There is no single treatment for long COVID. But there are things you can do to help manage your symptoms and make everyday activities easier.
Be patient and kind with yourself. Treat yourself like you would treat another person with long COVID. Take things slowly and gradually build up your daily and weekly routine.
Some days may be more difficult than others. But throughout your recovery, try to look after your physical health.
You can do this by:
Recovery is different for everybody. We are still learning about the different ways that COVID-19 affects people and how people recover from it.
Managing long COVID symptoms
Some of your symptoms might go away quickly. But others may come and go, or take much longer to improve. This might make your normal activities feel difficult and tiring to do.
Find our guides about managing:
Managing joint pain or muscle pain
Gentle stretches and strength exercises may help with muscle and joint pain. This could be activities such as yoga, tai chi or exercises with resistance bands.
Exercise while recovering from COVID-19
Find more exercises involving:
Check with your GP before you start a new exercise routine. Stop if you feel worse after exercise.
Talk to your GP for advice on how to manage other common long COVID symptoms such as:
- chest pain or tightness
- heart palpitations
- pins and needles or numbness
Non-urgent advice: Contact your GP if:
- you're worried about any ongoing or new symptoms
- your symptoms get worse
- you're finding it hard to cope - this can be because of emotions as well as physical symptoms
Urgent advice: Call 112 or 999 if
you or someone with you shows signs of a heart attack:
- chest feels tight or heavy
- pain that spreads to your arms, back, neck and jaw
- suddenly feeling or being sick
Plan, prioritise and pace your activities
Match your level of activity to your energy level and rest before you need to.
Doing this helps to avoid ‘boom and bust’ behaviour. This is where you are very active on good days and then feel exhausted for days after.
To do this you can:
- plan - create a balanced routine of things you need to do, things you want to do, and rest breaks
- prioritise - be realistic about what you can do, think about changing tasks to make them easier or asking for help
- pace - break down activities into smaller tasks and spread them out over the day or week
Do not compare yourself to others or what you think you should be able to do. Your energy level may vary from day to day. If you wake up feeling tired, you may need to do less than you planned.
Tips on how to make everyday tasks easier
Sometimes it may be difficult to pace and plan activities. For example, at a family event. If the activity is very important to you or unavoidable, try to plan for a longer period of rest after it. Let people know that you may not be able to take part in your usual way.
Going back to work and other activities
Planning, prioritising and pacing can help when you go back to work and other activities. Slowly add small increases in activity to your routine when you feel ready.
You can also manage the expectations of others before you start new activities. Tell them what you can do and what happens if you do more than your comfortable level of activity.
Using an activity diary to monitor your symptoms
Illness Benefit if you cannot work in the short term - on gov.ie
Going back to work after a longer absence
Doing the right kind of work is good for your mental and physical health. The longer you are off sick, the harder it can be to go back.
If you have been off work for a long time, planning your return can help you prepare and build your confidence.
To help you plan your return, talk to your GP or other health care professional, and your employer.
Supports and services
Living Well is a free self-management programme for people with a long-term health condition. It provides workshops and resources to help you manage your condition better.