My lightbulb moment changed my life, and the trajectory of my Long COVID journey… and the path it put me on could help change yours as well.

When we feel unwell, everything becomes hard. Even the things we know will make us feel better can seem impossible. Understanding that there are both short and longer term health consequences of remaining unwell can be a powerful incentive to find a way to improve, even if it just by a little at first. But that knowledge, or what to do to feel better, is not always clear.

Katie experienced this firsthand at the beginning of 2023. Two research papers helped her to get a better understanding of what was happening in her body. They provided information and a trigger that let her see how her professional experience could help her find a path to feeling better. She had spent years as an economist and analyst working for the National Health Service in England, using data and evidence to improve care for people with complex health conditions. This gave her the insight to understand the clear messages and warnings in the Long COVID research -  the outcome is not just feeling unwell day to day, but it is also the increased likelihood of other important body systems failing us at an earlier age. This wasn’t a future she wanted. 

From her work in behavioral economics, she knew it often took a large trigger to get people to change. That research, and the lightbulb moment it offered, provided clear incentive to focus on her health. Combined with her background, it also gave insight about what effective improvement tools looked like. The combination of knowing why we need to change routines, or add new ones, with knowledge about what will be impactful, made the hard work of starting down the recovery path in earnest easier to do.

Our programs at ThriveNinety include not just tools, but also provide clients with an understanding of what tools to use, why to use them, and how to use them. This supports their success and makes it easier for them to know their actions and efforts will be impactful. 

This week, Katie wrote a blog article titled Long COVID and Light Bulb Moments. In it, she shares her light-bulb moment and the value of connecting the dots, even when the answers you get are scary.

We hope this article will help you and others coping with Long COVID and post-infection conditions to gain insight about the longer term impact of the condition. We also hope it offers motivation that improvement is possible, and well worth working toward to reduce symptoms today and to reduce longer term health risks. 

Warmly,
Katie 

PS. Katie’s light bulb moment changed her Long COVID path and kick-started her recovery process. We hope our latest blog article, Long COVID and Light Bulb Moments, will inform and inspire you too. When we understand a condition and how it impacts our bodies we are better able to take action to help feel better, and feel motivated to prioritize the actions that will help. Reach out if you want support taking the next steps.