S2E2: Living on 19%

LIVING ON 19%

Have you ever left home with your phone at 19% and realized you needed to make that battery last all day?

That's one of the best ways I've found to explain Long COVID fatigue.

In this episode, I share what living on limited energy actually feels like for me—when showering, thinking, driving, listening, or even having a conversation can carry a cost. I talk about the difference between being tired and experiencing debilitating fatigue and malaise, the grief of having more meaningful relationships than I have energy to maintain, and why sometimes disappearing isn't rejection.

Sometimes it's 19%.

Most importantly, I want to challenge one of the most damaging assumptions about chronic fatigue:

Fatigue is not a choice. It is not laziness. It is not apathy. And it is not a moral failure.

I also talk about the difference informed support can make, and one simple thing friends and family can do when someone they love is running on limited power:

Believe their battery meter. Meet them where they are.

If you're living with Long COVID or another energy-limiting chronic illness, I'd love to hear from you:

What does 19% mean for you today?

And if you support someone living with chronic illness, what have you learned about meeting them where they are?

Share your story, your lessons, or a spark of hope at:

joe@longhaulhope.com

Because sometimes the people around us can't recharge our battery—but they can make it a little easier to live with the charge we have.