Recovery from a post-infection condition can feel overwhelming. Whether you or someone you love is experiencing lingering symptoms. Some days you may feel like you can do something, other days everything feels like a challenge. Remember that every journey toward improvement and feeling better begins with a single, small step. Evidence shows that even modest changes—when done consistently—can have a profound, compounding impact on symptom management and your health.

It’s natural to feel daunted when trying to figure out where to start when you are feeling so unwell. You may also not be sure you have the energy to commit to a recovery process. You might be wondering how a few minutes of movement or a simple dietary tweak can possibly counteract months (or even years) of discomfort. Yet, the truth is that each small, intentional action builds a foundation for improved health. Over time, these steps can lead to reduced symptoms, increased energy, and a stronger sense of resilience—helping you reclaim the ability to do the things you love. 

We like to think about using different steps as part a holistic strategy that breaks down recovery into five manageable elements:

• P – Pacing:
  Pacing is often seen as rest, but that’s not what it means for the most part. In fact, resting is not an easy “action” for people with post-infection conditions. For now, let’s look at Pacing as two buckets, one is taking energy and one is giving energy. Pacing is doing or using more of what gives you energy than that which is taking it from your system. The goal is to free up energy to heal and avoid major setbacks through extended episodes of PEM. One simple Pacing step can be to switch shampoo and household cleaners to those that are free of toxins. 
• E – Exercise (or very gentle activity):
  Exercise is one of the most controversial topics in the Long COVID community. We recommend exercise for various reasons. No one can be healthy longer term without moving. To make exercise more approachable, we like to describe it as activity. When we talk about exercises, we are not talking about maximum heart rate; we mean gentle activities that support blood flow, which nourish the brain and body, both of which are essential to improve the recovery trajectory. Depending on where you are in your recovery journey, you can start with a simple step of just getting up regularly to walk around for a minute or two. If this is too much, you can move your arms or legs for 20 seconds every once in a while throughout the day. If two minutes of walking seems like not enough for you, work on doing a walk of that length more often in the day before increasing time or intensity.
• D – Dietary Guidance:
  Incorporating anti-inflammatory nutrition into your routine can help reduce systemic inflammation, supporting healing and sustained recovery. A simple step can be filling half of your plate with vegetables, or making sure every time you eat, you have some fresh produce as part of the meal.
• A – Alignment:
  Alignment of the nervous system helps to get your body out of a prolonged stress response, reduce symptoms and support other systems in your body to function better. For this, we love to refer to a very simple nervous system regulating eye exercise anyone can do - even before getting out of bed. A full explanation and guided video is in our three free tools.
• L – Loosen:
  Specific stretching and mobility can help open up and loosen soft tissues, supporting better brain body connections, lymphatic flow, supporting the nervous system and helping the body to relax and heal. Similar to above, you can find two options in our three free tools, including in depth explanation and videos with step by step instruction - as it’s easier to see it in action vs reading the steps, and you can see how simple they are. 

Each element on its own is beneficial and stands on its own, yet when combined, they create a synergy that can accelerate your recovery. Even if one or two elements feel more accessible than others, focusing on those as a first step can still make a significant difference. The key is to identify what works best for you and integrate it into your daily life.  

By committing to just one or two small, manageable actions—whether it’s gentle joint mobility, eye exercises to align the nervous system or a simple nutritious meal—you’re taking an important first step. Over time, these actions add up and can lead to a noticeable reduction in symptoms and a renewed sense of energy. This, in turn, opens up the possibility of taking on additional steps, gradually building a path toward improved physical and mental resilience.

Recovery is not about making giant leaps overnight. It’s about being kind to yourself, taking simple steps consistently and celebrating each small victory along the way. If you or a loved one is struggling with post-infection challenges, know that there are practical, achievable steps you can take right now. There are actions that can fit into your life now that will have an impact. Start small, stay consistent, and let each step pave the way for greater improvements in your health and quality of life.

Remember, every journey starts with a single, hopeful step. Take yours today.

Warmly,
Katie & Andrea

Related Blog Posts:

• Why You Don't Need to Wait for a Pharmaceutical Solution 
• Why Making Small Decisions Helps You Feel Better
• A Deep Dive into the P.E.D.A.L. Approach for Long COVID Symptom Management
• The Power of Simple Solutions