Jonathan's JournalSpeak Recovery from ME/CFS and Long COVID
Learn how to JournalSpeak https://www.yourbreakawake.com/journalspeak When Jonathan developed long COVID and chronic fatigue, his life became smaller and smaller. He went from playing tennis, snowboarding, and mountain biking to barely being able to leave the house, and for more than three years he tried nearly everything he could find to get better. By the beginning of 2026, he had mostly accepted that this was his life now. Then he found recovery stories from people who understood the mind-body connection, discovered my work, began JournalSpeak, and allowed himself to believe that healing might actually be possible. Within four to six weeks, his chronic fatigue symptoms were gone. Today, he’s playing tennis with his daughter, mountain biking with his son, and living his life again. In this conversation, Jonathan and I talk honestly about what it takes to move through the messiest middle of recovery, when your body is still producing symptoms and every instinct tells you to retreat, manage, pace, and search for the next person who might fix you. We talk about perfectionism, pre-grief, fear of failure, symptom imperatives, and why belief is the gas in the tank—but also why urgency can keep the nervous system convinced that something is still terribly wrong. I share more about my own recovery from lifelong migraines, and we explore how JournalSpeak gives the parts of us operating under the cover of darkness a safe place to finally be acknowledged. Jonathan’s story is a powerful reminder that even after years of illness, the body is not broken, the nervous system can change, and it is never too late to find your way back to yourself. Join us! XOOX n. 1:1 COACHING WITH TRAINED COACHES SUPERVISED DIRECTLY BY NICOLE PLEASE RATE AND REVIEW THE PODCAST HERE TO HELP OTHERS FIND IT! Producer: Lisa Eisenpresser ~~~~~ SUPPORT: 🟠 Struggling with chronic pain? Check out my Freedom From Chronic Pain course GET THE FIRST LESSON FREE: https://www.yourbreakawake.com/painfree 🟠 Anxiety controlling your life? Try my Freedom From an Anxious Life course GET THE FIRST LESSON FREE: https://www.yourbreakawake.com/anxietyfree 🧠 Learn more about the brain science and clinical experiences in my book MIND YOUR BODY: https://www.yourbreakawake.com/book 💛 Receive support, guidance, connection, and direct access to Nicole with MEMBERSHIP: https://www.yourbreakawake.com/membership ~~~~ THE CURE FOR CHRONIC PAIN JOIN THE CONVERSATION ON INSTAGRAM 👉 https://www.instagram.com/nicolesachslcsw SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST 👉 https://podfollow.com/the-cure-for-chronic-pain-with-nicole-sachs-lcsw LEARN ABOUT ANNUAL OMEGA RETREAT 👉 https://www.yourbreakawake.com/work-with-nicole Podcast music by the beautiful and talented Danielle Furst: @musicfurst Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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