.

1. Have Some Chocolate

Sometimes chocolate is the answer.

It doesn’t need to be anything fancy. A few squares of your favourite bar, a chocolate biscuit or the treat you’ve been saving can bring a little bit of enjoyment to an otherwise difficult day.

Personally, give me a bar of Galaxy dipped in a cup of tea and I’m happy.

Yes, I dip my chocolate in tea, no, I will not be taking questions.

2. Make Tea in Your Favourite Mug

The mug absolutely matters.

I have about five big mugs that I rotate between, including Winnie the Pooh and dog ones. Somehow tea just tastes better when there’s a ridiculous amount of it, and it comes in a mug you love.

Whatever your drink of choice, bring out the good mug.

3. Chat With a Friend

You don’t necessarily need to have a serious conversation about how you’re feeling.

Sometimes chatting about absolutely nothing, sharing silly videos or sending increasingly ridiculous memes is exactly the distraction you need.

4. Build a Small LEGO Set

A small LEGO set gives your hands something to do while your mind focuses on following the instructions and watching everything slowly come together.

It doesn’t need to be a huge build either. I love BrickHeadz for this, with my Eeyore one being a particular favourite.

Something you can finish in one sitting can feel surprisingly satisfying.

5. Put On Your Favourite Perfume

You don’t need to be leaving the house to wear your favourite perfume.

A familiar scent can make you feel a little more like yourself, even when you’re spending the day at home in your comfiest clothes.

Mine is YSL Libre, and I see absolutely no reason to save it for days when I’m actually going somewhere.

6. Spend Time With Animals

Animals have a wonderful way of making the world feel a little less complicated.

Cuddle your pet, visit somewhere with animals, watch the birds outside or, if all else fails, turn to the internet.

Dog and cat videos have got me through many an hour.

7. Rearrange Your Card Collection

Sometimes I find it comforting just to sit with my card collection.

I might rearrange a binder, look through some favourite cards or decide which ones belong together. It gives me something familiar to focus on without needing lots of energy.

You can, of course, substitute cards for whatever you collect. There’s something wonderfully absorbing about reorganising things purely because you enjoy them.

8. Put On Your Comfiest Clothes

Choose the soft jumper, oversized T-shirt, comfortable pyjamas or trousers that don’t dig in anywhere.

Hard days are not the time for uncomfortable waistbands.

9. Watch a Film You Loved as a Child

Revisit something you haven’t watched in years.

You may remember every line, rediscover characters you’d forgotten or discover that the entire film is much stranger than you realised as a child.

Nostalgia can be a lovely place to disappear into for a couple of hours. Or if you want something new but still has that nostalgic vibe you get from Disney films, I definitely recommend Hoppers!

10. Read Your Uplifting Postcards

Write kind thoughts, happy memories, favourite quotes or little reminders on fun postcards, then keep them somewhere you can return to when you need them.

The lovely thing about doing this in advance is that you don’t have to come up with something positive while you’re already having a difficult day. You’ve left a little collection of kindness there for yourself to find.

11. Have Your Favourite Ice Lolly

Ice lollies aren’t only for hot summer days, although right now they definitely are.

I’m loving Callipos at the moment, but whatever your favourite is, there’s something about an ice lolly that feels like a proper little treat.

And if it’s November? I’m not judging.

12. Spend a Little Time in Nature

This doesn’t have to mean heading off on a long woodland walk.

Sit in the garden, look at the trees, watch the clouds, open a window and listen to the birds or simply find somewhere outside where you can sit for a little while.

A few quiet minutes still count.

13. Listen to an Audiobook

An audiobook can give your mind somewhere completely different to go without asking you to concentrate on a screen.

I always seem to have an enormous list of books waiting, so for me it’s normally something new rather than an old favourite.

Your local library may also give you free access to audiobook services such as BorrowBox or Libby, so it’s worth seeing what’s available. If you have a chronic health condition which means you struggle with holding or reading a book, Listening Books is a must-know about charity; it offers you access to 1000s of audiobooks via the Libby app for just £25 a year (or they do offer free membership to anyone who is having financial issues). Personally, as I can no longer read books due to my keratoconus, it’s been a wonderful addition to my library access.

14. Put On Jewellery You Love

You don’t need somewhere special to go to wear your favourite jewellery.

Personally, I always have to have my rings on. They have beads on them that I can fidget with, which also helps stop me picking, so they’re comforting in more ways than one.

Wear the necklace, bracelet, earrings or ring that makes you happy simply because you can.

15. Do a Puzzle

Try a jigsaw, crossword, word search, Sudoku or puzzle app.

