No doubt about it, living with COPD can be stressful. There are often changes in your breathing, your activity level, independence, and socialization – especially now, during a pandemic! But that aside, COPD may cause you to feel anxious, overwhelmed, and well…stressed.
So, what can you do about it? Hmmm…there are different ways to cope with stress. What works for one person may not work for another, but one way is to keep a journal.
Writing in a journal doesn’t mean you have to pour your heart out or make any big confessions. You can write whatever comes to mind – something you see, something you do, or want to do, something that makes you happy, sad, or angry.
You might keep a journal on your computer or with good old paper and pen. To keep a hand-written journal, you can use a spiral-bound note pad opened up to two blank pages. At the top of the page on your left, put in the date. Below it write in the daily things you do to take of your breathing and your overall health: medications you take, if you exercise, and if so, what kind of exercise you do, what you eat, how well you sleep, etc. Write down if it’s an easy breathing day, or if it’s not.
On the facing page you can write down other things: if you go somewhere, do something interesting, watch something on television, call a friend, etc. Or you might write down a goal, something you’re looking forward to, or something you’re thankful for. If there’s something bothering you, write about it. Taking it out of your head and putting it down on the page…this can take stress or bad feelings off your mind, even if only for a while.
Writing a little bit each day can be a good habit to have. You can make your journal whatever you want – simple or complex, long or short, ordinary or extraordinary. Maybe all of these! At any rate, the blank page will listen to what you have to say, it will not judge you, and no one else needs to see it unless you want them to.
Do you keep a journal? If you do, or if you don’t (that’s okay), let’s hear from you!