"Fibromyalgia can take a lot from us, but it doesn't have to take everything." - Tami Stackelhouse

One of the hardest parts of living with fibromyalgia is how much joy can quietly disappear from your life. Activities you used to love start feeling out of reach and even simple things like going out with friends or spending time on a hobby can feel too draining. Over time, it's easy to lose sight of what brings you happiness when most of your energy is going toward managing your pain and getting through the day.

But joy is not something you "earn" once you feel better. Joy is part of what helps you feel better. It plays an essential role in calming your nervous system, lowering pain levels, and helping your body shift out of constant survival mode. When fibromyalgia makes your world smaller, joy often feels like the first thing to go, but it's actually one of the most powerful tools you have for healing. The good news is that joy doesn't need to be big or complicated. It just needs to be intentional.

In this episode, Tami walks you through her Joy List exercise, a simple and meaningful practice to help you identify personal sources of joy. She talks about how fibromyalgia can lead to a loss of hobbies, work, and social connection, the emotional weight that follows these changes, the biology of joy, how dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin support pain relief and healing, three reflective questions to help you rediscover what brings happiness and meaning, practical tips for creating your Joy List, why certain activities bring joy and how to adapt them in new ways, accepting that joy may look different now and that change is part of healing, focusing on the feeling of joy rather than trying to recreate past experiences, finding new forms of joy through creativity and flexibility, six simple ways to add joy into your daily life, reframing your understanding of joy as a muscle, why reconnecting with joy is crucial for managing fibromyalgia, why now is the best time to start or revisit your personal joy list, supportive resources you can utilize on your journey of rediscovering joy, knowing when to seek help from a coach or community, and more.

Remember, the parts of you that feel lost are still there, waiting for you to reach for them again.

Note: This episode is not meant to be medical advice. Every person and every situation is unique. The information you learn in this episode should be shared and discussed with your own healthcare providers.

To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode, visit the show notes.

For daily doses of hope, inspiration, and practical advice, join Tami on Facebook or Instagram.

Need a good book to read? Download Tami's books for free.

Ready to take back control of your life and health? Schedule a complimentary consultation with a Certified Fibromyalgia Coach®.

Last year, Tami introduced her favorite things list. The list highlighted the top seven things from 2024 that she used in her everyday life and wouldn't want to live without.

Now, she's sharing a sneak peek of her list for 2025.

If you've ever heard of Oprah's Favorite Things list, this is like that, but with a fibro focus.

Some important things to keep in mind are that this is not a random list and companies cannot pay to be on it. Every item on this list is something Tami has personally tested, used, and loved enough to recommend to her clients and now you.

These items are the real deal. They're tools that support better sleep, less pain, steadier energy, and add a little extra sparkle to your day.

This year's list is grouped into three categories:

• Fibro Game Changers: Science-backed tools that truly make a difference in how your body feels and functions.
• Everyday Comforts: Small luxuries that make life a little more comfortable and fun.
• Daily Life Helpers: Practical tools you use every day that make life just a little bit easier.

In this episode, Tami shares one favorite from each category. For the complete guide with her curated picks, why she chose each item, direct purchasing links, and some discount codes, click the link below.

Note: This episode is not meant to be medical advice. Every person and every situation is unique. The information you learn in this episode should be shared and discussed with your own healthcare providers.

Each year, Tami curates her Favorite Things — fibro-friendly tools, comfort items, and simple upgrades that make daily life easier and more enjoyable. Get this year's 2025 Favorite Things Guide, plus links to past years' lists and early access to future editions.

To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode, visit the show notes.

For daily doses of hope, inspiration, and practical advice, join Tami on Facebook or Instagram.

Need a good book to read? Download Tami's books for free.

Ready to take back control of your life and health? Schedule a complimentary consultation with a Certified Fibromyalgia Coach®.

Have you ever wished people could truly understand what fibromyalgia feels like, or what it's like to live with a condition that never really goes away? You are not alone. Explaining fibromyalgia to the people you love is one of the hardest parts of living with an invisible illness.

From the outside, you might look perfectly fine, but inside, you feel like you've been run over by a truck. It's even harder when your symptoms change from day to day. You might manage errands or a social event one day and need to rest the next, leaving people confused or questioning what's going on. Trying to explain that experience to someone who has never experienced chronic pain feels impossible.

Today, Tami is sharing tools you can use to make these difficult conversations a little easier without wearing yourself out in the process. Using the right strategies and language can make a world of difference. Whether it's a simple analogy, a short story that captures the daily challenges, or setting clear boundaries around what you can and can't explain, these conversations can make all the difference in whether you feel supported or alone.

In this episode, Tami shares why fibromyalgia is so hard to explain, how its invisibility, fluctuating symptoms, and emotional weight affect daily life, simple, relatable analogies others without chronic pain can relate to, the power of using tactile demonstrations to show pain and sensitivity, the Spoon Theory and other analogies to explain daily limits, sharing books and other media to educate others, how you can use stealth tactics to help your loved ones understand what you're experiencing, understanding the three circles of trust, setting boundaries and learning to say no without guilt, resources that help with explaining fibromyalgia to children, how growing up with a family member with a chronic illness can teach empathy and resilience, choosing the right time and place to have these fibro conversations, accepting imperfect help and building a supportive team, why you need to create a flare survival plan, how professionals and coaches can help to improve your quality of life, and more.

Note: This episode is not meant to be medical advice. Every person and every situation is unique. The information you learn in this episode should be shared and discussed with your own healthcare providers.

Join us for the Living Well with Fibromyalgia Summit: Holiday Edition. This is a completely free, 10-day virtual event happening October 13th through 24th, designed to help you navigate the holidays with less pain and more joy.

To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode, visit the show notes.

For daily doses of hope, inspiration, and practical advice, join Tami on Facebook or Instagram.

Need a good book to read? Download Tami's books for free.

Ready to take back control of your life and health? Schedule a complimentary consultation with a Certified Fibromyalgia Coach®.