Stanza is a prescription app for managing fibromyalgia symptoms. This article explains what it is, how to set it up, and how to use the main parts of the app.
What Stanza is
Stanza is a prescription digital therapeutic for adults with fibromyalgia. It uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), a type of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), delivered as a self-guided program on your phone. You use it for a short time each day to learn and practice skills for managing your symptoms.
The program has eight chapters, each split into four to six lessons with activities in between.
It covers three areas:
Awareness and relaxation
Identifying what matters to you and acting on it
Responding to stress
Setting up your account
Download Stanza for Fibro from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store onto your smartphone.
Stanza is only available with a prescription from your healthcare provider.
- Open Stanza and enter the email address associated with your prescription.
- Review and accept the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
- Request your one-time code. A six-digit code will be sent to your email address.
- Enter the six-digit code to log in. You do not need to create a password.
After you log in, you will see the Today screen. Your first session begins with a short welcome lesson that introduces Stanza and explains how the program works.
The main tabs
Stanza has five tabs along the bottom of the screen, plus the Fibro Flare flame icon:
- Today — your daily Session. Swipe through the day's tasks: lessons, awareness exercises, pacing, and values activities. Each task is marked complete as you finish it, and a new Session unlocks the next day.
- Revisit — all lessons, organized by chapter. Viewed lessons show a checkmark, your current lesson shows a play icon, and locked lessons unlock as you progress.
- Practice — the journals, metaphors, patient stories, and plans you've unlocked. Tap the star to add one to your Favorites.
- Reflect — a list of the activities you've completed, so you can review or repeat them.
- Messages — tap Open MyXRHealth to send a secure message to support or to your care team. Messages are managed in MyXRHealth, a separate XRHealth application; Stanza itself cannot be used to send or receive messages. If MyXRHealth is not installed on your phone, the tab provides links to download it.
- Fibro Flare Toolkit — tap the flame icon for activities and lessons to use during a flare. You can add your own, and it's also available in the Practice tab.
How often to use Stanza
Use Stanza for about 15–20 minutes a day, five to seven days a week. You work through roughly one chapter a week; after you finish the eight chapters, you have about four more weeks in the program to practice what you've learned, for a 12-week program overall. After 12 weeks, you can keep using Stanza as needed.
Setting reminders
Open your Profile and select Notifications. Under Reminder preferences, turn on Practice reminders to receive one daily reminder, and choose the time that works best for you under Reminder time. Optionally, turn on Weekly progress summary to receive a weekly overview of your completed sessions and saved favorites. Tap Save.
Note: Allow push notifications from Stanza so your reminders come through.
Important safety information
Stanza is not a medical or psychological service and cannot provide crisis support. No one monitors what you enter in the app.
Stanza does not replace your healthcare provider's care and is not a substitute for your other fibromyalgia treatments. Talk to your healthcare provider if your symptoms change or if you feel more distressed while using Stanza.
In a crisis or medical emergency, call 911, go to your nearest emergency room, or contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (call or text 988).
For questions about the app, contact XRHealth support at support@xr.health.