It's definitely door number one. I do not want to be alarmist but it seems pretty clear that at least one massive factor for long covid is trying to "push through it" rather than recognising that it's really important to rest. I did this at least a bit, and have ended up with long covid symptoms despite being fully vaxed - it's far better than it might have been but has reminded me that it really must be taken seriously. I know how hard it is with vicious inner voices and also your workload, but I think it really does matter if you can.