The Art of Being Comfortable; Find your zone and stay in it

BEING comfortable is much like hugging your grandma. It’s about feeling relaxed, well cushioned, settled and safe. You’re ready to hear a good story or put your feet up and watch your favourite TV show. You might even exhale and say, “Ahhh.”

Some people guard their favourite comfy chair or sofa like it’s the gate to a lost civilisation, but for most, bed is the place where they feel at their comfiest. The best beds on the market are those made from memory foam which moulds round you as you disappear out of sight. Experts believe if we all had them society would grind to a halt because no-one would get up for work.

Once in bed everyone has their comfy side and you shouldn’t read anything deep into whether it leaves you facing away from your partner.

For optimum comfort I’d suggest two pillows for the head while the arm closest to the bed should be right angled at the elbow and your hand resting on the pillow at eye level. You other arm can just lie where it falls.

To be a bit fancy, you could try a third pillow between your legs to cushion the knee section. If you’ve secretly stolen this extra pillow from you’re partner that could explain why you prefer to sleep with your back to them.

More generally, most people have a comfort zone and this refers to their internal level of comfort. Once out of their zone, they may start sweating unappealingly and look like a little lost lamb. It’s a bit like me in the Co-op when I’m trying to remember a list of more than three things.

If being comfortable is your goal my advice is to get back in your zone as quickly as possible. Don’t be challenging or testing yourself and if you have to eat four tubs of ice cream to make yourself feel better afterwards then you go ahead and do that.

Unfortunately, in many areas of comfort, desirability has to be sacrificed. Comfy trousers and shoes have something of the retirement home about them and comfy knickers, which I imagine are much gentler on the derriere than dental floss g-strings, aren’t what ladies would want to be wearing if rescued by a handsome fireman.

For some people all these tips will be wasted because they aren’t even comfortable in their own skin. Everything is rubbish and the grass is always greener until they get where they’re going and realise they’re still stuck with themselves.

On the other hand, some people are just too comfortable with themselves. Accepting of the most annoying habits that would shame most people, they insist with a smile that it’s just them. It’s only when you’ve closed the door behind them that you truly appreciate the comfort of your own home.

Next week… The Art of being Political