It can be super tough to say, “No, I can't do that.” It's so easy for fibromyalgia to feel like an enormous taking away of things. We can't do the job we used to do. We can't do the activities we used to do. We can't eat the foods we used to be able to eat. But we can do a little mindset shift and realize we're doing it for a reason. It’s never about saying No. You learn to say “No” so that you can say “Hell YES!” to other things: the things that really matter to you, the things that will help make your life feel rich and rewarding and fun again.

Key Points

• It's very natural to push yourself to do all of the things you want to do, the things you feel like you need to do, the obligations that you have, or even pushing yourself so you can help somebody else.
• Saying No sometimes is very emotional. Sometimes, for some people, it really feels like a failure.
• Are you giving yourself the space to heal, or are you trying to continue on in the exact same way, at the exact same pace, doing the exact same things, as you did before fibromyalgia?
• “It's not that hard to choose between good and bad. What's hard is choosing between good and best.” When it comes to fibromyalgia, we have been given the gift of being aware of the fact that we can't do everything. We've been given the gift of having to choose. This means we have the gift of making those choices count.
• How do you go about saying No when there are so many expectations and obligations?

 

Links & Resources

• FibromyalgiaPodcast.com is the digital companion to this audio magazine, where you can find full show notes, links to the studies referenced in this episode, submit your questions for Tami Stackelhouse, and schedule a free consultation with a Fibromyalgia Coach.
• Get a free copy of Tami’s book, Take Back Your Life: Find Hope and Freedom From Fibromyalgia Symptoms and Pain at FibromyalgiaPodcast.com/books.
• Joy List Worksheet