Bad Day Resources
Living with COPD comes with its ups and downs. Some days you might find it harder to breathe or do your normal activities.
The good news is that bad days can often be managed with breathing techniques, light stretching and exercise, and meditation. You can come back to this article whenever you have a bad day and need a refresher on how to practice these techniques.
In This Article
Recognizing an Exacerbation vs Bad Days
Breathing exercises
Techniques like pursed lip breathing or diaphragmatic breathing can help you use your lungs better and feel calm and centered.
Watch this video to practice these breathing techniques.
Do warmups or cool downs to get some light movement in
Light stretching and gentle movement, like shoulder rolls or marching in place, can help you feel more limber and relaxed on a bad day. Movement also helps promote the production of endorphins, chemicals that make you feel good.
Watch these videos to do a few simple exercises.
Meditation and mindfulness exercises to relieve stress
Meditation can help you manage your breathing, alleviate stress, improve your sleep and mood, and increase your energy levels.