Tahmid Chowdhury

Health & Recovery

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  • A Sobering Assessment

    I had a relatively nice week. A few lessons cancelled meant I had more free time. I also passed my Dutch course, and all being well, hopefully will be receiving news of Belgian nationality any day now. Yet internally, my sleep was very rough. The…

  • Navigating The World of DIY Diagnosis

    I’ve been suffering from constant low-grade nausea. At first, I thought this was a post-heat illness. The recent heatwave hit hard, and I felt an illness coming the day it cooled. But now the symptoms have gone on for numerous days, and I’m starting to…

  • The fruits of a slow, consistent baseline

    Photo by Barnabas Piper on Unsplash I’ve been humbled by how much my physical capacities have nosedived. I’ve had to reel back many of my daily activities. This was from an already diminished level compared to my days pre-burnout. I’ve gone from being able to…

  • The lack of logic in recovery

    Photo by Pawel Czerwinski on Unsplash I’ve often wondered whether I will ever get better again, or whether constant fatigue is my new reality. Logic says that it will. There’s nothing identifiably chronic about my health. Yet logic also dictates that this should have been over by now…

  • Avoiding the trap of overanalysis

    I’ve been feeling frustrated with my health. Despite building what is a rather aggressive approach through supplements and powders, it’s hard to see much empirical change. In the meantime, all I can do is interpret the subtler signs. My energy is a bit better, and…

  • Playing the game of whac-a-mole in physical recovery

    ‘Do you ever feel like you’re playing whac-a-mole?’ Someone asked me this once. They explained the situation where you try one thing which only partially solves the problem. This then leads to other issues popping up. It’s a metaphor that has stuck with me, because…

  • A slow shift into a more peaceful life

    It feels like my life is hitting a new equilibrium point. My energy fluctuations feel less chaotic, and basic tasks are no longer feeling like a struggle. Yesterday, I went to the sea-side on the Belgian coast. I went with a similar group of people…

  • Taking it one step at a time

    I’ve been intentionally looking to walk more. Walking more however can sound a little dumb. After all, most of us walk everyday. It’s become so programmed into our living that the idea of intentionally walking just sounds like adding more needless travel into our day.…

  • Understanding neurodivergence through Ayurveda

    (Yes, I felt compelled to write about neurodivergence. And yes, I’m publishing this at 2am) Most people have heard about yoga, but fewer know about ayurveda. If yoga is the physical and spiritual practice, ayurveda is the science of health, based upon practices refined over…

  • Navigating a system that fails you

    Yesterday, I went to the osteopath. We start the sessions with her asking what the issue is, after which she focusses on that area of the body. Although the session was ultimately helpful, I can’t help but feel that there is something a little backward…

  • Dealing with a body on reboot

    A key moment for learning is when things stop working properly. Most of us have no idea how our car works. We don’t really need to either, so long as its functioning correctly. But the moment something goes wrong, we decide to investigate. We open…

  • Building my own physical rehabilitation

    This morning, I felt like I wanted to stretch my body. This small fact may sound unremarkable, but it is probably the first time that I genuinely wanted to move, rather than felt like I should. I’ve previously exercised because it was good for me,…

  • The virtue of appreciating the small wins

    A few days ago, I went to the cash machine, then walked directly to the supermarket. I bought a full load of groceries and walked back home. I had no major fatigue or back pain flaring up. Believe it or not, this was notable progress.…

  • Surrendering to the winds of the world

    For the first time, I played with the notion that I may never recover. Perhaps the energy of old will never return. My new existence is one of exhaustion and management. This may sound defeatist, but I don’t think it is. I do believe that…

  • The Paradox of Recovery

    I’m waking up with nausea. My back is flaring up. A fifteen minute walk is leaving me in agony. I’ve had to cancel on three social events this week. I’ve regressed to the point that leaving the house seems like a risky endeavour. The nausea…

  • When conventional wisdom isn’t working

    Last year, I stopped going to the gym. I had been going around two to three times a week. I had a personal trainer, who set me different strength exercises and increasing weight goals. On paper, I was doing everything I should have been. Just…

  • The Frustration of an off-beat Body

    A few weeks ago, I decided to start exercising more. I thought swimming would be a good, low impact activity that my body could metabolise. Instead, I ended up doing less exercise, rather than more. I started randomly having ankle pain. It’s got to the…

  • Letting go of our braced bodies

    I went to a tango class this week. For one reason or another, I found myself feeling far more stable and grounded. On the surface, nothing had particularly changed I had been to a class only a week before, and although I did feel a…

  • The signs of a renaissance

    For the first time in around two years, I’ve had several days in a row where I’ve woken up without a sense of fatigue or dread. Around two months ago, I remember having a day where I felt pretty good. I could get up, go…

  • The secret all this time was Ghee

    There is commonality in every individual action we take. But if we go with the common approach, it’s unlikely to fit us as an individual. Whenever we take an action, it connects us with the whole. Humans eat, sleep, work. In this, we share a…