Having one small problem in front of you that actually does have an answer can sometimes be a welcome change.

16. Save and Revisit Kind Messages

Keep screenshots of kind messages, compliments or lovely things people have said to you.

Save them in a folder on your phone, write them in a notebook or add them to your uplifting postcards. On difficult days, it can be nice to revisit words that are very easy to forget.

17. Treat Yourself to One Little Thing

It doesn’t need to be expensive or particularly sensible.

Sometimes having a little something to look forward to can brighten a difficult day.

If you’re a little naughty like me, that might mean buying a spot in a Whatnot Disney card break and waiting to see what gets pulled.

Was it essential? No.

Did it give me something fun to watch? Absolutely.

18. Rewatch a Favourite TV Programme

There is comfort in knowing what is going to happen.

You don’t have to learn a whole new cast of characters or worry about an unexpected ending. You can just spend some time with something familiar.

For me, Doctor Who is always there waiting.

19. Eat Toast Exactly How You Like It

Butter right to the edges.

Your favourite topping.

Cut into triangles, squares or left whole because apparently we all have opinions about this.

Make it exactly how you like it.

20. Play With Make-Up

If make-up is something you enjoy, spend some time experimenting without worrying about creating a perfect finished look.

Try a colour you don’t normally wear, rediscover an old favourite or simply enjoy playing around.

Nobody said you actually have to be going anywhere afterwards.

21. Watch Animals Being Silly Online

The internet has many faults.

Its endless supply of dogs refusing to cooperate, cats squeezing themselves into boxes they clearly don’t fit into and animals generally being ridiculous is not one of them.

Sometimes you need ten minutes of nonsense.

22. Put Fresh Bedding on the Bed

Admittedly, changing the bedding is not the comforting part.

Getting into the fresh bedding afterwards absolutely is.

If you have the energy, future-you will be very grateful.

23. Listen to a Favourite Song

Choose the song you know every word to.

Turn it up, sing along if you want to or simply let something familiar fill the room for a few minutes.

24. Browse a Favourite Shop

Online window-shopping can be enjoyable even when you have absolutely no intention of buying anything.

Etsy is particularly dangerous for me. You can start by looking at one perfectly innocent thing and somehow end up twenty pages deep in handmade jewellery, stationery, collectables and things you didn’t know existed ten minutes ago.

Adding things to a wish list is free. 😂

25. Wrap Yourself in a Favourite Blanket

Not just any blanket.

The soft one you always reach for. The one that has somehow become your blanket and everyone else should know better than to take it.

Get comfortable on the sofa and let the blanket do its job.

26. Take a Photograph Just for Yourself

Not everything needs to be shared online.

Photograph something that made you smile, something beautiful you noticed or a completely ordinary moment you want to remember.

You don’t have to post it anywhere. It can just be yours.

27. Make a Snack Plate

Forget worrying about whether everything belongs together and put a few things you actually fancy on a plate.

Cheese, crackers, fruit, crisps, chocolate or whatever happens to be lurking in the cupboard.

There are no snack plate rules.

28. Look Through Old Photographs

Scroll through photographs that make you smile or dig out an old photo album.

It’s amazing how many tiny details and memories can come flooding back from one photograph you’d completely forgotten about.

29. Put Your Phone on Do Not Disturb

Give yourself permission not to be immediately available to everyone.

Messages will still be there later. Notifications do not require your attention the second they arrive.

Sometimes the world can wait.

30. Look Through a Favourite Collection

Cards, stickers, figures, crystals, books, stamps or something completely different.

You don’t even have to reorganise anything this time.

Just spend a while looking through the things you’ve collected because you genuinely enjoy them.

31. Order a Favourite Meal

Trying something new can be exciting.

Other times, you want the meal you already know you’re going to enjoy.

I’m awful for ordering a jacket potato from Subway on a bad day, although our local chippy also does a great halloumi wrap which can definitely tempt me.

Comfort food doesn’t have to make sense to anyone except you.

32. Sit Somewhere Different

Move to a different chair, sit by the window or take your drink outside.

You don’t have to go anywhere exciting. A small change of scenery can sometimes make the day feel slightly less stuck.

33. Light a Favourite Candle

Choose a scent you genuinely enjoy and let it make the room feel a little cosier.

I’m always drawn to vanilla and lavender scents.

If candles aren’t suitable for your home, a wax melt or flameless candle can help create a similar atmosphere.

34. Make Plans for Something You Enjoy

Having something small to look forward to can help when today isn’t going particularly well.

