When you have fibromyalgia, the pain, tenderness and fatigue can be overwhelming, and some days you may feel as though you can't even get out of bed. However, there are a number of things you can do to help yourself cope with and improve your symptoms.

Your day-to-day behaviour can affect your fibromyalgia pain. You can modify your behaviour to minimize the pain that you feel every day, allowing you to do more with less pain.

• Play quiet, calming music when you're at home, working, or in the car.
• Avoid noisy environments. For example, go shopping during times when stores are less crowded.
• Dress warmly in cold temperatures.
• Soak in a hot tub or use heating pads. Heat can relax muscles, increase blood flow and help healing.
• Slow down. Rushing causes your muscles to contract, which will increase your pain. Slowing down is hard, but it is important to do to minimize your pain.
• Learn to conserve your energy. If you have a big event in the days ahead, take it easy for one or two days prior.
• Practice deep relaxation techniques.

We all know that exercise is important for a healthy lifestyle. However, if you suffer from fibromyalgia, you likely have pain and fatigue when you exercise, which makes it even more difficult to start an exercise program.

The key to exercising when you have fibromyalgia is to listen to your body and to not over-exert yourself. It is important to start exercising slowly and to try a variety of different exercises to see what works best for you. You may find that exercising is painful at first, but it will get easier with time.

Don't get discouraged if you're not progressing as quickly as you feel you should. Exercise is beneficial at any level, as it will increase your cardiovascular health, general strength and feelings of well-being.