Posts by Fibromyalgia Support Network

by Irene Roth, Blog Editor/Writer

When was the last time you truly paused to appreciate yourself? For many people — especially those living with fibromyalgia — self-love is often pushed to the bottom of the priority list. Between managing symptoms, juggling responsibilities, and caring for others, there can be little energy left to nurture the most important relationship of all: the one with yourself.

I am passionate about the importance of self-love and self-compassion. Many of us believe that because we have fibromyalgia we are no longer worthy. We feel less than because of our illness and all that we face daily.

But I believe this isn’t the case. We are still the same person we once were. We have fibromyalgia but it doesn’t have us. We can still have a lot of control, happiness, and fulfillment in our lives. But we can’t try to cultivate these positive emotions if we are stuck in a cycle of negative thoughts.

That’s why the Fibromyalgia Support Network is launching a powerful five-part workshop series, “The Power of Self-Love.” I am so excited to be presenting these workshops.

This series is designed to guide fibro warriors through understanding, practicing, and sustaining self-love as a tool for emotional and physical well-being.

Session 1: Understanding Self-Love
We begin by exploring what self-love actually means — and clearing up some common myths. Self-love is not selfishness or vanity. It’s about respecting yourself, valuing your needs, and treating yourself with kindness. In this session, participants will learn how self-love differs from self-care and self-esteem and discover its psychological and neurological benefits. We’ll also discuss how self-love strengthens resilience and impacts not just our own well-being but the well-being of those around us.

Session 2: Practical Strategies for Cultivating Self-Love
Once you know what self-love is, the next step is putting it into practice. This session will focus on developing small, daily habits that promote self-acceptance and personal growth. You’ll learn how to challenge negative self-talk, shift your mindset, and build emotional resilience. These strategies are designed to be realistic and manageable — especially for fibro warriors who may have limited energy and fluctuating symptoms.

Session 3: Self-Love and Its Relevance for Fibro Warriors
Living with fibromyalgia comes with unique challenges, including chronic pain, fatigue, and sometimes feelings of isolation. This session will focus specifically on how self-love can ease these burdens. By prioritizing yourself, you can reduce stress, calm the nervous system, and even improve symptom management. Participants will learn practical, fibro-friendly self-care techniques and walk away with tools they can add to their personal “fibro toolbox.”

Session 4: The Role of Self-Compassion
Self-compassion is an essential companion to self-love, but the two aren’t exactly the same. In this session, we’ll explore the differences and overlaps between self-love and self-compassion, why compassion is critical for emotional healing, and how to integrate it into daily life. For those living with fibromyalgia, self-compassion can reduce feelings of guilt or frustration about physical limitations, helping you embrace your journey with more grace.

Session 5: Sustaining Self-Love for the Long Term
Self-love isn’t a one-time decision — it’s an ongoing practice. In our final session, we’ll talk about how to maintain self-love through life’s ups and downs. Participants will create a personalized self-love routine, learn strategies to handle setbacks and self-doubt, and explore ways to encourage self-love in others. This session is about leaving with a plan that feels sustainable and empowering.

Throughout the series, participants will have opportunities to reflect, connect, and share experiences with others who truly understand the challenges of living with fibromyalgia. Each 90-minute session includes interactive exercises and breakout discussions, as well as worksheets to deepen learning between sessions.

By the end of the series, you’ll have a clearer understanding of self-love, practical tools to practice it daily, and a supportive community cheering you on. Whether you’re just beginning your self-love journey or looking to take it deeper, this workshop series is a chance to prioritize yourself — and discover how that choice can transform your health and happiness.

The workshop series starts on October 15^th from 5:00 to 6:30pm ET on Zoom. Please read the above poster for cost and how to register.

I can’t wait to help you become more self-loving and self-compassionate.

I look forward to seeing you then!

by Irene Roth, Blog Editor/Writer

Living with fibromyalgia can feel overwhelming. The pain, fatigue, and unpredictable flare-ups affect not only the body but also the mind and spirit.

For many fibromates, the weight of these daily challenges can lead to stress, anxiety, and even hopelessness. While medical treatments and lifestyle changes are essential, there’s also a powerful, low-cost, and deeply personal tool that can support healing on multiple levels: journaling.

Journaling is more than simply keeping a diary. It is a mindful practice of reflection, self-expression, and exploration that allows fibromates to process emotions, track symptoms, and create space for self-compassion. Over time, this simple habit can restore balance, foster resilience, and encourage both emotional and physical healing.

1. Journaling Reduces Emotional Stress

Stress is a known trigger for fibromyalgia flare-ups, often worsening pain and fatigue. Journaling offers a safe outlet to release pent-up emotions and reduce the mental load. Writing about worries, frustrations, or difficult experiences helps to bring clarity and perspective, rather than allowing these emotions to swirl unchecked in the mind.

Research shows that expressive writing can lower cortisol levels, the stress hormone that often contributes to inflammation and pain. For fibromates, this means that journaling is not just “mental housekeeping” but also a practice that can support physical health by reducing one of the body’s key stress responses.

2. Journaling Strengthens Self-Awareness

Fibromyalgia can be unpredictable, and it’s often hard to identify what triggers pain or fatigue. Keeping a journal can help fibromates recognize patterns in their daily lives. By noting diet, sleep, activity, stressors, and emotional states, journaling becomes a tool for self-discovery.

For example, a fibromate may notice that on days after poor sleep, their pain levels rise—or that certain foods trigger flare-ups. This awareness gives them the power to make proactive choices, which can ease symptoms over time. Journaling also supports emotional awareness, helping individuals name what they’re feeling and why, which is the first step toward managing emotions constructively.

