13 'Small' Victories People With Fibromyalgia Should Celebrate
Sometimes it’s easy to get way into the negatives when you are living with fibromyalgia. It can be so overwhelming and difficult sometimes that it’s perfectly normal to feel completely consumed by it. That being said, dealing with the daily struggles of fibromyalgia is a major accomplishment within itself.
- What is Fibromyalgia?
- What Are Common Fibromyalgia Symptoms?
Taking a shower, going grocery shopping and working out are all great examples of “little” moments that should be celebrated. Living with fibromyalgia isn’t the easiest thing in the world, so when you are able to do some things, even small things, you should be proud of yourself.
That being said, it’s perfectly OK to have bad days too. Please know though that the Mighty community is here for you.
We wanted to learn what some of these “little” victories can be, so we asked our Mighty community what they thought. Check out what they said below and tell us in the comments what other “small” things should be celebrated.
Here’s what our community shared with us:
Celebrate…
1. Showering
“Shaving or washing my hair. My arms get so exhausted I only wash my hair two times a week. I have realized that as I get older it is more and more exhausting to shower, shave and wash my hair.” – Rachel R.
“A shower! Major victory for me!” – Lilianna N.
2. Doing Chores
“Getting through any household chore is a victory! It takes a lot to battle through pain, fatigue and brain fog. Yesterday I folded all the laundry and realized that was a big accomplishment and was proud.” – Alexandria P.
“Doing the washing up or hanging some clothes. So pathetic and usually completely drains me but I do feel a sense of great achievement when I am able to complete mundane tasks because its a rare occasion!” – Ellen H.
“Sometimes a little victory can be as much as just cleaning a litterbox.” – Taylor J.
3. Not Comparing Yourself to Others
“If you can get through the day without comparing yourself to others and deciding your worth based on the comparison, that is a definite victory that deserves celebrating.” – Lea J.
4. Going to a Doctor Appointment
“Attending appointments. It sounds silly considering that when you’re ill, hospital appointments are a regular thing, but actually managing to attend them is a whole separate ball game from having fought to get them sorted. Whenever I attend an appointment I suffer for days afterwards, so I count it as a major win if I’ve managed to rest enough to go in the first place, and then coped with the appointment.” – Erika D.
5. Waking Up Feeling OK
“The absolutely wonderful yet rare feeling of waking up and not feeling too much pain and slightly well rested!” – Angela B.
“Waking up in the morning not feeling more tired than you were when you went to bed!” – Vikki J.
6. Reading
“Today I was able to read from an actual book for almost an hour! It’s really hard to focus for me so this was actually a pretty big victory and it gives me hope that one day I’ll actually be able to get my GED. To an outsider, the prospect of getting excited about an hour of reading might be sad. But I’m thankful for being able to appreciate the little things. And I have faith that one day an hour of reading will be a little thing again.” – Jillian S.
7. Sleeping Through the Night
“A full night’s sleep (without ‘painsomnia’ or restless leg syndrome!).” – Jessica H.
“A good night’s sleep.” – Susanna L.
8. Making It Through Work
“Getting through a week of work without having to leave due to pain.” – Tessa M.
“Getting through a full pay period without having to take any time off of work for my pain!” – Sierra R.
9. Keeping Up With Personal Grooming
“Managing to go get a haircut.” – Rachel W.
“Plucking my eyebrows. With fibromyalgia, a damaged shoulder, and the good Lord blessing me with blonde hair, it’s hard to pluck them in one sitting because many blend into my skin.” – Amy S.
10. Going to the Gym
“A ‘normal’ gym workout. Hey, how about just a pain-free trip to gym, low pain at gym, and a normal after burn? Wish these happened with more frequency. Maybe my costochondritis wouldn’t flare then.” – Megan S.
“Making it to the gym. It’s such a battle to even get up and out of bed in the morning so there is very little motivation to work out. But I know I will feel 10 times better afterwards. I see it as a small victory against my illness every time I make it there.” – Robyn A.
11. Shopping
“I was able to shop for clothes for my newborn with very little help and remembered everything I needed with no list.” – Kathryn H.
“Today I was able to go shopping for new clothes and shoes at the mall for several hours.” – Marsha H.
12. Getting Out of Bed
“Sometimes just getting out of bed is a victory that deserves to be celebrated.” – Sarah E.
“Getting out of bed!! Taking a shower or bath!! Preparing a healthy meal!!” – Canna Y.
13. Socializing
“[A victory is] being able to stay for an entire party or event with friends.” –Courtney C.
“Making it down the stairs to hang out with my family.” – Shayla F.
“Be able to make it out for a friend’s special night and actually be able to enjoy it.” –Micca H.
Some helpful stories: