In this episode of the Long Covid Podcast, I explore one of the most common — and often most confusing — parts of recovery: overwhelm.

Overwhelm can feel like your whole system suddenly says “too much”:
too much noise, too many sensations, too many decisions, too many feelings, too much uncertainty. It can build slowly over time or arrive out of nowhere — and in Long Covid, ME/CFS, & other post-viral conditions, it often shows up faster and more intensely than before you were ill.

In this gentle, practical episode, I look at:

• What overwhelm actually is
• How overwhelm shows up in the body
• Why overwhelm is so common in recovery
• Reframing overwhelm as communication, not failure
• Practical tips to avoid overwhelm, and to meet it when it hits

By the end of this episode, my hope is that you feel less alone, less confused by your own reactions, and more equipped with language and understanding that can help you navigate overwhelm with more compassion for yourself.

Links: 

• Breath Awareness: https://insighttimer.com/LongCovidPod/guided-meditations/gentle-breath-awareness-from-loch-ness-with-waves 
• Reset Button - 2 mins to tranquility: https://insig.ht/xee2ILEGaZb?utm_source=copy_link&utm_medium=live_stream_share
• Gentle Somatic Tracking: https://insig.ht/Jlnf2P0w32b 
• STOP: From Overwhelm To Ease: https://insig.ht/1UCyrM2w32b 
• Amy Davies episode on Internalised Pressure: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1835170/episodes/19021956

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Thankyou for joining me in The Recovery Room. If you found this episode useful & are able to, you can support the show by buying me a coffee or checking out the merch

Visit The Recovery Room website: www.JackiesRecoveryRoom.com 

Follow me on social media channels: @JackiesRecoveryRoom

**Disclaimer - you should not rely on any medical information contained in this Podcast and related materials in making medical, health-related or other decisions. Please consult a doctor or other health professional**

We hear Lalita’s Long Covid recovery story, from tachycardia and air hunger to a steady return to health by focusing on nervous system safety. We share practical tools for regulating symptoms in the moment, plus the mindset shifts that make self-compassion possible when you’ve been dismissed or frightened. 

• Early signs after COVID including raised blood pressure, numb lips and fatigue 
• Second infection followed by tachycardia, dizziness, vertigo, chest tightness, brain fog and air hunger 
• Repeated emergency visits and the impact of being told it is anxiety 
• Understanding Dysautonomia and the autonomic nervous system as a unifying explanation 
• Combining nervous system work with naturopath-guided supplements and gut support 
• Using Bowen therapy, Craniosacral work and sleep practices such as yoga nidra 
• What bioresonance is and why some people use it to check for layers of stressors 
• Breathwork as the main anchor, including longer exhales and quick calming techniques 
• Stacking breath with tapping, somatic tracking and reassuring self-talk to build “proof of safety” 
• Emotional processing with body scans and EAET-style exploration of deeper patterns 
• A client case study showing how addressing stress and trauma can reduce symptoms fast

Links:

Lalita's Website: www.stressfreefast.com.au

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For more information about Long Covid Breathing courses & workshops, please check out LongCovidBreathing.com

(music credit - Brock Hewitt, Rule of Life)

Support the show

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thankyou for joining me in The Recovery Room. If you found this episode useful & are able to, you can support the show by buying me a coffee or checking out the merch

Visit The Recovery Room website: www.JackiesRecoveryRoom.com 

Follow me on social media channels: @JackiesRecoveryRoom

**Disclaimer - you should not rely on any medical information contained in this Podcast and related materials in making medical, health-related or other decisions. Please consult a doctor or other health professional**

I'm joined by Pierre Brunschwig & Margaret Hampton as we explore how Chinese medicine and conventional western medicine can work together to treat Long Covid, where symptoms are complex and constantly shifting. We focus on subtypes, nervous system safety, immune recovery and the practical foundations that help people feel like themselves again.

