My Recovery Journey From CFS/ME: What Actually Helped Me Get My Life Back

I still remember what it felt like: life was there — but I couldn’t reach it. My body was constantly running on empty, my nervous system was overloaded, and even small things could feel like a marathon.

I’m sharing my journey here — and how I became 100% recovered from CFS/ME — because it took me many years to understand what calms my system down, and what overloads it. This is not medical advice. But it is honest experience and concrete steps that, together, helped me build a good life again.

Maybe you’ll find a few pieces here that you can take with you.

PS: I have no financial affiliation with anything I mention in this post.

My story: From “a bit tired” to a dark room — and back to life

For me, it didn’t start as a dramatic collapse overnight. At first, it was “just” a long period of exhaustion: I felt empty, I had brain fog, and I started experiencing anxiety and inner restlessness in a way I never had before.

I was initially on sick leave for one full year, because I simply couldn’t function.

Then things got worse. Over time, even small stimuli became too much. Light, sound, conversations, everyday life — everything felt like overload. I ended up spending 13 months in a dark room, and during that period I was essentially a care patient.

If you’ve been somewhere similar, you know: it’s not about motivation. It’s about survival.

After that, recovery didn’t simply “start.” What began was a slow, long return. I spent an additional three years doing work rehabilitation through NAV, before I could even begin moving toward working again.

When I did return, I chose a different path than before. I didn’t go back into a normal job — I started working in my own company, because I needed to control the load myself: with flexibility, breaks, and adaptation.

After roughly five years outside the workforce, I gradually increased capacity. I then worked around 50% for four years, and only after approximately nine years of reduced capacity did I feel like enough pieces were finally in place for my body — and my life — to tolerate more.

Today I work 100% in my own business, and for many years I didn’t believe that would be possible.

1) Lightning Process: The turning point (and 33% better)

Lightning Process became a major turning point for me. Not because everything disappeared overnight — but because I started understanding my nervous system differently. Not as an enemy, but as a system that can be trained toward safety.

I’ll say it as honestly as I can:

Lightning Process didn’t fully heal me. But it made me about 33% better. And that was the crucial difference.

That 33% was enough to get back into everyday life — and to continue the journey, where I still had to find all the other pieces that needed to fall into place.

Lightning Process helped me:

• step out of “illness mode” mentally

• spot stress patterns earlier

• regain a sense of control and agency

• handle setbacks without losing my footing

2) Being honest with myself: What gives me energy — and what drains it?

A big part of my recovery wasn’t just technique. It was truth.

I had to admit that I used to be extremely good at ignoring what was actually good for me. I could push through a lot — even things I didn’t truly enjoy. Busy jobs, high pace, constant performance pressure… I was good at “getting through it.”

Looking back, I think I was almost too good at overriding my own needs.

A major shift came when I started asking myself:

• What gives me energy?

• What drains energy?

• If I could choose freely — what would I truly want?

• What type of life and work actually fits my personality?

The more I understood myself, the clearer it became: recovery isn’t only about symptoms. It’s about building a life that doesn’t put your nervous system into alarm mode every single day.

3) Meditation & mindfulness: Training calm — every day

Training calm makes a huge difference.

I prefer meditating 10–15 minutes every day. Not as a performance, but as nervous system hygiene.

Mindfulness helped me:

• notice stress earlier

• downshift faster

• avoid getting stuck in thought spirals

• rebuild trust in my body

And honestly: it wasn’t always comfortable. But I learned that calm can be trained — like a muscle.

4) EMDR & PTSD therapy: Taking the nervous system seriously

An important part of the journey was trauma work — for me through EMDR.

Many people with CFS/ME have a nervous system that’s been in alarm for far too long. That doesn’t mean you have to have lived through something extreme. Sometimes many years of pressure, responsibility, insecurity, and overload is enough.

