Yesterday I celebrated running a 100 yards. It does not sound like much and does not seem like much to celebrate but it is a big step for me now.

The last time I ran was on Tuesday January 25, 2022. I remember coming back from running a 5K and telling my husband that it was a really hard run. Looking at my stats I saw that my heart rate went up to the 190’s. My body was physically working hard. It took me 2 more days to realize that the congestion I felt and the sick feeling I had was not the result of a recent ear infection, but in fact was Covid. I am healthy, was triple vaccinated and Covid hit me hard. A few days of flu like symptoms but much harder is the fatigue that followed.

Having long covid fatigue has been hard. Many days I had to strategically think about things I took for granted, going up and down the stairs, cooking, walking my dogs, and just staying up in the evenings.

A lot was out of my control. But I could control my mindset and how I used the little energy I had.

This is what helped me get through this:

1. Look for the positive. Yes, some days it was harder to see, and the days that the headaches were bad and I really struggled to do anything, I wanted to cry. But I hung on to every little bit of good. I am alive, not taken for granted. I don’t have the brain fog. I can keep working. I joke about my changed sleeping habits. From a light sleeper who struggled to fall and stay asleep, I now fall asleep the moment I put my head down on my pillow and sleep like a log.
2. Focus. I have had to be very clear about my priorities and where I spend my limited energy. Without focus I would not be able to get better and continue my work. I only took a few days off from coaching. Most of the rest of the stuff I had to say no to, and yes, this is also the reason why you have not heard from me for a while. I kept telling myself that this is an exercise in prioritization. I have to admit that it has worked. Despite all this I have been growing my executive coaching business.
3. Take care of myself. I live a healthy lifestyle, but I had to work at making my health and self-care a priority. I learnt that my usual night owl habits could no longer work. I must go to bed at a reasonable time and try to sleep at least 8 hours. I need to start the day slowly. I do my Covid physiotherapy exercises. I meditate. I do yoga, something I was not able to do for the first couple of months. I have had to really listen to my body. Understand what I can, and more often, what I cannot do.
4. Celebrate the little improvements. I emphasized every little bit of progress.

I cooked dinner.

I walked to the end of the street.

I did some yoga.

I could ride an electric bike.

I went to the supermarket….

So today I am celebrating running 100 yards. It is progress. I have learnt that the improvement curve is not a straight line and I know that I will have ups and downs, but I choose to focus on the positive direction.