• Why combining medical “languages” can fill treatment gaps
• Subtyping Long Covid and treating the person rather than the label
• The five foundations: sleep, diet, inner life, outer life and movement
• Acupuncture as a way to calm the nervous system and restore hope
• Adrenaline versus oxytocin and why safety enables healing
• Trauma, adverse childhood events and the role of somatic therapy
• Vagus nerve practices including breathwork, humming and self-soothing pressure
• Latent virus reactivation plus T cell exhaustion
• Rebuilding immune competence alongside antivirals and targeted therapies
• Building nutrient-rich blood, protein needs and why cooked food can help digestion
• Gut health basics including stomach acid support, H. pylori and probiotics
• Creating a care team that listens, pivots and fits your real life

Links: 

More about Margaret & Pierre and their work:
http://www.heliosintegratedmedicine.com

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For more information about Long Covid Breathing courses & workshops, please check out LongCovidBreathing.com

(music credit - Brock Hewitt, Rule of Life)

Support the show

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thankyou for joining me in The Recovery Room. If you found this episode useful & are able to, you can support the show by buying me a coffee or checking out the merch

Visit The Recovery Room website: www.JackiesRecoveryRoom.com 

Follow me on social media channels: @JackiesRecoveryRoom

**Disclaimer - you should not rely on any medical information contained in this Podcast and related materials in making medical, health-related or other decisions. Please consult a doctor or other health professional**

We talk about how internalised pressure can keep the nervous system in threat mode and make recovery from Long Covid, ME/CFS and other health challenges harder, even when we are doing “all the right things”. We explore perfectionism, shame, and control, then land on practical ways to create space and choose small steps that help us feel a bit more okay. 

• what internalised pressure means and why it matters for nervous system regulation 
• why stress responses are meant to be short bursts, not a constant state 
• how external pressures differ from unconscious inner demands 
• perfectionism in recovery and how helpful practices become overscheduled 
• self-criticism, shame spirals and the idea of mental self-harm 
• stepping out of comparison culture and fear-driven fixing 
• learning to tolerate not knowing and loosening the need for control 
• using tiny actions and body-based cues to reduce overwhelm 

Links:

Connect with Amy: https://amydavies.co.uk/

Message me! (I can't reply to these messages)

For more information about Long Covid Breathing courses & workshops, please check out LongCovidBreathing.com

(music credit - Brock Hewitt, Rule of Life)

Support the show

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thankyou for joining me in The Recovery Room. If you found this episode useful & are able to, you can support the show by buying me a coffee or checking out the merch

Visit The Recovery Room website: www.JackiesRecoveryRoom.com 

Follow me on social media channels: @JackiesRecoveryRoom

**Disclaimer - you should not rely on any medical information contained in this Podcast and related materials in making medical, health-related or other decisions. Please consult a doctor or other health professional**

Nora shares her journey from years of back pain, gut troubles, and crushing insomnia to a calm, steady baseline by retraining a sensitised nervous system. Her story blends science, practical tools, and honest moments of fear, relapse, and quiet wins.

• linking pain, GI symptoms and insomnia through fear-based conditioning
• what "psychophysiologic symptom relief therapy" taught her
• outcome independence and reducing sleep pressure
• practical insomnia steps using soothing phrases and data
• gentle exposure to feared foods and spotting inconsistent triggers
• expressive writing and creative outlets to access emotion
• personalising tools rather than copying blueprints
• measuring progress by life, not daily symptom scores
• maintenance habits to stay well and handle flares
• redefining success as wise interpretation of body signals

Links:

Nervana app: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/nervana-chronic-symptom-coach/id6754898332 

Back pain study (2021): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34589642/

Books mentioned: Scarcity Brain by Michael Easter & The F*ck It Diet by Caroline Dooner

Message me! (I can't reply to these messages)

For more information about Long Covid Breathing courses & workshops, please check out LongCovidBreathing.com

(music credit - Brock Hewitt, Rule of Life)

Support the show

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thankyou for joining me in The Recovery Room. If you found this episode useful & are able to, you can support the show by buying me a coffee or checking out the merch

Visit The Recovery Room website: www.JackiesRecoveryRoom.com 

Follow me on social media channels: @JackiesRecoveryRoom

**Disclaimer - you should not rely on any medical information contained in this Podcast and related materials in making medical, health-related or other decisions. Please consult a doctor or other health professional**

I talk with board-certified homeopath Roddy Schrock about what homeopathy is and why it can appeal to people recovery from Long Covid, ME/CFS and other complex, hard-to-explain symptoms. We dig into symptoms as messages, the power of deep listening, and how homeopathy can sit alongside Western medicine as one piece of a bigger recovery puzzle. 