It could be a favourite meal, a film night, a trip somewhere local, seeing a friend or something else entirely.

It doesn’t need to be a huge event to count.

35. Have a Warm Shower

Let the water run over your shoulders and take your time if you can.

This does not need to turn into an elaborate 17-step self-care routine.

Sometimes a shower is just a shower, and that’s enough.

36. Listen to Music From a Happy Time in Your Life

Put on music that takes you back to a holiday, a favourite night out, your school days or another time you remember fondly.

It’s funny how hearing one song can suddenly bring back details you haven’t thought about in years.

37. Cancel Something Non-Essential

If something can wait and cancelling it would give you some much-needed breathing room, allow yourself to reconsider it.

Not everything has to be pushed through simply because it was written in the diary.

38. Bring Home Something That Made You Smile

It might be a small bunch of flowers, a funny postcard, an unusual sticker, a little collectable or something you spotted in a charity shop.

It doesn’t have to be expensive.

It doesn’t even have to be useful.

Sometimes liking it is reason enough.

39. Spend Some Time Near Water

Sit beside a canal, lake, river or the sea if you have somewhere accessible nearby.

There’s something lovely about just watching the water for a while.

If getting out isn’t possible, listening to waves or flowing water at home can bring a little bit of that feeling indoors.

40. Have a Lie-Down

You don’t have to earn rest.

Sometimes lying somewhere comfortable for a while is exactly what you need.

No productivity required.

41. Stop Saving Things for Best

Use the fancy shower gel.

Open the nice stationery.

Try the beauty product you’ve been saving.

I am terrible for this, particularly with beauty products and stationery. You keep something because it’s too nice to use, then eventually realise you’ve owned it for approximately 400 years.

Use the nice things.

42. Have Breakfast Food at the Wrong Time

Cereal for dinner?

Toast for supper?

Sometimes a bowl of Special K is exactly what you fancy.

There are no breakfast police.

43. Have a Picnic Indoors

If the weather is miserable or going outside isn’t an option, bring the picnic inside.

Gather some snacks, get comfortable with a blanket and make your own version on the sofa.

The weather doesn’t get to cancel everything.

44. Watch the Sunset

You don’t need to travel anywhere special.

Look through the window, sit outside or simply notice the sky changing colour.

We’ve had some incredible sunsets visible from our front window, and sometimes stopping for a few minutes to actually look at them is enough.

45. Curl Up on the Sofa With a Blanket

Some days call for abandoning whatever you thought you were going to achieve and getting as comfortable as possible instead.

Grab your favourite blanket, arrange the cushions, find something to watch and settle in.

Today has officially been cancelled.

46. Spend Time Learning About Something You Love

Read about a favourite artist, learn more about an animal, discover the story behind a collectable or disappear down a harmless little internet rabbit hole.

Following your curiosity can be a brilliant distraction, particularly when you suddenly realise an hour has disappeared.

47. Let Yourself Cry

Comfort doesn’t always mean cheering yourself up.

Sometimes things are rubbish and you need to cry.

You don’t have to immediately turn that feeling around, find a positive or make yourself feel better. Sometimes letting it out is enough for now.

48. Eat the Dessert First

Adulthood comes with responsibilities.

It also comes with the ability to decide that dessert is happening before dinner.

I used to go out with a friend specifically for dessert. No starter. No main course. We were there for dessert and dessert alone.

Quite frankly, I think we had our priorities right.

49. Say No Without Writing an Essay

You are allowed to say you can’t manage something without providing a full legal defence explaining why.

You don’t always have to justify, apologise and then justify yourself again.

Sometimes “I can’t today” is enough.

50. Give Yourself Permission to Do Less

Not every day needs to be productive.

There will be days when you get through your entire to-do list and days when simply getting through the day takes everything you’ve got.

Both days still count.

Small Comforts Still Count

A small comfort doesn’t have to fix the whole day to be worthwhile.

If it gives you something to enjoy, helps you feel a little more like yourself or simply makes the next few minutes easier, that still matters.

Final Thoughts

Hard days don’t always need solutions.

Sometimes we need rest, sometimes we need distraction, sometimes we need to talk, cry, laugh at ridiculous animal videos or sit quietly with something familiar.

What comforts one person might do absolutely nothing for somebody else, and that is okay. You don’t have to enjoy long walks, bubble baths or journalling just because they appear on every self-care list ever written.

Your comfort might be chocolate dipped in tea and a favourite mug. It might be sorting cards, building LEGO, spending time with animals or treating yourself to one small thing you’ve had your eye on.

The important thing is finding the little moments that work for you.

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