Will anyone explain his/her use of rest when they crash?

I'm sorry for your crash. I still have to work fulltime, so I don't have the ability to do what I need to do for myself when I have a particularly bad time of it. However, if you're at liberty to rest then I would be sure to do so. Best of luck.

I had 8 months of LC last year. Stress can have a huge impact on IBS (I have IBD) and LC. I also have celiac so if I get glutened my autoimmune system ramps up and have to veg for a few days (arm/leg cramps, brain fog, depression, insomnia, GI problems, balance, skin rashes). Basically one as to wait it out, try to minimize the stress as much as you can, escape mentally into music/books/shows/etc, get enough sleep, short breaks or naps, and easy exercises like walks help to heal. Stretching exercises are useful with leg cramps. If stress is a common occurrence then finding ways to manage it are useful, meditation, short walks, or whatever works. Sometimes diet can impact us as well; I've kept a food log for years and it helped show intolerances. Covid can trigger autoimmune illness and food intolerances in some people.

I purposely try to rest 15-20 minutes every few hours to maintain my energy. It really helps because if I push to a full crash, it can take me a day or two to recover. I just watch a video or meditate when I rest...and put a heating pad on any area that is particularly achy. Then I can get up and get some small project worked on.

Meditate (there are a couple apps for this. I like Calm). Also have 1 -;3 weekly online group meditation sessions.
Gentle movement, as simple as moving feet up and down 10 times while in bed.

Hi @mclelland1958. As @vostie shared rest is crucial which is so hard for many to actually do with life’s responsibilities etc. My post covid clinics have advised to also help recovery time thru close your eyes for about 5 minutes every hour and do box breathing to help reset autonomic system that is creating so much havoc. Pacing is crucial and not allowing yourself to start feeling a crash will hopefully prevent future long episodes and evolve into rest periods of hour to afternoon etc🤞

Interesting and illuminating community here - just joined, and am learning much. Thanks to all who contribute and I'll come here not only for answers but to contribute as I can.

Overall from this thread I'm gleaning much. One piece: Four hours (maybe less, maybe more) and then rest intentionally rather than pushing the envelope.

For one whose M.O. through chronic diseases and several rounds of the medical wars was to "Press on!" with great success, this post-covid syndrome has been difficult to deal with. It worked in the past and has given me an active and adventurous life. That was before my second bout of COVID.

I'll bring my concerns here and see if there's relief to be found in this community. I'll also share what I've learned, or think I've learned.

May God bless us all with peace and understanding, and healing. Our hope is in Him.

The crashes for me seem less severe after a decent night's sleep.

Somewhere, I'm not sure where, I read that regular melatonin at bedtime, every night, works to replicate one end of the tryptophan-serotonin-melatonin mechanism that gets disrupted with COVID. The source was legit - could have been Dr. Amen, not sure.

Anyway, I've tried it and the sleep tends to come more regularly now and tends to make for better days.

One thing that this article stated was to throw out the old notion that melatonin should be used for three days only, say, to counter jet lag, and get used to the idea of taking it regularly. It takes time, several months, maybe, for that system to re-regulate itself. I ain't there yet, but it seems to be helping and I'll be patient - and have some hope. And that's important.

I take a nap of 2-4 hours most days. I’m overwhelmed with exhaustion. I sleep about 7-8 hours at night. Prior to all this, I was highly organized with a nice clean house and a full time job. Now everything is a mess. Everyday I plan to do a few small chores but I’m lucky if I get one small thing done. It boggles my mind that I can sleep 8 hours & take a 4 hour nap!! I rarely ever took a nap. My other LC symptoms have gradually gone away. Wish this would as well.

this November was 4 years of Long Covid and I still have crashes. It took the first 2 years of going to a LC clinic with PT, OT, Speech to figure out how to keep me as good as I can be.
I crash when I do too much or sleep too little-in short, my baseline energy level is way overdrawn. I think of it like a checkbook; I start the day with 4-6 hours of energy, that's assuming I had a solid nights sleep. Everything I do is a withdrawal from my 'energy checkbook': shower-hair-makeup, choosing what to wear, making the bed, cooking, picking up the house, grocery shop, errands. But mental energy costs me as well; working with my finances, legal information, figuring out who gets what for Christmas, how long to cook the turkey, figuring out the 'to-do' list, Dr appointment, socializing, emotional distress (angry, lonely, fear, stress) AND how many days in a row of extending myself.
At first I kept a detailed diary every day when I woke up, what I did and how many total hours for each: activity and rest time, as well as sleep-did I need a nap during the day, when I went to bed, did I wake during the night, when I woke and did I feel rested when I woke. How many hours of mental and physical activity did I have?
The important thing I learned is the first day I felt better after a crash was dangerous- I thought I was recovered and could resume my life full speed ahead and then crash again. It took 5 days to feel better after Christmas but I then had a 'light' day at home using ~2hours of energy, then a 2nd day to do ~4 hours of energy at home, then I could face life again but being really careful out in the world for a few more days.
I really 'pay' for a big event like Thanksgiving at my house, doing Christmas for my 90 year old mother at her house, hosting out of town guests, an evening concert, travel. I budget myself accordingly by being very quiet the day before and scheduling nothing for several days after.
Nothing like my prior Covid life!! My 'energy bank account' is now restored to my baseline level. I have given myself 1-2 days a week of no scheduled activity-brain or body work this month, and no more than 2-3 days in a row.
My best management of the crashes is based on planning, built in rest days, delegate tasks, prioritization and staying within my 'budgeted time' limits.

Your intentional approach sure beats my hopeful exertion-then-crash-again cycles.

I've tried to moderate by resting for a day before, say, a movie and early dinner date with my wife. And the evening out leaves me with apprhension that I'll probably not do well the day following. So I try to push through it, or am baffled by it, defeated by it, and that in itself saps energy.

I'd be better taking inspiration from you, and building a plan that says, for example, "Today, rest - get caught up on correspondence, maybe something more demanding if presence-of-mind allows. Hit the rack and get up on schedule - instead of staying up because I'm feeling productive and don't want to waste it. Tomorrow, savor and enjoy the time with Jan. Day after, intentionally and positively look forward to a day of rest. "

Knowing that the letdown is coming, and intentionally, positively planning into it will surely beat trying to fight through it and dealing with fear, failure and defeat - again and again.

Thanks.

What you've said might well change this part of the game for me - and I'm grateful.