I maintain my morning rituals to keep COPD from shrinking my world
Getting dressed tells me that I’m still participating in my own life
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Some mornings, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) feels like it has already made the first decision for me. Before I even swing my legs over the side of the bed, the tightness in my chest tells me what kind of day it’s going to be. On those days, I catch myself wondering why I should bother with getting dressed, combing my hair, or brushing my teeth. None of it will make my lungs work better. No one is coming to visit. I’m not going anywhere. It can feel like a waste of the little energy I have.
But here’s the truth I’ve learned, slowly and sometimes stubbornly: These small acts aren’t about curing anything. They’re about remembering who I am inside the illness.
COPD has a way of shrinking the world. It narrows the radius of your day, limits your choices, and can chip away at your confidence without you even noticing. When breath becomes unpredictable, self‑esteem can follow. You start to feel less like the person you’ve always been and more like a patient managing symptoms. And that shift — quiet, gradual, unspoken — can be just as hard as the physical part.
That’s why the morning rituals matter. Getting dressed isn’t about impressing anyone. It’s about saying to yourself, “I’m still participating in my own life.” Brushing your teeth doesn’t change your oxygen saturation, but it changes how you meet yourself in the mirror. Combing your hair doesn’t open your airways, but it opens a small door back to dignity.
These are not chores. They’re anchors.
On days when COPD makes the world feel small, these rituals help keep you from shrinking inside it. They remind your nervous system that the day still belongs to you, even if you’re not leaving the house. They help rebuild the self‑esteem that chronic illness can quietly erode. And they offer a kind of steadiness that medication alone can’t provide.
I’ve learned that getting dressed is not about pretending to be well. It’s about refusing to disappear. It’s about choosing to show up for yourself, even when no one else will see it. Especially then.
COPD may shape my days, but it doesn’t get to erase them. And so I get up. I get dressed. I brush my teeth. I comb my hair. Not because it fixes anything in my lungs, but because it strengthens something in my spirit. Because these small acts remind me that I am still here, still myself, still worthy of care.
And that is never a waste of time.
Note: COPD News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of COPD News Today or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues about chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Ellen van Heun
What a motivating column to start my day with. Greetings from the Netherlands Ellen
David A Sylvester
Great advice Caroline. Thanks
Nicholas Monks
Wise word’s Caroline. I look on my 2 hour morning rituals as what I do for a living. Thank you.
Pam R
The article on my morning ritual truly opened my eyes and made me think.
alan holmes
thanks for inspiring me to look at things i can do whilst enduring this condition
Marieta Diane Golding
Caroline this is so true about maintaining dignity...i call it 'keeping up appearances' & how the walk from bedroom to kitchen tells you what kind of day you are going to have. Having a dog who insists, as she sees me dressing, to take her to park. She is 12 & has been 'my reason to be' since diagnoses, the one who witnesses my difficulties that friends don't. She knows how to lift her leg over the oxygen cord if underfoot & move around it with agility.
As you said 'COPD shapes our days it doesn't erase them' & choosing outfits & putting on a face is a positive renewal of spirit.
Thank you for the great support you give.
Dianne Duffin
Excellent reminder not to give in to yourself. I fight against this many days, especially living outside of Boston when snow and grey skies discourage activity. So reading this was the encouragement I needed to hear!
Ray LeBlanc
Hi. I was diagnosed with COPD about 6 years ago. I don't qualify for assistance in getting home oxygen because my blood oxygen is almost always at 90 which is the threshold. I have to have fans on all over the house so that the air is moving and I also have a small rechargeable fan hooked to my wheelchair , on low speed, blowing a constant stream of air directly at my face. I use salbutamol inhalers as well as Spiriva Respimat inhalers. If I stay calm and don't talk , I can breathe fairly well but laboured, but as soon as I engage in any activity like washing myself or making dinner, I get so winded I need to use my puffer and stop what I'm doing and do breathing exercises . Sometimes my breath is so hard to catch it scares me.
I wear a smart watch and check my blood/oxygen often during the day. What I don't understand is why my readings are sometimes 99% but I can't breathe. The medical folks count on the blood/oxy readings to determine how bad my breathing must be but that seems to have nothing to do with the ability to breathe. My ribs are almost always sore from all the huffing and puffing all day long. It's quite a dilemma, I don't qualify for oxygen yet I can't breathe. In 2022 I was in hospital for 5 months for an unrelated problem with my arteries and then again for 6 weeks in mid 2025 for the same thing. I am 75 , not diabetic. While I'm in hospital the doctors see right away I can't breathe and I'm on oxygen most of the time while I'm there. I remove the nose thing when I feel I don't really need it but when I have to go down for tests or anything or when they bathe me, I need the oxygen . My blood/oxygen level often drops to 84% for short periods until I let a stronger fan blow directly at my face. With oxygen at the hospital , that doesn't happen , it's so nice to get a break from constantly huffing and puffing. Once I get back home, I'm back to the fans. So again , why does the higher blood/oxygen level make no difference to me ?
Ed
I have the same problem, shortness of breath with a high resting SPO2. Turns out shortness of breath isn't a function of SPO2 levels alone. CO2 levels and other factors affect it as well. I'm still trying to figure it all out. I was prescribed oxygen because my SPO2 dropped below 88% during a short walk inside the doctor's office building, not even as long as the 6 minute test that's also used for testing. I've resigned myself to becoming an amateur respiratory therapist to learn about breathing because it's complex and all the knowledge in the world won't do you any good if your doctor or PA doesn't think to volunteer the information to you in the 15 minutes he's allotted to your visit. Most of that time is usually spent just refreshing his memory of your history if he's anything like the one's I've seen. Good Luck.
https://www.perplexity.ai/search/why-am-i-short-of-breath-with-MmExjcKhRu.v8eYILHnz2w
https://www.perplexity.ai/search/what-spo2-level-indicates-a-ne-KIzvE_1IRY.lyTyGhqJS8w
Ed
Here's a better explanation if you have heart failure as well.
https://www.perplexity.ai/search/how-does-heart-failure-cause-b-gtJXa.hnRWW_YXMiTduQUQ
Ed
I got a prescription for oxygen when my pulmonology PA had me walk around the lobby until I got short of breath. If your SPO2 drops below 88%, that's all you should need to get a script. It's complex but suffice it to say that having a high SPO2 doesn't mean you won't feel SOB. I can be SOB at 99%. I've given up thinking my doctor will explain what's going on. He spends most of my allotted 15 minutes just re-familiarizing himself with my case history so I've resigned myself to becoming my own expert. I have a long way to go though, turns out breathing is very complicated.
https://www.perplexity.ai/search/why-am-i-short-of-breath-with-MmExjcKhRu.v8eYILHnz2w
https://www.perplexity.ai/search/what-spo2-level-indicates-a-ne-KIzvE_1IRY.lyTyGhqJS8w
https://www.perplexity.ai/search/how-does-heart-failure-cause-b-gtJXa.hnRWW_YXMiTduQUQ
Diane Bowler
Inspiring words and sentiments.You write most beautifully.
David Brown (bin there dunnit)
I have found it useful to continue with what I am doing (usually the garden!) even and especially when puffing and "out of breath". Of course one slows down a bit and has to take a break occasionally. I think that teaches the body to use oxygen more frugally. Of course I have continued to use my apple cider vinegar, lemon juice and honey daily (recipe published here in the past) - it has pulled me through many crises in the 25 years I have had COPD