EMDR helped me:

• release stress reactions stored in the body

• break old “just push through” patterns

• build more inner safety

• process many uncomfortable experiences related to my health and my body

I believe today that for many people, recovery isn’t only about more energy.
It’s about more safety in the system.

5) Cutting stimulants: coffee, alcohol, and “pushing”

I cut out:

• coffee

• alcohol

• stimulants in general

Not because they’re “forbidden,” but because my body clearly showed me it paid the price later.

If I want stability, I need to give my system safety — not artificial speed.

6) Nature + daylight: Two hours a day is magic for me

Being outside is almost always part of what stabilizes me.

For me, around two hours of daylight and nature per day is optimal — ideally also earlier in the day, so my nervous system gets a clear “start signal.”

It helps with:

• stress

• sleep

• mental clarity

• inner calm

7) Training: The hardest thing to bring back

For many years, training was the thing I cut out completely. Not because I didn’t want to — but because I couldn’t tolerate it.

For a long time, “training” for me was:

• walking

• daily movement

• playing with my kids

• getting outside without triggering a crash

For me, it was especially the combination work + training that was hardest to rebuild.

And I’m not entirely sure why. Maybe I had pushed myself too hard for many years. Maybe I’m more genetically prone to stress and anxiety. I don’t know.

But I do know training and work were the two biggest pieces to get back.

8) The solution: enough carbs, recovery — and understanding total load

The breakthrough didn’t come from pushing harder. It came from building a smarter system.

I stopped experimenting with special diets and started eating more stable and balanced. And one thing was absolutely crucial:

Carbs became a game changer for me.

Especially after training, I refuel with:

✅ carbs + protein

This calms my stress response and helps me tolerate more over time. That’s why I personally discourage extreme low-carb or keto approaches in a vulnerable phase.

9) Sleep: 7–8 hours — and a power nap when needed

Sleep is non-negotiable for me.

Most of the time, I aim for:

🛌 7–8 hours per night

And on days when my system needs it:

😴 a 20-minute power nap

Not as an “escape,” but as a strategy.
Recovery isn’t a setback — it’s training for stability.

10) Supplements: pieces that gave me more capacity

Supplements weren’t magic. But they were supporters.

My most important ones:

Creatine (10–15 g daily)
Gives me more capacity — especially combined with training.

Thorne Stress Balance (around 3–4 capsules daily)
One of the most important “stress pieces” for me in everyday life.

Fish oil (Omega-3)
A baseline supplement I take regularly.

Vitamin D
Especially useful in darker months.

Magnesium
Helps with muscle recovery and calm.

Reishi
A kind of nervous system support for me, especially in the evening.

Holy Basil (Tulsi)
Feels supportive for inner calm.

Relora
I’ve used it to soften stress reactions.

Tongkat Ali (800 mg daily)
I take 800 mg, and I firmly believe it gives me more energy, more reserve, and faster recovery after training.

Important: This is my experience, not medical advice. Go slowly and test one thing at a time.

11) Relaxation after training: 10–20 minutes makes a big difference

I often do 10–20 minutes of relaxation after training. Simply landing calmly after load helps my body recover faster.

12) Periodization: I train based on how busy the rest of life is

I’ve learned to see training as part of the total load in my life.

Some days I push more.

Other days I train more calmly — typically with 2–3 reps in reserve per set.

I plan training based on how busy the week is at work. This was a key to being able to do more of what I want — without crashing.

What I believe today: Recovery is nervous system + biology + decisions over time

For me, it wasn’t one thing. It was a combination:

• nervous system calm and safety

• less stress

• smart load management

• enough carbs

• intentional recovery

• better life choices

And patience.

If you’re in the middle of it: you’re not weak. You’re not lazy. You’re not broken.

You’re in an overloaded system — and it can relearn safety again.

If you want: I’m happy to share more of what I did in detail

If you have questions, or if you want support in building a more stable everyday life, you’re welcome to reach out.

There are ways back. And sometimes they don’t start with big leaps — but with small, smart decisions repeated long enough.