Nature adds so much pleasure and calm to my life with COPD

For several years now, a doe has hidden her fawns in the middle flower bed in my front lawn. I gain so much pleasure watching her deposit her children for me to babysit each day as she goes about finding food. There’s also a calming effect in watching the little ones, and calm is good for those of us with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Anxiety, research shows, makes COPD symptoms worse. As a child, I recognized the connection between nature and stress relief. As an adult, the busy life of being a teacher (and the wife of a teacher) caused me to lose touch with the calm that nature can help me feel.

Today, though, I’m once again tuned in to nature, as I watch the steady stream of birds to their feeders and hummingbirds and bees to the flowers in the baskets that hang immediately outside my front windows.

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Below my bird feeders is a rose garden. Chipmunks scamper there to find seeds that birds have knocked down from their perch. Now and then I’ll see a muskrat, an albino opossum, and a skunk with a wide stripe down its back visit the garden, as well.

I can sit with my cup of coffee and admire nature’s wonders, relaxing and reviving myself when I’m struggling to breathe. Sitting in my sunroom and watching the animals that, if not for a windowpane, would be close enough to touch brings almost instant stress relief and a tremendous amount of enjoyment.

I smile as I watch a curious little squirrel trying to figure out how to get to the indoor plants. After several times butting his head against the glass, he climbs up the window frame to find a way in. He’s what I call a “mood enhancement provider.” I was still smiling as I began to prepare to plant my tomato plants.

As I plant things and pull weeds, I’m getting exercise that’s helping me stay strong and mobile. I hardly know that I’m exercising because I’m concentrating on the task at hand. I know that many of you aren’t able to have as close a relationship with nature, but if possible, I urge you at least to have a bird feeder close to enjoy your feathered friends.

I’ve been advised by my pulmonologist to wear an N95 mask when I’m working the soil because bacteria and fungi live in it and can cause issues for weakened lungs. I’ve experienced an aspergillus infection, which primarily affects the lungs, so I’m mindful about wearing my mask.

Nature is a powerful healing force, and although it cannot cure COPD, it can help alleviate stress and thereby reduce the breathing burden. We know that stress can cause breathing problems, so anything that lessens that stress is beneficial.

For the good of my health, I’ll take calm wherever I can find it. For me, nature is one of those places.

Are there aspects of nature you find calming? Please let me know in the comments below.

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 seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health 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 pertaining to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.