COPD and Self-Esteem

COPD and self-esteem. They seem like an unlikely pair, but are they?

Restless and lacking purpose

My computer has been sick and I finally took it in. A few days later my husband decided that I needed a new one. I have to admit, it feels really nice. Restless is the best word to describe how I get while waiting. This dreary weather with high humidity has been making it more difficult to breathe. It also triggered my osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia, which I know affect my breathing as well.

This would be the perfect time for me to work on craft items and gifts. I struggled, feeling like I couldn’t do anything. I was letting everything bother me. Maybe this would give me purpose and help me to feel like I can accomplish something. Does this ever happen to you?

I call it self-esteem because it causes me to think of myself. This is not always healthy. For example, this was a situation that I could not control, however, I let these thoughts control me (for about five minutes anyway). Now it's time to take them back.

What is self-esteem?

According to Merriam-Webster, self-esteem is “A feeling of satisfaction that someone has in himself or herself and his or her own abilities”.¹ Because of COPD and other health issues, a person is not always capable of doing what they could do before or what they really want to do now. Maybe they don't realize this. I struggle with this at times.

Thoughts about COPD and other illnesses, as well as the limitations that come with them, can cause a person to grab hold of those negative feelings. By accepting limitations and finding other positive ways to cope, we can change our ways of thinking while we boost our self-esteem.

Challenge and adventure

Since we have no idea what may happen five minutes from now, we know that we can at least alter the direction we are going and function accordingly. Even though we can’t do things as we used to, we can find a different way of making things work at our level or changing them altogether. It’s nice to be empowered by new choices.

It's always a great time to work on craft items for decorations and gifts. Maybe put some on the market to sell. Do you have a hobby? There are so many things that we can do to help boost our self-esteem as well. I often think about what we can and can’t do. That needs to be seen as a positive thought because either way, that's part of life and even being a grown-up.

Physical changes and being creative

It’s easy to see some of the physical changes that are brought on by taking a couple of medications through my nebulizer and using my rescue inhaler more often. I get the shakes, definitely more than normal. This makes it more difficult to do needlepoint and other fine crafts. At times even typing is difficult. It’s time to clean my craft room again.

People are often wanting creative things to do. For me, making creative things can feel like a treasure. They can be used as gifts, kept at home, or even used for extra income. Then it's time to put the other items up for sale on our online rummage sale sites. It will be nice to find a place for these items for then I will quit looking at them.

Finding peace

I will hopefully find peace, instead of feeling like I can’t do anything. Hopefully, I will get some money back on them. Down the road, maybe I will find other things that I can do. I will still have ongoing projects regardless. Right now I'm tying blankets together. Wearing a mask is a must, otherwise, on day 2, my tongue will take on the scent of the blankets that I am working on, and obviously inhaling.