The Dizzy Diaries

Grief doesn't only follow the loss of a loved one. Sometimes it follows the loss of the life you thought you would live. In this gentle Friday Fable, we meet Eli, a gardener whose greatest joy was climbing the terraces of his beautiful hillside garden. When he can no longer make the climb, he's forced to confront the painful reality of letting go of the life he once knew. Through unexpecte...

Living with a chronic illness isn't just about managing symptoms. It's remembering medications, preparing for appointments, chasing referrals, adapting plans, grieving the life you expected, and carrying an invisible mental load that few people truly see. In this episode of  The Dizzy Diaries , Exercise Physiologist Tové Wood is joined by the co-founder of Found Health, Arad Cohen-Halls, t...

Join me for a structured full body resistance workout designed to help you build strength, improve control, and feel more capable in your body. This session is guided by an exercise physiologist and takes you through a complete workout from start to finish, including a thorough warm-up, a targeted main strength block, and stretches to cool down and support recovery. This workout is suitable for ho...

Living with chronic illness often means learning how to explain, justify, track, and advocate for symptoms that other people cannot see. And honestly? It can be exhausting. In today’s episode of The Dizzy Diaries, we’re talking about self-advocacy, medical appointments, invisible illness, and the emotional weight of trying to be taken seriously while navigating conditions like POTS and dysautonomi...

Today’s episode is a gentle pause. No clinical deep dive. No symptom management checklist. Just five quiet minutes to help your nervous system exhale for a moment. This episode is designed to feel like a safe little corner of the internet. A place to soften your shoulders, unclench your jaw, and remember that rest is allowed here. So grab your tea or coffee, your emotional support blanket, and set...

Chronic illness comes with grief that many people never see. Not just grief for health, but grief for energy, spontaneity, independence, old routines, future plans, and sometimes even the version of yourself you thought you would become. In today’s episode of The Dizzy Diaries, we talk about the quieter side of living with POTS, dysautonomia, and chronic illness. The emotional adaptation that happ...

In this episode of The Dizzy Diaries , we’re talking about resilience, growth, and the strength you don’t always see in yourself. Inspired by a powerful reflection on a tiny sapling daring to grow into a strong oak tree, this episode explores what it really means to keep going when life feels uncertain, overwhelming, or physically limiting. If you’re navigating chronic illness, dysautonomia, or a...

In this Friday Fable, I tell the story of a village emerging from a long winter - where the return of sunlight sparks bursts of energy, celebration, and rebuilding… followed by unexpected exhaustion. This story is my way of gently exploring something I see all the time in chronic illness, and something many of us experience ourselves: feeling worse after a “good” day. Through this metaphor, I refl...

Why do you feel worse after a “good” day? In this clinical episode, I break down the physiology behind the all-too-familiar cycle of having a productive, high-energy day, followed by a sudden crash of fatigue, dizziness, pain or brain fog. This pattern is common in conditions such as dysautonomia, long COVID, autoimmune disease and post-viral syndromes, and is often linked to nervous system dysreg...

Some days everything fits neatly together. Other days, the pieces fall faster than you can place them. In this Friday Fable from The Dizzy Diaries , we meet a girl trying to build a tower in a strange game where blocks fall from the sky. Some pieces slide perfectly into place. Others pile up in awkward shapes she never expected. Just when she thinks the tower is steady, a new piece arrives and eve...

Recovery with a chronic illness rarely moves in a straight line. One week you feel stronger, the next you feel like you’ve slid backwards. It can be confusing, discouraging, and make you question whether what you’re doing is actually working. In this episode of The Dizzy Diaries , we unpack the science and reality behind non-linear recovery. We talk about why symptoms can fluctuate, how the nervou...

Today's Friday Fable is based on the clinical episode from earlier this week. This short story offers: • A compassionate reframing of nerve dysfunction • Validation for those experiencing sensory loss • A calming, metaphorical explanation of what neuropathy feels like • A reminder that injured nerves need protection, not punishment If you live with neuropathy, dysautonomia, or sensory changes,...

