PODCAST · health
The Recovery Room with Jackie Baxter
by 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. S
Episodes
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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...
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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…
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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223 - Holistic Detective Work: Unpicking Breath, Pacing & Fatigue with Robin the Physio
Jackie is joined by Robin McNelis (Robin the Physio), a cardio‑respiratory physio and Long Covid specialist, who went from running marathons and leading hospital services to his own Long Covid recovery journey. In this episode: What happens when all your tests are “normal” but you’re clearly not....
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222 - Jake Hollis - What If Validation Is A Treatment Too
I talk with clinical psychologist Dr Jake Hollis about recovering from ME/CFS and Long Covid, and why the nervous system offers a more useful frame than the tired “mind versus body” argument. We explore how validation, language, and recovery stories can shift the brain’s predictions and open up...
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221 - A New Room, The Same Heart. Welcome to The Recovery Room
Five years after starting the Long Covid Podcast, Jackie introduces The Recovery Room – a wider, gentler space for anyone navigating Long Covid, ME/CFS, Dysautonomia, PoTS, Trauma, Burnout, nervous system overwhelm, and long-term recovery. In this episode, Jackie shares: Why the podcast is…
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Welcome to The Recovery Room, with Jackie Baxter
Welcome to The Recovery Room with Jackie Baxter This space is the natural evolution of a journey that began during my own recovery and through 5 years of the Long Covid Podcast. A place for anyone navigating a health challenge where they feel misunderstood, isolated and uncertain of the future. A...
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220 - Deepak Ravindran: Recovery Is Not Either/Or: Bridging Biology and Neuroplasticity
I catch up with pain consultant Dr Deepak Ravindran on what four years of Long Covid clinic work and research has taught him about why people get stuck with fatigue, pain, brain fog and autonomic symptoms. We argue for a practical middle path that validates biological change while using...
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219 - Boundaries, Breath, and Belonging - Foundations for Recovery
I'm joined by Bal Matharu to talk about how breathing links the nervous system, stress biology, and Long Covid symptoms, and why recovery often begins with creating a genuine felt sense of safety. We share practical ways to assess and change breathing patterns, plus the role of co-regulation,...
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218 - Learning to Listen: Neurodiversity, Trauma, and Long Covid Recovery
We hear Ana’s honest recovery story, from a gradual slide into Long Covid to the moment her nervous system finally stopped treating everyday life as a threat. We talk through neurodivergence, trauma, hypermobility and the practical tools that helped her rebuild a calm, creative life. • The slow...
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217 - Three Common Recovery Traps (and How to Avoid Them)
I share three common recovery traps and how we can find our way out of them without blame. Today's episode focuses on pacing, nervous system safety, and emotional processing so your body can stabilise and move forwards. • Pushing too hard on a better day and triggering the boom and bust cycle •...
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216 - More Than Just Covid: Stress, Grief, and Jacqui’s Journey to Recovery
I talk with Jacqui from New Zealand about dropping from a high-energy, ultra-active life into severe Long Covid, then building her way back to running, swimming and full work. Mel Abbott joins us to explain why calming the stress response comes before increasing activity, and how tools like...
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215 - Overwhelm 101: Why Your System Says “Too Much” (and What to Do Next)
In this episode of the Long Covid Podcast, I explore one of the most common — and often most confusing — parts of recovery: overwhelm. Overwhelm can feel like your whole system suddenly says “too much”: too much noise, too many sensations, too many decisions, too many feelings, too much...
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214 - Out of the Long Covid Maze: How Lalita Found Her Way Back to Health
We hear Lalita’s Long Covid recovery story, from tachycardia and air hunger to a steady return to health by focusing on nervous system safety. We share practical tools for regulating symptoms in the moment, plus the mindset shifts that make self-compassion possible when you’ve been dismissed or...
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213 - East Meets West: A New Paradigm for Long Covid Healing
I'm joined by Pierre Brunschwig & Margaret Hampton as we explore how Chinese medicine and conventional western medicine can work together to treat Long Covid, where symptoms are complex and constantly shifting. We focus on subtypes, nervous system safety, immune recovery and the practical...
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212 - Amy Davies - Internalised Pressure in Recovery: Letting Go Of Your Inner Drill Sergeant
We talk about how internalised pressure can keep the nervous system in threat mode and make recovery from Long Covid, ME/CFS and other health challenges harder, even when we are doing “all the right things”. We explore perfectionism, shame, and control, then land on practical ways to create space...
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211 - Nora Rodden - What If Your Symptoms Are A Signal, Not A Sentence
Nora shares her journey from years of back pain, gut troubles, and crushing insomnia to a calm, steady baseline by retraining a sensitised nervous system. Her story blends science, practical tools, and honest moments of fear, relapse, and quiet wins. • linking pain, GI symptoms and insomnia…
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210 - Roddy Schrock - Old Medicine for a New World: Is It Time to Revisit Homeopathy?
I talk with board-certified homeopath Roddy Schrock about what homeopathy is and why it can appeal to people recovery from Long Covid, ME/CFS and other complex, hard-to-explain symptoms. We dig into symptoms as messages, the power of deep listening, and how homeopathy can sit alongside Western...
