GROUNDING YOURSELF DURING A PEM CRASH

For people living with ME/CFS or Long COVID, Post-Exertional Malaise (PEM) is one of the most debilitating symptoms. After even minor activity—mental, emotional, or physical—the body can crash, leaving you exhausted, inflamed, and sometimes in pain for days.

This gentle guided meditation, brought to you by Oxaloacetate CFS, is designed to help you ground yourself, calm your nervous system, and find rest during a PEM episode. No effort is required—just breathing, listening, and being.

What Is PEM?

PEM is a hallmark symptom of ME/CFS and Long COVID, often described as a “crash” after activity. It can feel like your body is shutting down from even the smallest task—like folding laundry, answering emails, or having a conversation.

During a PEM crash, your nervous system becomes overstimulated and dysregulated. This meditation helps gently reset your internal state, without expecting anything from you.

Letting Go of the Pressure to “Feel Better”

From the very beginning, the meditation reminds you:
There is nothing to fix, nothing to force.

You’re invited to take slow, gentle breaths and simply let yourself be where you are—no expectations, no effort. Even if your body feels unsteady or inflamed, you are still whole, worthy, and safe.

As your breath slows, you're guided to soften your jaw, relax your forehead, and let your body begin to settle.

Visualization for Safety and Comfort

A powerful part of this meditation involves body-based imagery—like feeling the support of the surface beneath you and imagining a warm blanket of light wrapping gently around your body. This light doesn’t ask anything of you—it just cradles and reassures you:

“You don’t have to do more. You are already enough.”

This kind of visualization helps calm an overactive nervous system and reminds you that rest is not just allowed—it is essential.

Breath as Anchor

As your thoughts come and go (as they always will), the meditation gently brings you back to your breath. Each breath becomes a rhythm, an anchor, and a quiet reassurance.

With each inhale and exhale, you’re invited to silently repeat affirmations:

• I am here.

• I am safe.

• I am allowed to rest.

These simple words can be deeply grounding when everything else feels unstable.

Floating in Stillness

You are not asked to “bounce back” or “push through.” In fact, the meditation assures you that you don’t have to rise or do anything at all. You’re allowed to simply float in stillness, supported by your breath.

It’s a gentle reminder that healing doesn’t always look like action—sometimes, it looks like just being.

 

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When you’re in the middle of a PEM crash, your body may feel like it’s failing you. But this meditation reminds you of something simple and powerful:
You are still here. You are still enough.

Even in your most vulnerable moments, your breath is with you. And that breath is your strength.

Take care. You’re not alone.