The Recovery Room with Jackie Baxter

Jackie Baxter

Welcome to The Recovery Room with Jackie Baxter - a gentle, grounded space for anyone navigating a health challenge. ​ For five years, this show was known as The Long Covid Podcast, supporting thousands of listeners through the uncertainty of post‑viral illness. After my own lived experience and recovery from Long Covid, the conversations naturally grew wider — into ME/CFS, Fibromyalgia, Dysautonomia, Trauma, Burnout and the deep nervous‑system work that underpins so many healing journeys. ​ This reimagined podcast honours that evolution. ​ Each week, I explore the science, stories, and small, steady practices that help the body feel safer and more supported. You’ll hear from clinicians, researchers, practitioners and people walking their own recovery paths through the power of honest conversation. ​ Whether you’re at the beginning of your journey or somewhere in the long, winding middle, you’re welcome here. Take a breath. Settle in. This is your recovery room. This podcast will always remain free, but if you like what you hear and are able to, please head along to www.buymeacoffee.com/JackiesRecoveryRoom to help me cover costs. ~ Follow me on socials @JackiesRecoveryRoom  ~ Website: www.JackiesRecoveryRoom.com  Do get in touch - I love to hear from you!

  1. 3d ago

    231 - Marisa Renee Lee - The Self That Remains: Identity and Hope Through Illness

    I talk with Marisa Renee Lee about Long Covid, identity, and what it takes to endure a season where answers are slow and uncertainty is constant. We explore grey grief, reality based hope, and the practical choices that help us keep moving towards healing even on the hardest days.  • Getting ill after being highly capable and reliable  • Rewriting a book when life flips the premise  • Authenticity when capacity shrinks and priorities shift  • Defining identity through values rather than job titles  • Learning from a parent’s long illness and lasting impact  • Naming “grey grief” as the grief of uncertainty  • Holding hope without denying pain or setbacks  • Firing dismissive healthcare providers and seeking better care  • Finding hope through community and recovery stories  • Combining modalities like prescriptions, supplements, acupuncture, and therapy  • Taking tiny baby steps and focusing on consistent basics  WAITING FOR DAWN: LIVING WITH UNCERTAINTY https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/marisa-renee-lee/waiting-for-dawn/9781538770191/ Message me! (I can't reply to these messages) For more information about Long Covid Breathing courses & workshops, please check out LongCovidBreathing.com (music credit - Brock Hewitt, Rule of Life) Support the show ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thankyou for joining me in The Recovery Room. If you found this episode useful & are able to, you can support the show by buying me a coffee or checking out the merch Visit The Recovery Room website: www.JackiesRecoveryRoom.com  Follow me on social media channels: @JackiesRecoveryRoom **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**

    231 - Marisa Renee Lee - The Self That Remains: Identity and Hope Through Illness

  2. Oct 14

    230 - Dr Mel Houser - From Shame to Belonging: Making Room for Every Brain

    I sit down with Dr Mel Houser to rethink neurodiversity as a normal fact of human life and to name how shame, masking, and burnout can build when the world expects one way of being. We connect those realities to Long Covid and ME/CFS, showing how access needs, cognitive pacing, and community support can change what recovery and participation look like.  • Neurodiversity as the full range of human brains, not a rare exception  • Why “one size fits all” environments create struggle and shame  • Autistic burnout, loss of tolerance to stimuli, and loss of skills  • Masking as a survival strategy and what happens when it collapses  • Universal design in healthcare, offering choices proactively for everyone  • Access needs as a practical way to support full participation  • Cognitive pacing and balancing physical, cognitive, emotional and orthostatic energy  • Dopamine, regulation, and why illness disrupts protein, hydration, movement and sleep  • PEM-aware approaches and avoiding harmful graded exercise advice  • Patterns in complex chronic illness where treatments can backfire  • The double empathy problem and communication gaps in healthcare  • Resources from All Brains Belong Vermont including toolkits, Brain Club and the book  Links: Everything is Connected to Everything: Improving the Healthcare of Autistic & ADHD Adults: https://allbrainsbelong.org/all-the-things Free community programs and educational resources: https://allbrainsbelong.org/get-connectedA Failure of Imagination: How the Healthcare System Fails Neurodivergent People--And What We're Doing Instead: https://allbrainsbelong.org/bookBrain Club® (free virtual community education program): https://allbrainsbelong.org/brain-clubUniversal Design Toolkit for Healthcare, Workplaces & Community Events: https://allbrainsbelong.org/universal-design-menus/ Message me! (I can't reply to these messages) For more information about Long Covid Breathing courses & workshops, please check out LongCovidBreathing.com (music credit - Brock Hewitt, Rule of Life) Support the show ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thankyou for joining me in The Recovery Room. If you found this episode useful & are able to, you can support the show by buying me a coffee or checking out the merch Visit The Recovery Room website: www.JackiesRecoveryRoom.com  Follow me on social media channels: @JackiesRecoveryRoom **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**

