Awareness Week isn’t for those with fibromyalgia, it’s for those who don’t have fibromyalgia, to help them understand what life is like for those of us who do have fibromyalgia. Awareness Week highlights the chronic pain, the overwhelming fatigue, and brain fog that affect our daily functioning, work, and quality of life.

Raising awareness helps employers recognize the effort it takes to  just to show up for work, helps our family and friends understand that appearing “okay” doesn’t mean we aren’t in pain, and explains why socializing can be exhausting.

Awareness Week also informs doctors, researchers, and policymakers about the prevalence of fibromyalgia and the need for support, research, and funding.
By speaking out and rai

Sherry, Vice Chair of the Fibromyalgia Association Canada (FAC), shares how she manages fibromyalgia by adapting her self-care to two phases: flare-ups and “doing okay” days. She emphasizes that even on better days, she experiences baseline pain and focuses on preventing flares.
During flares, her key strategies include planning ahead, avoiding overloading herself, saying no to activities, using a self-care kit (like migraine supports, comfort items, and rest), and—most importantly—asking for help and communicating her needs.
On better days, she continues to prioritize planning, setting boundaries (like limiting in-person commitments), pacing tasks, and breaking activities into manageable steps. She also incorporates short, gentle exercise sessions, which help reduce pain over time.
Overall, her approach highlights the importance of pacing, flexibility, self-compassion, and building routines that support both physical and emotional well-being.

Lina, a board member of Fibromyalgia Association Canada, shares a holistic approach to managing fibromyalgia, focusing on physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.

Physically, Lina adapts her activity levels based on the season and how she feels each day, incorporating gentle stretching, simple exercises, and daily activities like gardening.

Mentally, she manages stress and anxiety by staying connected with others and engaging in uplifting activities, especially spending time in nature.

Spiritually, she finds the greatest support through her faith, community, and time in nature, which bring her peace, purpose, and joy.

Overall, her approach emphasizes flexibility, self-awareness, and nurturing all aspects of well-being.

Natasha Flynn, a board member of  Fibromyalgia Association Canada, shares her strategies for living with fibromyalgia. Her primary coping method is gentle, paced exercise, such as walking, interval running, swimming, using a sliding elliptical, and light weights, adjusted daily based on how she feels. She emphasizes pacing, recognizing limits, and restarting each day with a fresh mindset.

Natasha also highlights the importance of mindset: staying positive, accepting that some days will be harder, and using music or TV to make activity easier.

Social pacing and consistent effort help prevent flares and maintain energy.

Overall, she focuses on adapting activities, staying active within her limits, and maintaining a positive outlook to manage fibromyalgia and enjoy life.

Trudy, Chair of the Fibromyalgia Association Canada (FAC), marked the close of Fibromyalgia Awareness Week by emphasizing that the week’s purpose is to educate the public, employers, families, and policymakers about the daily challenges of living with fibromyalgia—chronic pain, fatigue, brain fog, and social limitations.

Raising awareness helps improve understanding, care, and advocacy.

She highlighted FAC’s achievements: the launch of the refreshed, user-friendly website (fibrocanada.ca) and FAC’s new charity status, allowing the organization to issue tax receipts to donors, expand outreach, and strengthen support for Canadians living with fibromyalgia.

Trudy also announced upcoming community events:
Sept 16: First peer support/mindfulness session with Lynne Hearte Qigong instructor).
Sept 23: Roundtable with Andrea Furlan (physiatrist), Tyler Dillman (physiotherapist), and Eleanor McGroaty (psychologist) on fibromyalgia self-management.
Oct 1: Fibro chat on self-management with Lynn Cooper and Trudy.
Oct 8: Presentation on insomnia and non-medication sleep strategies with David Gardner (Dalhousie University).

Trudy encouraged members to sign up via the new website, thanked the community for their engagement, and reinforced that FAC is building a strong, supportive community for people living with fibromyalgia.