Long Covid Podcast

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 the podcast! - questions will be answered on my youtube channel :)
For more information about Long Covid Breathing courses & workshops, please check out LongCovidBreathing.com

(music credit - Brock Hewitt, Rule of Life)
Support the show
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Long Covid Podcast is self-produced & self funded. If you enjoy what you hear and are able to, please Buy me a coffee or purchase a mug to help cover costs

Transcripts available on individual episodes here

www.LongCovidPodcast.com
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**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 the podcast! - questions will be answered on my youtube channel :)
For more information about Long Covid Breathing courses & workshops, please check out LongCovidBreathing.com

(music credit - Brock Hewitt, Rule of Life)
Support the show
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Long Covid Podcast is self-produced & self funded. If you enjoy what you hear and are able to, please Buy me a coffee or purchase a mug to help cover costs

Transcripts available on individual episodes here

www.LongCovidPodcast.com
Facebook Instagram  Twitter
Facebook Creativity Group
Subscribe to mailing list

I love to hear from you, via socials or [email protected]

**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 the podcast! - questions will be answered on my youtube channel :)
For more information about Long Covid Breathing courses & workshops, please check out LongCovidBreathing.com

(music credit - Brock Hewitt, Rule of Life)
Support the show
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Long Covid Podcast is self-produced & self funded. If you enjoy what you hear and are able to, please Buy me a coffee or purchase a mug to help cover costs

Transcripts available on individual episodes here

www.LongCovidPodcast.com
Facebook Instagram  Twitter
Facebook Creativity Group
Subscribe to mailing list

I love to hear from you, via socials or [email protected]

**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 MECFS 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 the podcast! - questions will be answered on my youtube channel :)
For more information about Long Covid Breathing courses & workshops, please check out LongCovidBreathing.com

(music credit - Brock Hewitt, Rule of Life)
Support the show
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Long Covid Podcast is self-produced & self funded. If you enjoy what you hear and are able to, please Buy me a coffee or purchase a mug to help cover costs

Transcripts available on individual episodes here

www.LongCovidPodcast.com
Facebook Instagram  Twitter
Facebook Creativity Group
Subscribe to mailing list

I love to hear from you, via socials or [email protected]

**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 the podcast! - questions will be answered on my youtube channel :)
For more information about Long Covid Breathing courses & workshops, please check out LongCovidBreathing.com

(music credit - Brock Hewitt, Rule of Life)
Support the show
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Long Covid Podcast is self-produced & self funded. If you enjoy what you hear and are able to, please Buy me a coffee or purchase a mug to help cover costs

Transcripts available on individual episodes here

www.LongCovidPodcast.com
Facebook Instagram  Twitter
Facebook Creativity Group
Subscribe to mailing list

I love to hear from you, via socials or [email protected]

**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**