    230 - Dr Mel Houser - From Shame to Belonging: Making Room for Every Brain

  3. Oct 7

    229 - “Just for Now”: Pamela Rose Helps with Pacing for Recovery

    I'm joined by Fatigue Coach Pamela Rose as we dig into why pacing feels so hard and why “energy management” is a better, more practical way to think about it. We share how to find a steadier baseline, account for cognitive and emotional load, and start increasing activity without tipping into PEM. • Defining pacing as shaping the day around available energy • Prioritising needs and wants over ‘shoulds’ • Using consistency to create capacity for healing • Learning the nuance behind physical, cognitive, emotional and social exertion • When wearables and apps help and when they backfire • Spotting early warning signs and adjusting before a crash • Reverse pacing and safe, gradual activity increases • Pacing the week, planning around appointments and hormone shifts • Making progress with kids or caring responsibilities by optimising what you can Links:  Work with Pamela: https://pamelarose.podia.com Use voucher code 'LCPOD' to get 33% off the full price of 'Fatigue Reset: how to crack pacing once and for all!' course. Our first episode on "Difficult Conversations" https://www.buzzsprout.com/1835170/episodes/14502430 Message me! (I can't reply to these messages) For more information about Long Covid Breathing courses & workshops, please check out LongCovidBreathing.com (music credit - Brock Hewitt, Rule of Life) Support the show ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thankyou for joining me in The Recovery Room. If you found this episode useful & are able to, you can support the show by buying me a coffee or checking out the merch Visit The Recovery Room website: www.JackiesRecoveryRoom.com  Follow me on social media channels: @JackiesRecoveryRoom **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**

    229 - “Just for Now”: Pamela Rose Helps with Pacing for Recovery

  4. Sep 30

    228 - Commandos to Curious: Chris Sykes-Popham's Journey from Scepticism to Openness and Recovery

    Chris Sykes-Popham shares how he goes from an adventurous Royal Marines career into a brutal ME/CFS crash, then back to full recovery and a life rebuilt around balance and self-trust. We explore perfectionism, invisible illness, and why nervous system regulation can feel like the least popular answer yet still be the most practical path forward.  • Early warning signs like post-exertional payback and brain fog  • Losing a former identity and rebuilding meaning after recovery  • Balance as a daily check for kindness and sustainability  • Extreme striving and the hidden costs of perfectionism  • Gender, emotional expression, and the pressure of invisible illness  • Responsibility versus blame and finding agency again  • Openness, curiosity, and why timing matters for mind-body work  • Nervous system regulation as a common thread in recovery stories  • Studying the recovered and looking for repeatable trends  • Testing the nervous system theory symptom by symptom  We would love to continue this conversation - or have the one we originally planned - so please do get in touch with thoughts, questions & scepticism!  Links:  Try Freeme FREE for 6 sessions  https://freemehealth.com/getfreemeCONNECT WITH CHRIS: Website — https://freemehealth.com/getfreeme Instagram —   / the.freeme.app   Message me! (I can't reply to these messages) For more information about Long Covid Breathing courses & workshops, please check out LongCovidBreathing.com (music credit - Brock Hewitt, Rule of Life) Support the show ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thankyou for joining me in The Recovery Room. If you found this episode useful & are able to, you can support the show by buying me a coffee or checking out the merch Visit The Recovery Room website: www.JackiesRecoveryRoom.com  Follow me on social media channels: @JackiesRecoveryRoom **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**

    228 - Commandos to Curious: Chris Sykes-Popham's Journey from Scepticism to Openness and Recovery

