Shifting from dreams of grandeur to appreciating the mundane
Living with COPD and recovering from depression have changed my mindset
When I was young, I envisioned myself as memorialized in history for my outstanding accomplishments, but recovery from depression has made me fall in love with the ordinary. The onset of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) changed my life goals, and I’ve developed a new appreciation for the mundane.
I woke up one morning last week, looking forward to doing laundry and seeding some tomato plants. These are hardly activities that’ll put me in the history books, but I found myself smiling and humming a tune as I worked. I reflected that it’d been a long time since I enjoyed anything this much.
In my younger days, I dreamed of finding a cure for a debilitating disease like COPD or establishing a 30-minute morning yoga session to help students focus. Instead, I’m playing a game with the robin that’s built a nest on my air-conditioning cover. She’s determined that I won’t clean the nearby windows, and I’m determined to show her who owns the place.
My own morning yoga session is one of the things that helps me wash the windows and fuss with the robin. Yoga can be an effective exercise for people like me who have COPD, as studies have shown that a regular practice can improve pulmonary function and quality of life. Many of the poses also help with my arthritis pain because they help me stretch tight muscles and improve my flexibility. I must be flexible when the robin dive-bombs me because I’m intruding on what she thinks is her territory.
I may have transferred my love of research to one of my independent research students, who wrote a book about how she helped her son beat cancer — twice. She promotes herself as “the plant-based pharmacist.” As a teacher, I never liked seeing parents trying to live their own dreams through their children, but I could live my research dreams through my students.
My research now involves trying to determine if the outdoor window cleaner will keep the robins at bay long enough for me to clean my front windows. I hypothesize that they won’t interfere with this cleaning method because I’ll be using a water hose. My experience with robins indicates that they’re not fans of moving water.
The part of the research process that fascinates me most is facilitating the experiment. I’ll soon test my hypothesis, and though I doubt I’ll secure a spot in a scientific journal, I’ll be keeping my mind and body active, which is a major step in living my best life with COPD.
What have you done lately to remain active? Please share 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.
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