In this episode, I sat down with Mark from Berkshire – a full-time primary school teacher and one of my brilliant students – to talk about his incredible journey through Long Covid, and how he found his way back to life, work, and joy.
Mark first got Covid in late 2020, and like so many people, it didn’t seem serious at the time. But weeks later, Long Covid hit like a freight train – leaving him wiped out, struggling to function, and caught in a relentless cycle of exhaustion and uncertainty. He pushed on, committed to his work, his students, and his family – until everything came crashing down in December 2022.
From that rock-bottom moment came a turning point. Mark began attending Rest Repair Recover classes, and later joined our 8-week FERN programme. Bit by bit, he started to shift from despair to determination. Through learning, reflection, and community support, Mark made one of the biggest mindset changes we see in recovery: moving from desperately doing to lovingly being.
We talk about his “5% stretch” moments – celebrating the tiny wins that led to big breakthroughs. He shares what it meant to discover the “drivers” behind his perfectionism and people-pleasing, and how they had shaped the way he ignored his own needs for years. And we laugh about the joy of not tidying the kitchen because actually, being present with your family matters more.
Today, Mark is not just back at work full-time, he’s thriving – and even retraining as a play therapist to support children in a more meaningful way. He’s taken what could have been a dead end and turned it into a new path filled with purpose, presence and, yes, a whole lot more joy.
If you’re on this journey too – tired, unsure, maybe clinging to hope – this episode is for you.
“My family hardly saw me… Now, I’m walking at lunchtime, prioritising joy, and actually living my life again.” – Mark
Take a listen, and remember: your recovery might not look like Mark’s, but healing is possible. And you are not alone.