  5. Sep 23

    227 - Dr Heather Wilde - Listening with Hands: Healing Speeds Up When You Find The Blockage

    I talk with Heather Wilde, a doctor of physical therapy, about why Long Covid and ME/CFS symptoms can be downstream of blocked drainage and disrupted nervous system signalling rather than a single “broken” part. We follow her plumber and electrician framework from real client stories into craniosacral therapy, inflammation, and why hope often returns when someone finally finds the true restriction.  • Heather’s hands-on manual therapy approach and why she keeps expanding her toolkit  • A personal recovery story after decades of ME/CFS and what changed  • The plumber mindset for fluid flow and the hidden source of symptoms  • The electrician mindset for nerves, especially the vagus nerve and gut function  • A case study where a neck restriction links to GI pain and hyperventilation  • How covid-related inflammation can lock down the head and thorax  • Lymphatic drainage, sympathetic regulation and the Perrin theory in plain language  • Why breathwork and manual therapy are hard to research yet powerful in practice  • What craniosacral therapy is anatomically and what “dura restrictions” mean  • Touch, listening and rebuilding a healthy relationship with the body  Links: Connect with Heather: thewildeclinic.com The Perrin Technique: theperrintechnique.com My interview with Dr Perrin: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1835170/episodes/16397354 Message me! (I can't reply to these messages) For more information about Long Covid Breathing courses & workshops, please check out LongCovidBreathing.com (music credit - Brock Hewitt, Rule of Life) Support the show ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thankyou for joining me in The Recovery Room. If you found this episode useful & are able to, you can support the show by buying me a coffee or checking out the merch Visit The Recovery Room website: www.JackiesRecoveryRoom.com  Follow me on social media channels: @JackiesRecoveryRoom **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**

    227 - Dr Heather Wilde - Listening with Hands: Healing Speeds Up When You Find The Blockage

  6. Sep 16

    226 - Dan Neuffer - Out of the Box: Living Your Own Blueprint

    Dan Neuffer and I explore authentic living as a practical way to honour our needs without abandoning responsibility, and why that balance matters even more when we are unwell. We look at how fear, perfectionism, and people-pleasing create inner conflict, drain our energy, and can keep our nervous system stuck in threat.  • Defining authentic living as self-honouring with balance  • Why constant selflessness can become self-neglect  • How childhood patterns and social approval shape our “shoulds”  • Telltale signs of inauthentic living such as resentment and emotion management  • The link between internal conflict, safety, and chronic illness recovery such as Long Covid and ME/CFS  • Perfectionism, social media pressure, and the fear of judgement  • Practical steps: honesty with ourselves, clearer communication, and boundaries  • Choosing small wins over drastic decisions to create lasting change  Connect with Dan:  CFS Recovery Stories: https://cfsunravelled.com/me-cfs-recovery-stories-patient-me-cfs-stories-with-a-difference/      ANS REWIRE Free Lessons:  https://ansrewire.com/info-request/  Connect with Jackie:  The Recovery Room website: https://www.jackiesrecoveryroom.com/ Breathing Classes: https://longcovidbreathing.com/  Message me! (I can't reply to these messages) For more information about Long Covid Breathing courses & workshops, please check out LongCovidBreathing.com (music credit - Brock Hewitt, Rule of Life) Support the show ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thankyou for joining me in The Recovery Room. If you found this episode useful & are able to, you can support the show by buying me a coffee or checking out the merch Visit The Recovery Room website: www.JackiesRecoveryRoom.com  Follow me on social media channels: @JackiesRecoveryRoom **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**