In this clinical episode, I break down small fibre neuropathy in a clear, science-backed and accessible way. After experiencing months of numbness, tingling and burning pain that I initially dismissed, a simple neurological pin-prick test revealed significant sensory loss up to my elbows and mid-calves. In this episode, I share that experience and explain what is actually happening inside the body...

This book was written during a season where I couldn’t see very far ahead and early on in my journey with health challenges. In this episode, I’m sharing the story behind the book. Not the polished “author journey,” but the real one. The fear, the uncertainty, the survival mode writing, and the quiet hope that crept in along the way (yes, this took a long time to find). I talk about: • Writing whe...

Structuring time with chronic illness isn’t about productivity. It’s about sustainability and consistency where and when you can. In this video, I share how I structure my weeks in a way that supports my health, my work, and my life, without constantly pushing myself into crashes. I talk about energy budgeting, separating non-negotiables, flexible tasks, and “life things,” scheduling rest before w...

Today we have our first special guest! Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia, or CAH, is often explained in textbooks through hormones, enzymes, and pathways. But real life with CAH is far more layered than a diagram. In this episode, I’m joined by my best friend, a specialist in healthcare and biotech, to unpack CAH through both a  clinical lens and a lived one . We explore what CAH actually is, how cor...

If exercise makes you feel worse instead of better, you’re not imagining it. In this video, I explain what exercise intolerance actually is, why traditional fitness advice often fails people with chronic illness, and how movement can be adapted to support your nervous system instead of overwhelming it. We talk about the science behind exercise intolerance, the crash cycle, and gentle programming p...

Chronic illness fatigue isn’t just feeling tired. It’s a full-body, neurological experience that doesn’t always improve with rest or sleep. In this episode, I break down what chronic illness fatigue actually is, how it differs from everyday tiredness, and why people with conditions like POTS, dysautonomia, and CAH experience exhaustion so differently. We also talk about post-exertional symptom fla...

Most of the hardest parts of chronic illness don’t happen in public. In this episode, I talk about what it’s really like to live with an invisible illness, from the constant energy calculations and cancelled plans to the grief, guilt, and resilience that often go unseen. This is a reflective, validating conversation for anyone navigating chronic illness, and for anyone who wants to better understa...

Website: www.tovewoodexphys.com - POTS Starter Programme In this gentle, metaphorical Friday Fable, we follow Aubrey , who discovers that life isn’t about keeping up — it’s about finding a rhythm that feels right. Along the way, she learns the importance of support, pacing, and letting her loved ones be part of her healing journey. This story is a warm reminder that movement doesn’t have to be per...

In this episode of The Dizzy Diaries , we explore what it really means to make exercise part of the “dance of life” - especially when you’re managing POTS, dysautonomia, family responsibilities, fatigue, or an endlessly busy schedule. We’ll break down the clinical side first: how routine movement supports your heart, nervous system, energy levels, and day-to-day function. Then, I’ll share a real c...

This Sunday Session is all about the slow seasons — those phases where your health dips, symptoms flare, or you’re moving through an injury, and suddenly everything feels heavier than it should. If you’ve been waking up each day in discomfort, feeling mentally low, or wondering why even small tasks feel overwhelming, this episode is for you. We explore: How chronic symptoms and daily discomfort im...

This week’s Friday Fable follows Poppy , a gentle-hearted wanderer who discovers that rebuilding strength doesn’t always look like climbing mountains — sometimes, it’s learning to lift tiny stones, one at a time. In this soft, comforting tale, we explore: • How small, consistent efforts can rebuild capacity • Why pacing is a form of wisdom, not weakness • The quiet courage required to honour your...

Strength training might sound intimidating when you live with POTS or dysautonomia — but the right approach can transform your stability, circulation, and confidence. In this week’s clinical episode of The Dizzy Diaries , we break down exactly how to build strength safely, sustainably, and without triggering symptom flares. Inside this episode, you’ll learn: • Why strength training supports blood...

This week, we’re talking about something a lot of us with POTS and dysautonomia feel but don’t always say out loud… the fear of exercise. Not the “ugh I don’t want to go to the gym” kind of reluctance — the real, body-level fear that comes from past experiences of dizziness, heart rate spikes, nausea, and feeling like your body “crashes” when you try to move. In this episode, we explore: Why this...