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 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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Facebook Creativity Group
Subscribe to mailing list

I love to hear from you, via socials or LongCovidPodcast@gmail.com

**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 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 LongCovidPodcast@gmail.com

**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 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 LongCovidPodcast@gmail.com

**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**