“Your symptoms are not your enemy—they’re signals from a nervous system that’s trying to protect you, and the way you respond to them can change everything.”
Feeling “tired but wired” isn’t a character flaw. It may be your body’s alarm system stuck in the “on” position—and there are practical ways to start calming it.
Many people living with chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), long COVID, dysautonomia, or fibromyalgia describe a confusing mix of symptoms: deep exhaustion paired with a racing mind, unrefreshing sleep, brain fog, and crashes after small amounts of activity. In a recent conversation with Stacey Chillemi, recovery coach Miguel Bautista described this pattern as a nervous system that’s become hypersensitive—less like a broken body, more like an overprotective alarm system.
That framing matters because it changes the strategy. Instead of endlessly “trying harder” or stacking more protocols, the work becomes: reduce perceived threat, rebuild capacity gradually, and respond differently to symptoms when they appear. (Always involve your clinician to rule out other causes and guide care—ME/CFS and long COVID symptoms deserve a thorough medical workup.)
Below are practical, non-promotional takeaways—grounded in Miguel’s insights and supported by widely accepted clinical guidance and frameworks.
1) Understand the “crash loop” before you try to escape it
Miguel described a familiar cycle:
- You search for answers; tests often come back “normal.”
- You try supplements, diets, and protocols—sometimes a small boost, then you’re back where you started.
- You push through on a “good day,” then crash—sometimes for days or weeks.
Clinically, this aligns with what many ME/CFS patients experience as post-exertional malaise (PEM): a worsening of symptoms after even minor physical or mental exertion, often delayed by 12–48 hours and lasting days or longer. The CDC specifically notes PEM as a hallmark issue and recommends activity management (pacing) to reduce flare-ups.
Reframe: The crash isn’t proof you’re broken. It may be feedback that your system is operating beyond its current capacity.
2) Practice “regulated pacing,” not just “doing less”
Most people think pacing is only physical: steps, exercise minutes, chores. Miguel emphasized a missing piece: cognitive and emotional load.
A nervous system can be stressed by:
- Problem-solving and screen time
- Emotional conflict, pressure, perfectionism
- Worry spirals (“What if I’m relapsing?”)
This tracks with modern guidance that pacing is about balancing activity and rest within your limits—not forcing a fixed exercise target.
A simple regulated pacing check-in (1 minute)
Try rating three buckets once daily:
- Body load (movement, chores, standing)
- Brain load (screens, planning, reading, multitasking)
- Emotional load (stress, fear, frustration, urgency)
If two buckets are high, your system may interpret even a small third-bucket demand as “too much.”
3) Treat symptoms as signals, not emergencies (when you’ve been medically cleared)
Miguel’s core idea: “Your success in recovery is determined by how well you respond to symptoms.” He described symptoms as the brain’s protective response—uncomfortable, sometimes scary, but not necessarily dangerous once serious conditions have been ruled out.
On his site, he uses a practical tool: a 1–10 symptom scale. He suggests keeping symptoms in the “manageable” range and pulling back when they rise—so you build capacity without triggering big crashes.
The “3-or-less” approach (adapt to your reality)
- 1 = you almost forget you’re sick
- 3 = symptoms present but manageable
- 4+ = you’re likely pushing too far and need to downshift
This is not about “never feeling symptoms.” It’s about staying in the zone where your nervous system can learn safety.
4) Use “progress cycles” instead of big comebacks
Miguel compared recovery to strength training:
- Do a little more (a small walk, a short call, a slightly longer screen session)
- Expect a mild response (like soreness)
- Recover and stabilize
- Repeat—slowly building capacity over time
This aligns with pacing principles and with the reality that PEM can be delayed.
A safer “good day” rule
When you feel better, resist the urge to “cash in” immediately. Miguel recommends letting your body stabilize in that good place for a few days before increasing demand.
5) Don’t feed your nervous system catastrophe at 2 a.m.
Miguel strongly advised against late-night symptom Googling and forum spirals, especially when you’re already dysregulated. It’s not “weakness”—it’s biology: fear ramps up the stress response.
Instead, create a “calm file” you can reach for at night:
- A short reassuring script (“This feels intense, but I’m safe; my body is reacting, not failing.”)
- A grounding exercise (slow exhale breathing, body scan)
- A trusted, non-alarming resource list
This isn’t about denying symptoms. It’s about reducing threat signals so your body can downshift.
6) Identity matters more than most people realize
One of the most painful parts of chronic illness is identity loss: “If I can’t do what I used to do, who am I?”
Miguel noted that many people recover in mindset first: they stop identifying as broken and start identifying as someone whose system can change.
That’s a meaningful application of neuroplasticity—the nervous system’s ability to change in response to experience and stimulation.
A helpful identity shift
- From: “I’m relapsing. I’m back to square one.”
- To: “My system is sensitive today. What’s the smallest adjustment that signals safety?”
This shift reduces pressure—which Miguel believes is crucial, especially for high-achieving, self-demanding personalities.
7) Long COVID and dysautonomia: why “wired + tired” can make sense
Miguel’s nervous-system framing also maps onto growing research suggesting that autonomic nervous system disruption may contribute to long COVID symptoms such as orthostatic intolerance and tachycardia in some patients.
That doesn’t mean symptoms are “all in your head.” It means the regulation system (heart rate, temperature, digestion, sleep-wake rhythms) may be off-balance—so approaches that build safety and stability can be relevant alongside medical care.
Three things to start this week (without forcing a crash)
If you’re in bed, exhausted, and discouraged, start small:
- Name the pattern: “This is a hypersensitive system, not a moral failure.” (If you haven’t been medically evaluated, make that a priority.)
- Track your three loads: body / brain / emotions—once a day, no obsession.
- Practice one symptom response script: When symptoms flare, meet them with calm logic and a micro-adjustment (rest, lower stimulation, shorter task), rather than fear-driven escalation.
A closing reflection
Chronic fatigue and long COVID can steal time, confidence, and the sense of being yourself. But Miguel’s message is both grounding and empowering: the path forward often isn’t a dramatic breakthrough—it’s small, consistent signals of safety that teach your nervous system it no longer has to protect you with alarms.
You don’t have to “win” recovery. You just have to practice your next gentle rep—and let your system learn, one stable day at a time.