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209 - Beyond Lying Down: What Rest Really Means in Recovery
In this solo episode, Jackie Baxter unpacks what rest really is during Long Covid and ME/CFS recovery—and why simply lying down often doesn’t feel restorative. She reframes the struggle to rest as your body’s way of protecting you, not failing you, and introduces the idea of “banking energy for...
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208 - From ME/CFS to a Full Life: A Mother’s Perspective on Her Son’s Recovery
Clare shares how her son went from a viral crash at thirteen to full, active living through pacing, autonomic nervous system retraining, and Mickel Therapy. We trace the medical dead ends, the messy middle, and the simple joy‑based habits that tipped him into lasting recovery. • early sensitivity...
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207 - Dr Nathan Keiser - Stop Chasing Labels, Start Fixing Mechanisms
We explore a mechanism-first approach to Long Covid & ME/CFS, shifting from labels to measurable neural and vascular bottlenecks that can be retrained. We share how to use dose, recovery, and sleep consolidation to build capacity through precise, small inputs that compound over time. • reframing...
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206 - Ashley's Recovery Story: I Stopped Pushing, Listened To My Body, And Started To Heal
We share Ashley’s journey from bedbound to rebuilding a joyful life, showing how belief, somatic work, and gentle pacing opened a path out of long COVID. The body is not the enemy; safety, connection, and consistent practice turn symptoms from threat to guidance. • fast pre‑illness life and early...
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205 - Nadyne McKie: When Care Becomes Co‑Regulation And Recovery
We look squarely at the invisible load of caring for people with Long Covid and ME/CFS, why carers’ nervous systems shape recovery, and how boundaries and communication protect both sides. We share clear, humane steps that reduce burnout and build co‑regulation at home. • Defining the carer role...
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204 - Simon Harrison - "Leaving ME Behind" and Finding Life Again
I talk with author Simon Harrison about losing an active life to ME, finding a diagnosis, and rebuilding health through pacing, meditation, and a bold year seeking light in Portugal. The story is honest about setbacks and fierce about hope, with practical lessons you can apply today. • early…
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203 - Carissa Conrad - Your New Best Friend: The Vagus Nerve
We explore how the vagus nerve shapes recovery from Long Covid and chronic fatigue, and why building parasympathetic tone changes sleep, digestion, pain, and mood. Carissa Conrad shares clear guidance on non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation, safe pacing, and common mistakes to avoid. • what the...
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202 - Michelle Irving - How Health Challenges Could Turn Your Work Into Authentic Leadership
We map a clear path from medical leave to meaningful work, sharing the five-stage Career and Chronic framework and the skills that turn lived experience into authentic leadership. Practical scripts, capacity tools, and boundary strategies make work humane and sustainable. • What career means when...
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201 - Lily Spechler - Fuel Before You Fix
I sit down with Lily Spechler, a registered dietitian and long hauler, to unpack why weight change in Long Covid is a metabolic story, not a willpower issue. We map a safer path: fuel first, stabilise blood sugar and blood flow, then make tiny adjustments that your body can tolerate. • Adding...
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200 - Celebrating 200 & The Power of Intention in Healing
Welcome to a milestone episode! In the 200th episode of the Long Covid Podcast, Jackie Baxter rings in 2026 by sharing personal reflections on the journey so far and the evolution of the podcast from its origins during her own recovery from Long Covid. Jackie explores: Lessons learned from...
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199 - Creativity 2025 - A Tapestry of Expression
Creativity doesn’t just reflect our lives; it reshapes them when everything else feels fixed. I close the year by handing the mic to artists, writers, and makers whose work was forged in the long shadow of Long Covid & ME/CFS —and whose voices light the way forward. If you’ve been searching for...
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198 - Lighting Candles, Not Waiting for Light Bulbs: Practical Belief-Building Techniques
We go from theory to practice on beliefs and recovery, building a daily framework that protects mindset, reduces flare spirals, and turns small wins into lasting change. Practical tools include proof journaling, identity shifts, nervous system regulation, and curating what you let in. • building…
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197 - More Than Mindset: The Crucial Role of Belief in Healing
We explore how belief shapes behaviour, attention, and recovery in Long Covid and ME/CFS, separating grounded acceptance from resignation and linking science to daily choices. Stories, evidence, and small wins show why consistency and self‑compassion matter more than intensity. • defining belief…
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196 - Cellular Recharge: Can Nicotinamide Riboside help in Long Covid Recovery?
I'm joined today by Edmarie Guzman-Velez & Rudy Tanzi as we dig into a clinical trial of nicotinamide riboside for Long Covid, why NAD matters for cellular energy, and where the results show promise for fatigue, sleep, mood, and executive function. We share what worked, what did not, and the next...
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195 - Olympic Insights on the Path to Wellness - Katie's Recovery Story
I am joined by Katie Brennan & Andrea Henkel Burke to share Katie’s Long Covid recovery, how nervous system work unlocked capacity, and why an Olympian’s playbook of pacing, breath, joint maps and cognitive drills can fit chronic illness. The theme is small, smart inputs that prevent crashes and...
