The Recovery Room with Jackie Baxter

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/

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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)

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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**

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**

We look squarely at the invisible load of caring for people with Long Covid and ME/CFS, why carers’ nervous systems shape recovery, and how boundaries and communication protect both sides. We share clear, humane steps that reduce burnout and build co‑regulation at home.

• Defining the carer role across partners, parents and adult children
• Why caring is invisible, isolating and exhausting
• Boundaries that prevent “fixing” and conflict
• Fluctuating illness, hypervigilance and control
• Co‑regulation and why a calm carer accelerates recovery
• Practical resets that aren’t a self‑care to‑do list
• Sharing the care, advocacy and admin load
• Vicarious trauma in carers and how to spot it
• Simple communication that honours both sets of needs
• Giving and receiving grace while recovery unfolds

Links: 

Connect with Nadyne: https://nadynemckie.co.uk/how-I-can-help-you 

Our previous episodes: 

"Embracing Kindness" https://www.buzzsprout.com/1835170/episodes/15968082

"Empowering through Compassion & Play" https://www.buzzsprout.com/1835170/episodes/16104655

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 author Simon Harrison about losing an active life to ME, finding a diagnosis, and rebuilding health through pacing, meditation, and a bold year seeking light in Portugal. The story is honest about setbacks and fierce about hope, with practical lessons you can apply today.

• early denial and sudden onset symptoms 
• shrinking life, sensory overload, fear 
• self-experimentation with meditation, breathwork, gentle movement 
• diagnosis of ME/CFS and reframing recovery 
• pacing, window of tolerance, damage limitation 
• why more light and a change of scene helped 
• recalibrating normal tiredness vs post-exertional malaise 
• progress through small wins, mistakes, and self-kindness 
• support from family and the cost of care 
• hope as a practice and incremental gains

Connect with Simon at https://thrivemindfulness.co.uk/ where he also works with those with fatigue-related conditions. 

"Leaving ME Behind" can be found here

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 how the vagus nerve shapes recovery from Long Covid and chronic fatigue, and why building parasympathetic tone changes sleep, digestion, pain, and mood. Carissa Conrad shares clear guidance on non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation, safe pacing, and common mistakes to avoid.

• what the vagus nerve does across heart, gut, immune and inflammation
• why sympathetic overdrive feels normal and how to spot it
• paced breathing, humming and gentle tools to build vagal tone
• what vagus nerve stimulation means and how it works
• TENS versus ultrasound, ear and neck targets, parameter basics
• passive stimulation to support busy days and low energy
• go slow: dosage, safety, and early warning signs
• using polyvagal maps to time stimulation and pacing
• avoiding boom‑and‑bust while expanding activity
• cost‑effective access, kits, and practical set‑up
• the mindset shift: nervous system literacy for life

Links:

Carissa's website: carissaconraddpt.com 

YouTube: @theVagusnervePT

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**