The Chronic Fatigue and Burnout Recovery Podcast

Anna Marsh

Recovering from Chronic Fatigue, Burnout and other Energy Related Illnesses Through Somatics, Science and Neural Reprogramming.

A Functional Medicine Approach To Recovery

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21 episodes
Updated Today

Episodes21

Newest first

Today · 38 min
Episode 156: Recovery, Recalibration & Learning to Feel Safely Again
In this episode, Anna explores a side of recovery that is rarely discussed: What happens when the nervous system begins to reconnect with emotions, sensations, and internal experiences that were previously difficult to fully feel. As the body becomes safer and more regulated, many people notice unexpected shifts: emotions feeling stronger or more accessible increased sensory awareness old feelings resurfacing a changing relationship with capacity, vulnerability, and self-prote
July 24 · 36 min
Episode 155: What This New Research on Glutamate Might Mean for Long COVID & ME/CFS
In this episode, Anna breaks down a recent study exploring brain neurochemicals in Long COVID and ME/CFS — with a particular focus on glutamate and its potential role in symptoms, particularly physical capacity. Rather than simply summarising the research, Anna walks you through what these findings may actually mean in practice. We’ll explore how glutamate fits into the wider picture of nervous system regulation, inflammation, and energy metabolism — and why these conditions can’t be underst
July 10 · 1 hr 1 min
Episode 154: Breakups, Dating & Recovery: Navigating Life After Long Covid with Lexi Boreham
In this episode, Anna is joined by Lexi Boreham, who shares her experience of living with and recovering from Long Covid. This conversation gently explores the reality of rebuilding a life alongside ongoing symptoms — from the early confusion of becoming unwell, to navigating setbacks, identity shifts, and the emotional impact of recovery. Together, they talk about the often-unspoken parts of the journey, including loneliness, the role of community, learning to set boundaries, and what it
June 25 · 13 min
Episode 153: COMT - Why Some Nervous Systems Feel Everything More Intensely
Some people notice that they seem to experience stimulation and stress more intensely than others. They may feel overwhelmed in busy environments, react strongly to caffeine, or find it difficult to switch off mentally after a demanding day. Sometimes people encounter the term COMT when exploring genetic testing and begin to wonder whether this might explain their nervous system sensitivity. But conversations about COMT online can quickly become confusing — and sometimes unnecessarily a
June 11 · 22 min
Episode 152: When You’re Mostly Better… But Not Fully Stable Yet
There is a stage of recovery that many people reach where life has largely returned to normal. You may be working again. Socialising more. Exercising gently. Participating in daily life in ways that once felt impossible. And yet, your system may still experience occasional fluctuations. Energy might dip after a busy week. Sleep may become more fragile during stressful periods. Your nervous system might still feel sensitive to certain types of load. This stage can feel confusing, beca
May 29 · 27 min
Episode 151: Why Gentle Movement Can Calm the Nervous System (Even With Chronic Fatigue)
Movement can feel like a complicated topic for people living with chronic fatigue conditions. Many people have been told to exercise more. Others have experienced crashes after pushing too hard. And over time, movement itself can start to feel risky. But something interesting often emerges during recovery. Certain types of gentle, rhythmic movement can actually help the nervous system settle. In this episode, Anna explores why the body sometimes responds positively to movement — not
May 15 · 56 min
Episode 150: Relapse or Recalibration? Why Symptoms Can Return After Years of Stability
One of the most frightening moments in recovery can be when symptoms suddenly return after a long period of stability. And many people immediately think: "I’m back where I started." But in many cases, what looks like a relapse is actually something quite different. Sometimes the body is simply going through a temporary recalibration. In this episode, Anna explores why symptom waves can occur even after months or years of improvement, and why these experiences often don’t mean that
April 30 · 33 min
Episode 149: Not all Post-Exertional Malaise (PEM) is the same
Not all post-exertional malaise (PEM) is driven by the same physiology — and understanding the difference can completely change how you approach pacing and recovery. In this episode, Anna breaks down the three most common patterns of post-exertional crashes seen in clinical practice: autonomic “hit the wall” crashes, metabolic “wired but exhausted” responses, and delayed immune-driven flares. You’ll learn why timing matters, how different symptom patterns reflect different underlying mecha
April 17 · 54 min
Episode 148: Protein, Pacing & Physical Capacity: A Nurturing Resilience Membership Conversation
We’re back again this week sharing a recording from one of our Nurturing Resilience Group Calls. Each month we have one call dedicated to the nervous system and one call dedicated to what I call the more “practical” elements of recovery. In this recording you will hear some of our members asking their questions and we cover topics such as protein consumption, building up physical capacity and endurance, rehabilitation for deconditioning that happens when you have been ill a long time, migraines,
April 3 · 1 hr
Episode 147: Processing, Purpose & Stability: A Membership Conversation on Nervous System Healing
This week on the podcast we do something a little different. We share a recording from the Nurturing Resilience Membership where we focus on supporting your Nervous System as you navigate recovering from Chronic Fatigue and other Energy Limiting Illness. This is your opportunity to be a fly on the wall of one of our group calls and if you want to take part yourself, you are very welcome to join the Membership and get involved. We cover topics such as using yin yoga for emotional processing, disc
