It could be said that Long COVID was a blessing in disguise for Axios journalist Priya Mathew. Sooner or later, she writes, neglecting her self-care could well have impacted her overall health. In an effort to inspire fellow patients who are still suffering, she shared what spurred her to make some much-needed changes, and the three main ingredients of what she calls her ‘recipe for recovery’.*

Severe illness strikes

Mathew contracted COVID-19 in November of 2022. Despite the mildness of her initial infection, she went on to develop persistent, debilitating symptoms, including:

• Breathlessness,
• Heart palpitations, and
• Sleep issues.

Her symptoms grew in number (reaching 23 at one point), and intensity, and she was finally admitted to the hospital for a battery of tests. Fortunately, her organs were largely intact, though at the writing of her personal story, in early March 2023, she was still being treated for a lung obstruction.

Wake-up call

“Long COVID was an alarm bell that I needed to make huge changes in my life,” Mathew wrote, explaining candidly that she “hadn’t taken great care” of herself up to that point. Her busy lifestyle had taken priority over her well-being. She had fallen into an unhealthy pattern of:

• Poor eating habits and nutrition,
• Drinking too much coffee, and
• Not carving out time for exercise.

She knew her habits would have to change if she was going to heal from Long COVID.

Recipe for relief

To get on the path to recovery, Mathew hatched a three-ingredient “recipe” consisting of structure, pacing, and faith.

Structure

Mathew now maps out every activity before her days begin, including rest and recreation. She sticks to that schedule, checking off each accomplishment as she goes. While this may seem overly rigid, Mathew says, the newfound discipline “has radically improved” her life.

The new structure also includes making a habit of:

• Following a healthy diet
• Drinking copious amounts of water
• Consistently taking her medications and dietary supplements
• Attending her pulmonary rehabilitation sessions

Pacing

Pacing has proven helpful for many people with chronic fatigue syndrome. If Mathew is feeling worse on any given day, she limits her activities to conserve energy. If she’s feeling good, however, she still doesn’t exert herself. She may just walk another five minutes or cook for her family, for example. When her body needs rest, she rests.

A study in the Journal of Medical Virology showed that a system of structured pacing was able to significantly reduce post-exertional crashes, or post-exertional symptom exacerbation (PESE), and improve health in Long COVID patients. Of 31 study participants, 13 (42%) finished a six-week program of gradually increasing physical activity at higher levels of ability. Notably, most patients experienced fewer crashes during the program. The researchers stated that too many clinicians aren’t aware of how pacing can aid Long COVID recovery.

Faith

Mathew says that positive thinking has never come easily to her, but she’s getting better at it through prayer and meditation. “The mind is a powerful instrument,” she observes. “I’m learning to use it for my betterment, not detriment.”

In four months, Mathew has experienced 60%-70% improvement in her Long COVID symptoms. Even better, she says, she’s healthier now than she was before COVID struck.

*Mathew, P. (2023, March 9). Long COVID: A recipe for recovery. Axios. https://www.axios.com/2023/03/09/long-covid-a-recipe-for-recovery