70 Comforting Quotes For Helping Yourself and Others When It Is Needed Most

By Danielle Dahl

Writer, Ph.D Candidate and Inspirational quote curator

Published September 8, 2022

Humans, as a general rule, are creatures of comfort; we crave it and seek it from a variety of sources.

Those sources might be the arms of friends and family, or the wise words of people we respect and trust, like these comforting quotes from philosophers, writers, and even the bible.

Sometimes, though, the sources we seek comfort from, like food or alcohol, can lead to more problems, like obesity and alcoholism.

Those situations can make us more depressed, or feeling ashamed or guilty, which drives us back to the thing that we believe gives us comfort.

It is a slippery slope for sure, but you are not alone, and a good therapist can help arm you with some good tools to change this type of detrimental and cyclic behavior.

Part of feeling comforted is having a sense of ‘comfort’ which can be either physical or emotional.

Physical comfort is defined as, “a state of physical ease and freedom from pain or constraint.”

Whereas emotional comfort is defined as, “the easing or alleviation of a person’s feelings of grief or distress.”

When people are experiencing life in a way they perceive as easy and free from pain or grief, and distress, they are hesitant to change anything.

This state is known as the comfort zone and these comforting quotes point out all the reasons for venturing outside of it!

Keep reading for more comforting quotes that you can use to help someone dear to you when they are experiencing the grief of death or some other hardship.

Don’t forget to also check out these caregiver quotes about what it is like caring for others.

If you enjoy this article, check out our most popular quote article, a list of short inspirational quotes for daily motivation.

If you want more motivational quotes, check out our motivational quotes category page.

Words of comfort for when dealing with death and loss

1. “Death ends a life, not a relationship.” — Mitch Albom

2. “All who have been touched by beauty are touched by sorrow at is passing.” — Louise Cordana

3. “To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.” — Thomas Campbell

4. “Our dead are never dead to us, until we have forgotten them.” — George Eliot

5. Life is eternal, and love is immortal, and death is only a horizon; and a horizon is nothing save the limit of our sight.” — Rossiter Worthington Raymond

You will also enjoy our article on quotes about helping others.

6. “Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live.” — Norman Cousins

7. “Unable are the loved to die. For love is immortality.” — Emily Dickinson

8. “The greatest tribute to the dead is not grief but gratitude.” — Thornton Wilder

9. “No one is actually dead until the ripples they cause in the world die away…” — Terry Pratchett

10. “Ain’t no shame in holding on to grief… as long as you make room for other things too.” — “Bubbles,” The Wire

You will also enjoy our article on comfort zone quotes.

Inspirational and comforting quotes to make someone feel better

11. “Cure sometimes, treat often, comfort always.” — Hippocrates

12. “Time makes fools of us all. Our only comfort is that greater shall come after us.” — E. T. Bell

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13. “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” — Martin Luther King, Jr.

14. “Baking cookies is comforting, and cookies are the sweetest little bit of comfort food. They are very bite-sized and personal.” — Sandra Lee

15. “Families are the compass that guide us. They are the inspiration to reach great heights and our comfort when we occasionally falter.” — Brad Henry

16. “Strength of a character isn’t always about how much you can handle before you break. It’s also about how much you can handle after you’ve been broken.” — Robert Tew

17. “When something bad happens you have three choices, you can let it define you, you can let it destroy you, or you can let it strengthen you.” — Dr. Seuss

18. “Walk on, walk on with hope in your heart and you’ll never walk alone.” — Rodgers and Hammerstein, Carousel

19. “The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials.” — Chinese Proverb

20. “Prosperity is not without many fears and disasters, and adversity is not without comforts and hopes.” — Francis Bacon

Comforting quotes to help you step outside your comfort zone

21. “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” — Neale Donald Walsch

22. “Try new things, step out of your comfort zone, take risks, do things in ways you’ve never done them before, ask for help, surround yourself with self-actualized people, become obsessed with the fact that you have one go-round on this planet as the you that is you, and realize how precious and important it is not to squander that.” — Jen Sincero

23. “The best things in life are often waiting for you at the exit ramp of your comfort zone.” — Karen Salmansohn

24. “You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you’ll discover will be wonderful. What you’ll discover is yourself.” — Alan Alda

25. “Just try new things. Don’t be afraid. Step out of your comfort zones and soar, all right?” — Michelle Obama

26. “The comfort zone is the great enemy to creativity; moving beyond it necessitates intuition, which in turn configures new perspectives and conquers fears.” — Dan Stevens

27. “The one thing you learn is when you can step out of your comfort zone and be uncomfortable, you see what you’re made of and who you are.” — Sue Bird

28. “In order to be an icon, you need to be bold. How do I define boldness? Stepping outside of your comfort zone.” — Saweetie

29. “The further you get away from yourself, the more challenging it is. Not to be in your comfort zone is great fun.” — Benedict Cumberbatch

