What Does Managing My Fibro Even Mean?

Written by Sarah, Me vs Fibro

Meta Description: In this raw and honest blog post, Sarah shares her struggles with understanding what “managing” fibromyalgia actually means when you’re living with relentless pain and fatigue.

There’s a word that pops up constantly in fibromyalgia support groups, doctor’s appointments, and well-meaning articles: management.

“Fibromyalgia can be managed.”
“You need a pain management plan.”
“You’ll learn to manage your symptoms.”

And I can’t help but think… what does managing my fibro even mean?

Does Managing Mean Functioning?

Because if “managing” means smiling through the pain, pushing through exhaustion, pretending I’m fine when I’m so far from fine—then no, I’m not managing. I’m surviving. Barely. Some days I’m just existing in a haze of aching limbs and brain fog thick enough to lose myself in.

If managing means showing up to life with all its normal demands—cleaning, cooking, working, parenting, socialising—as if this chronic illness hasn’t pulled the rug out from under me… then who is that advice really for? Certainly not me.

Pain, Fatigue and Fog: My Daily Trio

Every morning starts the same. I open my eyes and take stock: How bad is the pain today? Can I move my arms? Is my head pounding? Will my legs carry me to the bathroom? Am I exhausted before I even sit up?

Managing fibromyalgia, for me, is sometimes choosing between having a shower or making a cuppa. It’s calculating how much each tiny action might cost me. It’s feeling guilty about resting and then feeling guilty for doing too much.

It’s not a tidy chart or checklist. It’s messy. Emotional. Constantly shifting.

Coping ≠ Thriving

I used to think if I tried hard enough—ate the “right” foods, stretched more, meditated, drank more water, took supplements—I’d unlock the cheat code to managing fibro.

But this condition doesn’t follow the rules. What works one week might backfire the next. My body is unpredictable. My brain is exhausted. Managing, for me, often means coping. It doesn’t mean thriving. It doesn’t mean getting my life “back.”

So What Does It Mean?

Maybe managing fibro means:

– Saying no without guilt
– Canceling plans when I need to
– Advocating for myself with GPs who still don’t really get it
– Accepting that rest isn’t laziness
– Letting go of old versions of me
– Celebrating the tiniest wins (like brushing my hair or unloading the dishwasher)

Maybe it means not giving up, even on the hard days when my body feels like it’s falling apart.

Maybe managing doesn’t mean “getting better”—maybe it means learning to live inside this version of my body, without hating it.

Some Days I Don’t Manage At All

And I think it’s okay to say that. To admit that some days, this condition beats me. It pins me to the bed and pulls tears from my eyes. And on those days, managing might just mean breathing through it and trying again tomorrow.

You’re Not Alone

If you’ve ever asked yourself what managing fibro is supposed to look like, you’re not alone. There’s no rulebook. No blueprint. Just a lot of trial and error, frustration, and the quiet hope that maybe tomorrow will be a little bit easier.

So here I am—still trying to figure it out. Still showing up. Still fighting.

Even if “managing” doesn’t look like much from the outside.

Even if today, it just means writing this post from bed, in pyjamas, with a lukewarm cuppa and a body that won’t stop aching.

And that, for now… will have to be enough.