Anyone had Long Covid and now back at work? Any tips?

[Greedybilly]

Just that really. Am due back at work after months of LC. I'm still not 100%
Any tips from anyone? Thanks

Yes, I stopped doing most things other than work, I sleep a lot. I use technology to help make life easier.

@LeafyMcLeafFacetThanku. Yes I'm presuming my life is going to be work and then rest/bed. But better than nothing eh?

Are you doing a phased return? I found that helped but I couldn’t return to full time work. I reduced my hours and eventually found a job nearer to home. I eventually went back to full time. But if I work too much or have busy weekends and don’t rest I do get ill. I can tell when I need a break and to rest and that is important. My job is intense though and resting is challenging. Ultimately I still need to rest a lot nearly 5 and a half years on.

I retired. Couldn't cope anymore

@Backtothe90tiestthanku. It's a new job but part time so just hoping I can make it work with lots of rest/pacing.

@FairViewRosie25hhmmm not really an option for me. Too young. Hope it's going well tho.x

I took these supplements called Your Gut Plus. They’re available on Amazon or on google. It’s because covid lives in the gut so the supplements are like probiotics and they were a game changer! I was well again in 3 months and even if you are sceptical, you have nothing to lose by trying them. It was a uni who did the research and created them. I go on and on about them because they made me well again.

good luck x

What is LC?

Long Covid

Take it really, really steady. I had almost a year off with LC and went back on a very slow phased return - but could still do nothing except work and sleep. Can you ask for a 'quiet space'? I was given a small cupboard like room which meant I retreated there at lunch time, put earplugs in and an eyemask on and just did breathing. I needed the mental break from people/noises.

Even so, I managed another couple of years, caught Covid again and was just plunged right back into chronic fatigue where I'd been before, back to being bedridden.

I ended up having to take early retirement.

@Slopychocyes I'm already taking pre biotics and every other supplement on the market!

@Hatty65ggood that you managed a couple of years! I'm nowhere near retirement age sadly :(
I think my car will be my little retreat /rest space if I can park nearby.

I only work part time now and pretty much sleep and work i have very little life outside of that

Make sure you have lots of easy food so you don't need to think about cooking after work other than maybe microwaving a ready meal.

Depending what your job is - take lots of screen breaks, turn off unnecessary notifications, make sure you have time between meetings.

I've managed to get back to almost full time hours across a four-day week - at first I did nothing but work and sleep but I can handle some gentle activities outside of work now.

@youalright I'm presuming that's how life is going to be for me tbh but better than doing nothing ( i think?)

@martha79--yes thanks for the tips. Glad you've made progress. Partner/kids will def be on cooking duty on my work days🙂

I hope it goes really well for you @Greedybilly

No need to reply to this if it will use up
too much limited energy…
Do you know how/why you have recovered? Would love to know any tips or what has worked for you. I’ve had long covid for nearly 6 years (March 2020) and am still completely housebound (I was a primary school teacher before Covid with a busy, active life).

@Sunflowers1982ssorry you're so poorly. It really is a pile of crap.
I wouldn'tsay I've recovered but just have days when I don't feel like absolute death. Then I do things and feel awful again.
I do feel better than last year which was dreadful. Things I did to help myself were:
Resting
Pacing
Yoga nidra meditation
Loads of vitamins
Short walks
Eating healthily/juicing/coconut water
Tried to be accepting of things.Hard
Watched good tv/read good books whilst in bed if i could
Stopped looking for a silver bullet

Not sure if any of this helped - probably did to some extent. Good luck to you it's a horrible thing.

Thank you @Greedybilly

Work in rest breaks wherever you can. Before you get tired. Even if you go sit in the toilet for 5 minutes and listen to a meditation. Do not plan in doing anything else for a while, even on non work days. Let your partner take as much of the parenting and home stuff as possible. Eat clean, keep sugar and UPF to a minimum. Prioritise good quality protein and lots of veg and fruit.
Good luck I hope it goes ok

Work in rest breaks wherever you can. Before you get tired. Even if you go sit in the toilet for 5 minutes and listen to a meditation. Do not plan in doing anything else for a while, even on non work days. Let your partner take as much of the parenting and home stuff as possible. Eat clean, keep sugar and UPF to a minimum. Prioritise good quality protein and lots of veg and fruit.
Good luck I hope it goes ok

@FeelingALittleWoozyHere
Thanks for ur tips - yes I think the toilet will become my retreat space. I forget to pace sometimes need to keep trying.

I honestly think that is your most important tool. Pacing and not waiting until you are exhausted before you take a break. I know how hard it is but it's going to become even more essential if you want to avoid crashing and needing to take sick leave

Lots of really wise suggestions here. Other things to add are: be kind to yourself - it’s easy to put additional pressure on yourself, especially when it’s a new job. Appreciate that you will be expending much more energy in the first few weeks of a new job and make allowances for this. As you become more familiar though, it will get easier.

Keep up a routine with all the good enriching practices that you already have in place (yoga nidra etc). Make sure there is joy on your life - try and plan some fun low energy things in your free time.

Recognise how far you have come to get to the stage that you are working again. No silver bullet but small steps.

@FeelingALittleWoozyHere
@upandoutofbed
Thanks for your comments much appreciated. It can be a very lonely illness. Feel I am armed with some good strategies. Just need to remember to use them now 😁