Would it be worth adding one small thing to your day if it made everything else feel easier?

This is the third and last part of our series - What Would Feeling Better Change In Your Life - where we explore the impact of symptoms on people's lives and look at what has changed when they found an approach that gave them more functionality and energy.

We started the series by sharing the experiences of people we have worked with. They offer so much hope, and we love hearing all the different ways their lives have been impacted by the shifts they have made.   

Last week, Katie shared how getting back her ability and energy levels to plan outdoor adventures and take her family into nature was a key step in her recovery journey. 

In this third and last part in the series, we talk about some of the practical hurdles people face when they try to put valuable recovery tools into practice, and how those challenges can be overcome to let them feel real benefits. We want to paint the picture of how to begin integrating tools, even when it feels like there is no capacity to add anything else to your day. 

Long COVID and post-infection conditions exist on a spectrum. Some people struggle to leave their bed, while others may seem to be functioning just fine from the outside but are using every ounce of energy they have to do the basics at home, work, or school. It can leave people feeling constantly behind or unable to perform the way they want. This can be especially frustrating when covering basic day-to-day tasks requires a huge share of available energy.

Trying to manage the same kind of to-do list as before they were impacted by symptoms from a post-infection condition is often not possible - or can lead people to overexert themself and experience crashes. On top of this, family commitments and social activities mean it can be difficult to find time to breathe. Over time, the emotional stress builds up and can add to symptoms, affect life, impact mood and leave people feeling like they are losing control.  

When we introduce tools that are specifically designed to help the body start the day in a more balanced place, and encourage people to use them throughout the day to better manage symptoms and energy levels, the initial reaction is often resistance. Even just the thought of adding one more thing to the to-do list can feel overwhelming, no matter how simple or brief the action itself may be. For many people, the day already feels full from the moment the alarm goes off. Energy is limited, capacity is stretched, and the prospect of anything additional can feel less like support and more like another demand on an already overloaded system.

What if the right tools don’t take away from your day or energy levels, but give back? What if they allow you to actually make it through your to-do list with more ease? What if those tools help you to be calmer, feel more in control again, and free up energy for the things you want and need to do? 

It’s easy to assume that something small won’t make a meaningful difference. We’re used to thinking that big changes require big effort. But what if consistent, small inputs are what actually change how your system functions in a real way? That is when we aren't just adding to the list of to-dos or introducing something that depletes energy. We are introducing simple tools that can be transformative.

How long does a task take when you feel unwell, stressed, behind or a little less in control? Compare that to doing the same task with just a little more clarity and energy. How much time and effort do you need for the same task in each of these scenarios. How much better does it seem when you feel even just a little bit more energized and in control. Suddenly, the task becomes easier, needs less time to be finished, and is done better. 

That’s when reframing becomes powerful. We can’t change the amount of time we have in a day, and you can only modify or skip some of the things on our list, but we can use tools that improve energy levels and support how we function. This allows you to regulate brain-body systems with simple tools that don’t take much time but support a state where focus, coordination, and energy are more readily available. When we build them into daily routines, they become good investments that don’t drain energy but help retain and improve it.

When your goal is to feel better, be more able and function more efficiently, then these tools aren’t an “extra” or a nice to have. They may be the most valuable items on your daily to-do list as they help you get through tasks faster and more effectively, and give you back more time and energy than you invested. 

Giving this approach a real chance allows yourself and your brain to experience the benefits first hand. Feeling those improvements helps people to turn the tools into routines and something you can rely on throughout the day, whenever you need a boost or to support recovery after exerting yourself.

It’s not about carving out “extra time” for things. It’s about using the right inputs to support how your system functions—so you have more energy, more clarity, and more capacity for the things you need and want to do. In the last two newsletters, we looked at what other people have done when they found that energy again. So the question then becomes, what would you do with that extra energy? 

Warmly,
Katie & Andrea

PS: This was the last Newsletter of a three-part series on what would change if you had more energy and ability. We shared real-life stories of people we worked with to share their experiences and successes. Katie then shared what difference small shifts made for her and her whole family. In this Newsletter, we paint the picture of how to begin integrating tools, even when it feels like there is no capacity to add anything else to your day. However, by adding the right things – tools that help give energy and support better function – you can start getting back more than you “invest.” That’s where healing and an upward spiral can begin.