‘An ill day can still be a good day’: 10 ways to live well with long Covid and chronic illness

Being chronically ill is challenging and often upsetting - but there can be hope and happiness along the way. Start by giving yourself a break and some appreciation

More than 1 million people in the UK are experiencing long Covid, according to the Office for National Statistics. Much of the media coverage of this has been bleak and upsetting. That is understandable. Chronic illness is bleak and upsetting, particularly the early stages of falling sick. But there is something else that no one tells you: it can be hopeful and happy, too. I fell ill with postviral fatigue from the flu a few years ago and what I craved above anything was advice and reassurance. I will not claim I am sorted. I am writing this in bed. There may be cheese in my hair. But I will offer my top 10 tips on living well, even when knackered and sore.