30. “My comfort zone is like a little bubble around me, and I’ve pushed it in different directions and made it bigger and bigger until these objectives that seemed totally crazy eventually fall within the realm of the possible.” — Alex Honnold

Comforting quotes from the bible about hope

31. “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” — Romans 8:18

32. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” — Jeremiah 29:11

33. “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.” — Deuteronomy 31:6

34. “For the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.” — Hebrews 7:19

35. “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” — Romans 15:13

36. “For we, through the Spirit, eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.” — Galatians 5:5

37. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” — Hebrews 11:1

38. “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” — Isaiah 41:10

39. “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” — John 16:33

40. “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.” — Philippians 4:6

Comforting quotes about love

41. “There are no happy endings. Endings are the saddest part, so just give me a happy middle and a very happy start.” — Shel Silverstein, Every Thing On It

42. “Let us always meet each other with smile, for the smile is the beginning of love.” — Mother Teresa

43. “You can search throughout the entire universe for someone who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and that person is not to be found anywhere. You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe deserve your love and affection. — Gautama Buddha

44. “You will find as you look back upon your life that the moments when you have truly lived are the moments when you have done things in the spirit of love.” — Henry Drummond

45. “Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.” — Maya Angelou

46. “Love is a force more formidable than any other. It is invisible—it cannot be seen or measured, yet it is powerful enough to transform you in a moment, and offer you more joy than any material possession could.” — Barbara de Angelis

47. “Love cures people—both the ones who give it and the ones who receive it.” — Karl A. Menninger

48. “To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.” — Oscar Wilde

49. “There are two basic motivating forces: fear and love. When we are afraid, we pull back from life. When we are in love, we open to all that life has to offer with passion, excitement, and acceptance.” — John Lennon

50. “Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.” — Martin Luther King, Jr.

Comforting quotes that are full of wisdom

51. “There isn’t always an explanation for everything.” — Ernest Hemingway

52. “There are darknesses in life and there are lights, and you are one of the lights, the light of all lights.” — Bram Stroker

53. “Tomorrow is always fresh, with no mistakes in it yet.” — L. M. Montgomery

54. “There are two types of people in the world: those who prefer to be sad among others, and those who prefer to be sad alone.” — Nicole Krauss

55. “When someone is crying, of course, the noble thing to do is to comfort them. But if someone is trying to hide their tears, it may also be noble to pretend you do not notice them.” — Lemony Snicket

56. “Press on our spirits how to love each other, how to serve each other, how to comfort each other.” — Nicole Williams

57. “Sometimes, the best way to help someone is just to be near them.” — Veronica Roth

58. “Find a place inside where there’s joy, and the joy will burn out the pain.” — Joseph Campbell

59. “To truly laugh, you must be able to take your pain, and play with it!” — Charlie Chaplin

60. “We either make ourselves miserable or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same.” — Carlos Castaneda

Comforting Quotes To Help You Have Hope

61. “Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.” — Harriet Beecher Stowe

62. “If you fell down yesterday, stand up today.” — H.G. Wells

63. “If somebody hurts you, it’s okay to cry a river: Just remember to build a bridge and get over it.” — Taylor Swift

64. “It’s your road and yours alone. Others may walk it with you, but no one can walk it for you.” — Rumi

65. “Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me.” — Carol Burnett

66. “In poverty and other misfortunes of life, true friends are a sure refuge.” — Aristotle

67. “Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim.” — Nora Ephron.

68. “The best thing you could do is master the chaos in you. You are not thrown into the fire, you are the fire.” — Mama Indigo

69. “Life’s challenges are not supposed to paralyze you; they’re supposed to help you discover who you are.” — Bernice Johnson Reagon

70. “Sometimes it’s ok if the only thing you did today was breathe.” — Yumi Sakugawa

Which of these comforting quotes resonated with you best?

Whenever you are trying to comfort someone else there are few things to keep in mind that will help ensure you are providing real comfort and not unknowingly spreading toxic positivity.

When someone is upset they really need you to listen, and that is oftentimes more important than any comforting words you could offer.

When listening to someone who is struggling you always want to listen to understand, and not to respond.

Reflective listening is a great skill to use when providing comfort.

That means that you repeat what you heard them say in your words, which validates their feelings and shows your understanding of their situation.

Statements like “this will pass” or “look at the bright side” are phrases that should not be used.

Try saying, “I understand that must feel horrible” or “I understand why you would feel this way.”

It is important to not use phrases that seem to pass judgment and instead use ones that show empathy.

Let them know that you are there for them, and offer your own experience only after their feelings have been validated.

It is a good idea to ask them if they would like to hear your experience too, before jumping in with it.

You could say something like, “I get this is really hard for you and I am here if you need anything.

Would you like to hear about a time something similar happened to me?”

When they are ready to hear it you can try and help them to see the bigger picture.

Comforting others should always come from a place of love and understanding, and if you can offer them those two things, it will help them get through their tough time.