• Roddy’s path from chronic pain and insomnia to studying classical homeopathy 
• Homeopathy as an energetic intervention and why the full symptom picture matters 
• Dilution and succussion and what “gentle” treatment means in practice 
• Using how you feel as a primary marker of progress 
• Creating space to be heard as part of healing 
• Working alongside GPs and specialists rather than replacing them 
• A real-world case example with fatigue, migraines, cycle disruption and inflammation markers 
• Avoiding protocol-driven Facebook advice and choosing a trained practitioner 
• First steps including research and trusted sources like the Homeopathic Research Institute 

Links:

Homeopathy Research Institute: https://www.hri-research.org

Find Roddy's website at: ultradilute.com

And his substack at: https://ultradilute.substack.com

Message me! (I can't reply to these messages)

For more information about Long Covid Breathing courses & workshops, please check out LongCovidBreathing.com

(music credit - Brock Hewitt, Rule of Life)

Support the show

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thankyou for joining me in The Recovery Room. If you found this episode useful & are able to, you can support the show by buying me a coffee or checking out the merch

Visit The Recovery Room website: www.JackiesRecoveryRoom.com 

Follow me on social media channels: @JackiesRecoveryRoom

**Disclaimer - you should not rely on any medical information contained in this Podcast and related materials in making medical, health-related or other decisions. Please consult a doctor or other health professional**

In this solo episode, Jackie Baxter unpacks what rest really is during Long Covid and ME/CFS recovery—and why simply lying down often doesn’t feel restorative. She reframes the struggle to rest as your body’s way of protecting you, not failing you, and introduces the idea of “banking energy for healing”.

Jackie explores the different types of rest we need—physical, mental, sensory, emotional, social, creative, and nervous system rest—and how safety cues and nervous system regulation make deeper rest possible. She shares practical tools like soft exhales, visual anchors, contact points, sound cues, micro rests, pre-emptive rest, and co-regulation with supportive people or pets.

The episode closes with a gentle grounding and rest practice and affirmations to help you feel just a little softer, safer, and more present—one small step at a time. 

LINKS:

- Yoga Nidra (voice only): https://insig.ht/p11in6GLO1b
- Yoga Nidra (with music): https://insig.ht/ryTWpwOLO1b
- Yoga Nidra (nature sounds): https://insig.ht/qGIWLqKLO1b

- Opal app for screen time: https://www.opal.so/

- Work with me page: https://www.longcovidpodcast.com/workwithme

- The 2 practises in this episode can be found with background music on Insight Timer:
- 2 Minute Safety Cue (with music): https://insig.ht/DO2f3U7LO1b
- Rest without Guilt - A Compassionate Pause (with music): https://insig.ht/LkTy9ifMO1b

Message me! (I can't reply to these messages)

For more information about Long Covid Breathing courses & workshops, please check out LongCovidBreathing.com

(music credit - Brock Hewitt, Rule of Life)

Support the show

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thankyou for joining me in The Recovery Room. If you found this episode useful & are able to, you can support the show by buying me a coffee or checking out the merch

Visit The Recovery Room website: www.JackiesRecoveryRoom.com 

Follow me on social media channels: @JackiesRecoveryRoom

**Disclaimer - you should not rely on any medical information contained in this Podcast and related materials in making medical, health-related or other decisions. Please consult a doctor or other health professional**

Clare shares how her son went from a viral crash at thirteen to full, active living through pacing, autonomic nervous system retraining, and Mickel Therapy. We trace the medical dead ends, the messy middle, and the simple joy‑based habits that tipped him into lasting recovery.