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194 Navigating the Unknown: Ivor Clark’s Long Covid Recovery Story
We trace Ivor Clark’s Long Covid recovery from a 2023 infection and UTI to a careful return to work, highlighting the routines and supports that made progress possible. Pacing, breathwork, oxygen therapy, and a rare GP who listened shaped a steady path back to confidence. • athletic past,...
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193 - You are the Pilot, Not the Passenger - Reclaim Agency on your Recovery Journey
In this gentle solo episode, I invite you to explore a powerful reframe: what if your recovery journey isn’t something happening to you, but something you’re quietly guiding? Through metaphors, practical support & ideas, and reflections, I explore how to reclaim agency in healing — even when the...
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192 - Pacing, Connection, & Patient, Messy Progress - Kelly's Recovery Story
I talk with Kelly George about losing and rebuilding identity through Long Covid: the crashes that forced pacing, the relief of being believed, and the slow return of capacity that now lets her design a life she actually wants. Hope here isn’t vague—it’s built from activity management, nervous...
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191 - The Viral Aftermath: A Web of Healing with Dr. Galland
This episode welcomes Dr. Leo Galland, Internal Medicine Specialist with over 40 years of experience working with complex conditions, which now includes Long Covid and of course ME/CFS. In this episode: Comprehensive exploration of Long Covid's complex nature Introduction to the "Web of Long…
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190 - Dr. Google Gets an Upgrade: Can AI have a role in patient empowerment?
Technology offers unprecedented access to health information, but navigating it effectively requires understanding which tools serve our recovery and when to step away from screens. Jess from TurnTo shares insights on using AI and technology tools to support recovery from conditions like Long…
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189 - When Your Brain Keeps Telling You to Buy Salami - Natalie's Recovery Story
Natalie Gould shares her journey from severe Long Covid to full recovery, revealing how nervous system regulation transformed not only her Long Covid symptoms but also pre-existing chronic conditions like psoriatic arthritis and migraines. • Life before illness included working as a CFO and…
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188 - Moving Through the Liminal Space Between Illness and Wellness
Recovery from Long Covid & ME/CFS involves exploring ways to move forward when you're nearly there or making progress but unsure how to reach the next level. Finding your own path is essential as there isn't a one-size-fits-all approach to healing. • Jackie's recovery had 3 phases: denial &…
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187 - Energy Crisis: How Your Cell's Power Plants are Hijacked
Dr. Robert Groysman returns to discuss the mechanisms behind Long Covid, focusing on mitochondrial dysfunction and its role in symptoms like fatigue and brain fog. • Dr. Groysman identifies six major mechanisms in Long Covid: dysautonomia, mitochondrial dysfunction, gut dysbiosis, endothelial...
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186 - From Bedbound to Thriving: How Jamie Overcame Long Covid
**Content warning for discussion of suicidal thoughts from around 8:45 for 2 minutes** Jamie shares her powerful journey from being bedbound with Long Covid to full recovery, offering hope and practical insights into the healing process. • Initially experiencing tachycardia, PoTS, extreme…
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185 - Dr Kendal Stewart - When Your Killer T-Cells Need a Vacation
Dr. Kendal Stewart shares his unique perspective on Long Covid through his background as a surgeon with training in functional medicine, neurosurgery, and cell biology. His approach examines the body as an integrated system rather than separating it into isolated specialties. • Complex conditions...
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184 - Brain Health Breakthrough with Dr Henry Mahncke & Dr Gitendra Uswatte
Dr. Henry Mahncke and Dr. Gitendra Uswatte share groundbreaking research on using brain plasticity principles to treat Long Covid brain fog through a comprehensive approach combining cognitive processing speed training, real-world skill practice, and personalized cognitive rehabilitation...
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183 - Strength in Vulnerability: Theresa's Recovery Story
In this episode, Jackie is joined by Theresa Aristarco who shares her Long Covid recovery story. Theresa's journey from an active software engineer to battling long-haul COVID Navigating complex medical challenges and invisible symptoms The critical role of mental health in recovery Overcoming...
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182 - Finding Rest in a World That Never Stops - Karen's Recovery Story
Karen Wright from Sage Health and Wellness shares her powerful recovery story from Long COVID, offering hope and practical wisdom for those still struggling with chronic illness. • Karen was a busy NHS physiotherapist involved in developing Long COVID services before becoming ill herself in…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
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. S
HOSTED BY
Jackie Baxter
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Recovery Room with Jackie Baxter have?
The Recovery Room with Jackie Baxter currently has 232 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Recovery Room with Jackie Baxter 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...
How often does The Recovery Room with Jackie Baxter release new episodes?
The Recovery Room with Jackie Baxter publishes regularly with 232 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to The Recovery Room with Jackie Baxter?
You can listen to The Recovery Room with Jackie Baxter on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Recovery Room with Jackie Baxter?
The Recovery Room with Jackie Baxter is created and hosted by Jackie Baxter.
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