How many of you have felt better and gone back to work only to find that you had a relapse?
I have seen and read this a few times now and was curious why this a common thing with Long Covid sufferers?
Is it some mysterious syndrome that Long Covid has that would make this happen?
Well, let's think about it....
Many of the symptoms of Long Covid are brought on when we rush around, take on too much or over do it. Before being sick we may have been able to do everything, multi-tasking and crushing it, even prided ourselves on being very capable? Your doctors may have told you that you have less energy now so you need adjust. But let's look a little deeper.
What if the purpose of the symptoms is actually to slow us down? Were we close to burn out before? Maybe rushing around so much wasn't healthy in the first place?
Breathlessness is a common Long Covid symptom and often comes on or gets worse when we are anxious. Anxious thoughts about being back at work like; "Am I going to get through the day?", "What if my boss thinks I'm slacking?", "How will I manage this again tomorrow?" lead to more panicky thoughts and as any asthma sufferer will tell you this only makes it worse.
We are always feeling our thinking so listening to those thoughts is sending danger messages to the brain and setting off the Fight or flight response. Our bodies weren't designed to be in such stress for so long so slow down and watch those anxious thoughts go by. They are totally understandable but the more neutral you can be to them, the less they will turn into more symptoms. The more you can see that they are unreliable and unhelpful and you don't actually have to listen to them you will be able to be calm and do what you need to do.
You have innate inner health that is always there no matter how you feel and you can get in touch with it in every moment. Stay in the moment and you can do this.
With love, Chana