    226 - Dan Neuffer - Out of the Box: Living Your Own Blueprint

  7. Sep 9

    225 - 25,000 Chances to Heal: Making Every Breath Work for You

    I explore breath as a practical healing tool, especially when breathlessness, air hunger, or panic keeps the body stuck in survival mode. I share why “appropriate breathwork” is gentle, flexible, and powerful enough to support both recovery and everyday health.  • Why breathing patterns change during illness and can stay dysfunctional afterwards  • The vicious cycle where breath discomfort signals danger and escalates symptoms  • How better breathing supports efficiency and frees energy for healing and life  • Nervous system regulation through functional breathing and micro moments of safety  • Why a one-size-fits-all protocol can backfire and what “meet yourself where you are” looks like  • What to avoid in recovery, including deliberate hyperventilation and breath holds  • Easing into practices, adjusting dose, and using breath to support pacing and emotions  • Resources for safe breathwork including courses, blogs, videos, and Insight Timer tracks  Links:  Breathing for Long Covid & ME/CFS breathing courses: www.LongCovidBreathing.com Breathing blogs: https://longcovidbreathing.com/blogs Breathe with me on Insight Timer: https://insig.ht/mqSr1s0245b (or search "Jackie Baxter" on the appMore info about working with me: www.JackiesRecoveryRoom.com/WorkWithMe  Message me! (I can't reply to these messages) Support the show ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thankyou for joining me in The Recovery Room. If you found this episode useful & are able to, you can support the show by buying me a coffee or checking out the merch Visit The Recovery Room website: www.JackiesRecoveryRoom.com  Follow me on social media channels: @JackiesRecoveryRoom **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**

    225 - 25,000 Chances to Heal: Making Every Breath Work for You

  8. Sep 2

    224 - From Data to Body Wisdom: When to Use (and Ditch) Heart Rate Monitoring

    In part two of Jackie’s conversation with physiotherapist and Long Covid patient Robin McNelis (“Robin the Physio”), they dig into how heart rate monitors and wearables can support (or sabotage) pacing in Long Covid and ME/CFS. Robin shares both clinical and personal examples of using tech as a behaviour-change tool, not a dictator, and how it can help people eventually trust their bodies more, not less. In This Episode: When heart rate monitoring is helpful and when it becomes stressful and counterproductiveRobin’s concept of “counterintuitive” heart rate monitoring and why some people need to start with higher alert thresholdsReal-life examples of unexpected triggers (like showering, stairs, and bending) and how tiny tweaks made big differencesUsing devices first to learn your boundaries, then turning down or off alerts to lean more on body awarenessHow to decide if tech is right for you right now: What is it helping you change? Is it reducing crashes or just adding pressure? Key Takeaways Tech is optional: it’s the right tool for the right person, at the right time, in the right way.The goal isn’t perfect data—it’s better awareness, steadier pacing, and fewer boom-and-bust crashes. Links: More about Robin: http://www.robinthephysio.co.uk  Check out Part 1 of this discussion: 223 - Holistic Detective Work: Unpicking Breath, Pacing & Fatigue with Robin the Physio  Message me! (I can't reply to these messages) For more information about Long Covid Breathing courses & workshops, please check out LongCovidBreathing.com (music credit - Brock Hewitt, Rule of Life) Support the show ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thankyou for joining me in The Recovery Room. If you found this episode useful & are able to, you can support the show by buying me a coffee or checking out the merch Visit The Recovery Room website: www.JackiesRecoveryRoom.com  Follow me on social media channels: @JackiesRecoveryRoom **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**

    224 - From Data to Body Wisdom: When to Use (and Ditch) Heart Rate Monitoring
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4.7
out of 5
71 Ratings

About

Welcome to The Recovery Room with Jackie Baxter - a gentle, grounded space for anyone navigating a health challenge. ​ For five years, this show was known as The Long Covid Podcast, supporting thousands of listeners through the uncertainty of post‑viral illness. After my own lived experience and recovery from Long Covid, the conversations naturally grew wider — into ME/CFS, Fibromyalgia, Dysautonomia, Trauma, Burnout and the deep nervous‑system work that underpins so many healing journeys. ​ This reimagined podcast honours that evolution. ​ Each week, I explore the science, stories, and small, steady practices that help the body feel safer and more supported. You’ll hear from clinicians, researchers, practitioners and people walking their own recovery paths through the power of honest conversation. ​ Whether you’re at the beginning of your journey or somewhere in the long, winding middle, you’re welcome here. Take a breath. Settle in. This is your recovery room. This podcast will always remain free, but if you like what you hear and are able to, please head along to www.buymeacoffee.com/JackiesRecoveryRoom to help me cover costs. ~ Follow me on socials @JackiesRecoveryRoom  ~ Website: www.JackiesRecoveryRoom.com  Do get in touch - I love to hear from you!

Information

  • Creator
    Jackie Baxter
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    233
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 © 2026 The Recovery Room with Jackie Baxter
  • Show Website
    The Recovery Room with Jackie Baxter

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