Author: Matt Haig
| Short Summary |
| The Comfort Book (2021) by Matt Haig is a book in which he offers his personal experiences and philosophies on how to get through periods of feeling anxious, depressed, or burned out. The book explores the ways how to overcome mental issues by taking baby but significant steps and this all starts by finding strength, hope, and presence in the moment to appreciate you are enough. In The Comfort Book, Haig uses unconventional strategies to develop a sense of self-worth and look after your mental health. |
Detailed Summary
The true challenge we face is to look at ourselves and the world honestly. To see what wounds there are, so we help heal them. Not to flinch. Not to spend our life wrapped in denial and trying to avoid pain. Not try to avoid the feelings.
As Buddhist writer Pema Chödrön put it, ‘the most fundamental harm we can do to ourselves, is to remain ignorant by not having the courage and the respect to look at ourselves honestly and gently. Healing means to live in the raw.
The comfort book” by Matt Haig
Have you ever felt like giving up everything due to depression and stress?
Depression can affect anyone, whether they are weak or strong, but when it shows up, it can feel like a sucker punch to the gut, and it doesn’t always look like depression.
It doesn’t show up in the form of tears and sadness. People think they’ll never be happy again because finding light at the end of the tunnel isn’t easy. People end up sacrificing their lives when they reach the bottom point.
Matt Haig knows tho very well since he battled with depression and he was at such a low point in his life that he tried to jump from the cliff. Want to know how he stopped himself and what gave him hope to keep going? This is what you’ll learn in ‘The Comfort Book.’
The Comfort Book Key Points
Don’t Believe the Negative State of Mind
Being depressed sometimes feels like being stuck in the middle of the ocean, striving not to drown. It feels as if there is no escape from the condition. That’s the phase when your brain starts flooding with negative thoughts, but you need to realize not to trust all of the thoughts that pop up in your mind.
Believe me; it can make life seem dark and hopeless. Depression is just a part of who you are, but it doesn’t define you – you are worth more than that.
In depression and anxiety, people lose their sense of life and believe that they won’t be happy again. I admit it is the toughest moment of life when you want to give up on everything, including yourself.
Depression can make you feel like you are nothing, but you are not your depression. The key is finding the light and pushing yourself forward, even if it is one step.
It’s important to remember that life is full of ups and downs. It’s not all bad, even when it feels like it is. There is always hope for a better tomorrow.
There is a saying that Things will only get better and fade away when you allow them. Therefore, alleviate your negative thoughts by recalling your life’s happy and energetic moments. Because there is more to do in life than sit in a place and start your depressive chapter.
Get Hope from Someone else when you Feel Low
It’s nearly too impossible to trust yourself when you are getting through tough times that you’ll ever be happy again. But you can borrow some hope by learning about others’ lives.
It is OKAY to share the thoughts that take you to this level of anxiety.
Whenever you feel stuck at some point and lose your faith, just look up some inspirational stories from people who have also experienced adversity. If we take a look at Maya Angelou, who is now one of the world’s best activists and writers, who survived an abusive childhood.
We came to know that “We can’t control what happens to us; we can control how we react to things that happen – that’s what will shape our future.”
You can also find your way to survive and live a beautiful and meaningful life afterward by taking inspiration, faith, and energy from the stories of people.
Learn the art of saying ‘NO’
I’m too busy to have coffee with you right now…”
“I have to finish this project before I can help you with your question…”
“I have 20 emails to answer, so I must focus on them…”
” I can’t attend the party; I’m not interested…”
Are these sentences sound uncomfortable coming out of your mouth?
Saying no is a sign of professional maturity. Instead of saying “No,” you default to “Yes” because you are always working hard and taking on as much as possible, but then you end up feeling resentment toward your actions instead of motivation.
Embrace your Imperfection
The last thing a person can do to themselves is embraced imperfections and flaws. When was the last time you owned your weaknesses?
Being yourself means being messy; you can be emotional and cry at stupid things. But the most important thing is to be true to yourself and speak your mind every second. You are valuable exactly the way you are. You are not going to change your personality.
You don’t need to become someone else to put your best self forward. What you are is an endearing human being, and that’s perfect. Have you read My Age of Anxiety Summary yet? if not, it will help you a lot.
Write it all Down
As long as you are honest with yourself, you’ll find writing a very effective way to release the emotions and feelings you have pent. It can help you to feel relaxed and stress-free.
Writing down things helps you to understand yourself better and become more aware of your emotions. You can write about anything that is bothering you, but it is best to start with something small and then move on to bigger issues.
Writing is also important to remember all the good and bad things too. Like if you find something motivational, you can write it down in your diary to feel motivated, or If you’re going through tough times, writing it down will help you remember that It’ll get better one day.
Listen to Music
Music is magic. It can take you to the past or remind you of someone. If you want to feel good, listen to music. Music is a universal language that everyone can understand. When you’re feeling down, turn on some music because it has the power to lift your spirits and put you in a better mood.
So, make sure to put some music on whenever you need to feel relaxed.
Cultivate curiosity and seek out Wonder
Do you know what the enemy of anxiety is? It’s curiosity!!
The reason is that curiosity requires a certain amount of mental energy, and anxiety uses up the same resource. When you start wondering about the world, you become fascinated by wonders instead of staying in the darkroom of your mind.
Wonder and pleasure are the antidotes to anxiety or depression. Staring at the sky, at the stars, won’t make you out of your depression, but it can divert your mind towards wonder. Experience different wonderful things every day. Study the mountains, or spend some time in nature. Gather those small moments of wonder to make yourself fascinated again and again. You must read Letting Go Book Summary in order to let it go for your good.
Who would I recommend ‘The comfort book’ to?
Anyone who is looking for unconventional strategies to deal with anxiety, depression, and any mental health issues. Also, this book is best to read for those who get depressed and finds it hard to start all over again.