March 20 · 24 min
Episode 146 - Research Review: The PEM Puzzle
Post-exertional malaise (PEM) is more than just feeling tired after activity — it’s a delayed and often severe worsening of symptoms that affects many people with ME/CFS and other energy-limiting conditions. In this episode, Anna unpacks what PEM is, why it happens, and what current research is beginning to reveal. Anna explains how PEM differs from everyday fatigue, explores emerging insights into energy production, inflammation, and stress responses, and discusses why “pushing through” can
March 5 · 20 min
Episode 145 – Oxaloacetate and Chronic Fatigue: Could this compound support your energy?
Oxaloacetate is a compound that plays an important role in cellular energy production and mitochondrial function. In this episode, Anna explores the emerging interest in oxaloacetate as a potential support for people with Chronic Fatigue and other energy-limiting conditions. Anna explains what oxaloacetate is, why it has gained attention in the chronic fatigue space, and how it may influence metabolism, inflammation, and energy production. She also discusses who may benefit, important conside
February 20 · 40 min
Episode 144: How to manage unsolicited advice about your chronic illness
We’ve all been there. You share some details about your chronic illness with a friend, family member or colleague and instead of empathy, you receive a prescription for yoga, meditation or a B12 injection. Although the unsolicited advice is well meaning, often it can be another load that we have to manage. Chronic illness is complex and nuanced and it is exhausting to explain the physiological complexity as well as the dramatic impact it is having on your life. This episode is here to help you w
February 6 · 31 min
Episode 143: What I wouldn’t do if I had to recover from Chronic Fatigue all over again
Mistakes are how we learn and grow and the same is true for Chronic Fatigue Recovery. In this episode Anna shares what she wouldn’t do if she had to recover from Chronic Fatigue all over again. She shares lessons and learnings from her own experience and experience working with clients. She weaves in guidance on what she would do instead so that you can learn to build strong health foundations from the ground up. Useful Links Take the Chronic Fatigue Quiz: https://app.annamarsh.co.uk/qu
January 23 · 29 min
Episode 142: Cycle syncing when you have Chronic Fatigue
Cycle syncing is a practice whereby you align your diet, lifestyle and energy management around your menstrual cycle. In this episode Anna answers the question: can this be helpful if you have Chronic Fatigue? Anna gives an overview of the menstrual cycle and explains how imbalances at certain points in the cycle can make us feel a certain way. She shares her own experience with cyclical fluctuations in energy and how she managed them, things that have worked clients and how to manage your cycle
January 9 · 34 min
Episode 141: How long is long enough to stick with something if you don’t feel any better?
Prompted by a question from a Nurturing Resilience Member, Anna answers the question about how long to keep going with things when you aren’t seeing progress. She talks about the importance of laying life long foundations, getting overwhelmed by healing gadgets, supplement grave yards, the importance of context, strategy and structure, testing and retesting and how giving yourself a break can be the best thing at times! Useful Links Take the Chronic Fatigue Quiz: https://app.annamarsh.co
Dec 26, 2025 · 35 min
Episode 140: How can I help? Ways to work with me
***PLEASE NOTE*** Prices quote in this episode have increased since recording AND we have also added a selection of Pay As You Go Services to help people manage their budgets. Each week I get enquiries from people who are experiencing energy limiting conditions such as CFS/ME, Long Covid, Post Viral Fatigue and Mould Illness. Your health is the most important thing and you want to make sure that whoever you work with is the right fit for your needs and your budget. Which is why I wanted to c
Dec 12, 2025 · 27 min
Episode 139: The Top 3 Things That Stop People From Recovering Energy Limiting Conditions
Prompted by a question on Instagram Anna shares 3 things that she feels stop people from recovering from Energy Limiting Conditions. She talks about how embodied safety is essential for change, some of the mistakes she made in her own journey recovering from Chronic Fatigue and insights into what can be supportive if you resonate with any of these 3 areas. Useful Links Take the Chronic Fatigue Quiz: https://app.annamarsh.co.uk/quiz-page Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anna__marsh
Nov 28, 2025 · 47 min
Episode 138: How I Built My Exercise Capacity with Chronic Fatigue
One of the things that people with Chronic Fatigue struggle with the most is exercise. In this episode Anna shares her exercise journey and how she approached building her capacity from heart rate controlled walking to returning back to the gym and swimming 4km! She shares her step by step process, failures, strategies to mitigate PEM and the 3 most important considerations for anyone who wants to be able to exercise more as they recover their health. Useful Links Take the Chronic Fatig
Nov 14, 2025 · 23 min
Episode 137: Struggling with Motivation? It could be your nervous system.
If you find yourself struggling to do things you know you should be doing to support your health, this episode of the Chronic Fatigue and Burnout Recovery Podcast is for you. Anna does a brief recap on the nervous system and explains how certain nervous system states may contribute to feeling stuck, frozen or general apathy when it comes to making diet and lifestyle changes and being consistent with them. She offers guidance on how we can better attune to the needs of our nervous system so that