3. Journaling Encourages Emotional Release and Healing

Living with chronic pain often comes with unspoken grief—the loss of abilities, careers, or even relationships that change under the weight of illness. Journaling provides a private and judgment-free space to acknowledge that grief. Putting these feelings into words can be incredibly validating.

Rather than bottling emotions inside, journaling allows for gentle release, which is essential for emotional healing. Over time, fibromates may find that they feel lighter, calmer, and more at peace. Journaling can also open the door to forgiveness—toward oneself, one’s body, or others—helping to release emotional tension that can worsen physical pain.

4. Journaling Fosters Gratitude and Hope

A key part of healing is focusing not only on what is difficult but also on what brings joy, peace, and connection. Journaling about gratitude—even noting just three small things each day—can shift the brain toward positivity. For fibromates, cultivating this mindset can help reduce the emotional weight of chronic illness and make the challenges feel more manageable.

Gratitude journaling doesn’t ignore the reality of pain. Instead, it balances it with recognition of the good, whether that’s a supportive friend, a moment of laughter, or a peaceful sunrise. Over time, this practice nurtures hope and resilience, both of which are vital for emotional and physical wellbeing.

5. Journaling Can Become a Gentle Daily Ritual

Perhaps one of the greatest gifts journaling offers fibromates is the chance to create a daily ritual of care. Just ten minutes with a notebook and pen can provide grounding and calm. Journaling can be paired with other healing practices—such as deep breathing, gentle stretching, or sipping a warm cup of tea—turning it into a nurturing routine that signals safety and relaxation to the nervous system.

Fibromyalgia affects every aspect of life, but healing doesn’t come only from medicine or therapy. Practices like journaling, which connect the mind and body, play a profound role in restoring balance. By reducing stress, increasing self-awareness, releasing emotions, and cultivating gratitude, journaling offers fibromates a pathway to both emotional and physical healing.

The blank page is always waiting, with patience, compassion, and the promise of renewal. It is a place where you can be yourself and open your heart in a way that you can’t to others.

One of the best things you can do for yourself is to routinely journal. I hope you’ll try journaling for a few minutes a day for a few weeks to see how much better you feel.

by Irene Roth, Blog Editor/Writer

Living with fibromyalgia is often a daily balancing act. Chronic pain, fatigue, and unpredictable flare-ups can make even ordinary tasks feel overwhelming. This can cause a lot of stress and undue hardships.

For many fibromates, stress becomes both a trigger and a consequence of symptoms. When the body is already in a heightened state of sensitivity, stress can intensify pain and reduce coping capacity. One effective tool to break this cycle is mindfulness—a practice of staying present, grounded, and aware without judgment.

Research consistently shows that stress worsens fibromyalgia symptoms. High stress levels can increase muscle tension, disrupt sleep, and amplify pain perception. For someone living with fibro, this creates a vicious loop: pain fuels stress, and stress fuels pain. While medication, physical therapy, and lifestyle adjustments are valuable, learning to calm the nervous system through mindfulness offers another pathway to relief.

Mindfulness does not erase pain or fatigue, but it helps change the way individuals respond to these challenges. Instead of feeling consumed by discomfort or fear of the next flare, mindfulness encourages acceptance and resilience.

What Is Mindfulness?

At its core, mindfulness means paying attention to the present moment with openness and curiosity. It’s not about suppressing thoughts or pushing away difficult emotions but rather observing them without judgment. This gentle awareness interrupts automatic stress reactions and allows for more thoughtful responses.

For fibromates, mindfulness can be practiced in small, accessible ways—such as focusing on the breath, noticing bodily sensations, or savoring the details of daily experiences.

How Mindfulness Assuages Stress

1. Regulates the Nervous System:
   Stress keeps the body in a fight-or-flight state, which heightens pain sensitivity. Mindful breathing and relaxation techniques activate the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting calm and reducing the intensity of stress responses.
2. Reduces Catastrophic Thinking:
   Many with fibro find themselves worrying about when the next flare might hit. Mindfulness helps quiet these anxious “what ifs” by anchoring attention to the here and now.
3. Improves Sleep Quality:
   Sleep disruptions are common with fibromyalgia, and stress often makes them worse. Mindful practices before bed—such as a body scan or gentle meditation—can settle the mind and prepare the body for rest.
4. Increases Emotional Resilience:
   Living with a chronic illness can lead to frustration, sadness, or guilt. Mindfulness fosters self-compassion, helping fibromates approach themselves with kindness instead of criticism.

Practical Ways Fibromates Can Practice Mindfulness

• Mindful Breathing: Spend a few minutes focusing on the inhale and exhale. If the mind wanders, gently return to the breath.
• Body Scan: Bring awareness to each part of the body, noticing sensations without trying to change them. This helps develop acceptance and reduces tension.
• Mindful Movement: Gentle stretching, yoga, or walking can be done with full attention to how the body feels, without forcing or judging.
• Everyday Mindfulness: Eating slowly, noticing the flavors of food, or pausing to appreciate nature can all become mindful practices.
• Guided Meditations: Apps, podcasts, or online resources can help structure short mindfulness sessions for beginners.

The effects of mindfulness build gradually. At first, fibromates may notice only brief moments of calm. Over weeks and months, however, the practice can reshape stress patterns, improve mood, and enhance quality of life. Many find that mindfulness allows them to reclaim a sense of control—choosing how to respond to pain and stress instead of being swept away by them.

Mindfulness is not about perfection or doing it “right.” Some days the mind will wander constantly, or pain will make sitting still uncomfortable. That’s okay. The practice is in returning, again and again, to the present moment. For fibromates, this gentle discipline can open space for peace, healing, and hope.