• early sensitivity shaped by stress and frequent infections
• onset at secondary school, loss of attendance and friends
• visible and invisible symptoms including brain fog and dizziness
• NHS pathway, helpful GP, limits of NICE‑aligned care
• colour‑coded pacing and activity management to 40 percent
• ANS Rewire lifting function to about 80 percent
• relapse at university, boundaries and motivation to recover
• Mickel Therapy linking emotions, boundaries and symptoms
• play, novelty and joy as daily nervous system tools
• caregiver strain, what to skip, what to double down on
• life beyond illness with work, travel and climbing

Clare's Facebook Group for parents of children with Long Covid, ME/CFS: 
https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1Ch4nxkujg/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Message me! (I can't reply to these messages)

For more information about Long Covid Breathing courses & workshops, please check out LongCovidBreathing.com

(music credit - Brock Hewitt, Rule of Life)

Support the show

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thankyou for joining me in The Recovery Room. If you found this episode useful & are able to, you can support the show by buying me a coffee or checking out the merch

Visit The Recovery Room website: www.JackiesRecoveryRoom.com 

Follow me on social media channels: @JackiesRecoveryRoom

**Disclaimer - you should not rely on any medical information contained in this Podcast and related materials in making medical, health-related or other decisions. Please consult a doctor or other health professional**

We explore a mechanism-first approach to Long Covid & ME/CFS, shifting from labels to measurable neural and vascular bottlenecks that can be retrained. We share how to use dose, recovery, and sleep consolidation to build capacity through precise, small inputs that compound over time.

• reframing diagnosis as a map to mechanisms, not a label
• why cerebral perfusion and autoregulation drive symptoms
• concussion lessons that translate to Long Covid recovery
• structural vascular traps and simple tests that reveal them
• pacing versus targeted micro dosing for plasticity
• using DIY tools as experiments with clear signals
• breathing, CO2 balance, and baroreflex sensitivity
• reading feedback, spotting plateaus, shifting bottlenecks
• linking progress to recovery capacity rather than feelings

Links:

www.keiserclinic.com 

https://www.youtube.com/@dockeiser

Message me! (I can't reply to these messages)

For more information about Long Covid Breathing courses & workshops, please check out LongCovidBreathing.com

(music credit - Brock Hewitt, Rule of Life)

Support the show

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thankyou for joining me in The Recovery Room. If you found this episode useful & are able to, you can support the show by buying me a coffee or checking out the merch

Visit The Recovery Room website: www.JackiesRecoveryRoom.com 

Follow me on social media channels: @JackiesRecoveryRoom

**Disclaimer - you should not rely on any medical information contained in this Podcast and related materials in making medical, health-related or other decisions. Please consult a doctor or other health professional**

We share Ashley’s journey from bedbound to rebuilding a joyful life, showing how belief, somatic work, and gentle pacing opened a path out of long COVID. The body is not the enemy; safety, connection, and consistent practice turn symptoms from threat to guidance.

• fast pre‑illness life and early warning signs
• collapse after pushing through infection and isolation
• lack of medical answers and disbelief from clinicians
• finding recovery stories and protecting hope
• moving from trigger‑hunting to nervous system healing
• brain retraining, visualisations, somatic practices and EFT
• pacing within a true window of tolerance
• progress through consistency and self‑compassion
• redefining recovery, processing trauma and shifting limits
• life rebuilt with nature, community, creativity and work

Links:

Connect with Ashley: www.embodimentwithashley.co.uk

Message me! (I can't reply to these messages)

For more information about Long Covid Breathing courses & workshops, please check out LongCovidBreathing.com

(music credit - Brock Hewitt, Rule of Life)

Support the show

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thankyou for joining me in The Recovery Room. If you found this episode useful & are able to, you can support the show by buying me a coffee or checking out the merch

Visit The Recovery Room website: www.JackiesRecoveryRoom.com 

Follow me on social media channels: @JackiesRecoveryRoom

**Disclaimer - you should not rely on any medical information contained in this Podcast and related materials in making medical, health-related or other decisions. Please consult a doctor or other health professional**