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How to Use Stanza for Fibro

Updated

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: 

  1. Awareness and relaxation

  2. Identifying what matters to you and acting on it

  3. Responding to stress

Setting up your account

Download Stanza for Fibro from the App Store or Google Play. Then set up your access from the email you receive:

  1. Open the email titled "Set up your Stanza access."
  2. Tap Create Stanza password.
  3. Set your password.
  4. Open the app and log in with your email and the password you created.

The main tabs

The app has five tabs along the bottom of the screen:

  • 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.
  • 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 six days a week. The eight-chapter core program takes about 12 weeks. After that, you can keep using it for supplemental chapters and practice.

Setting reminders

  1. On any main tab, tap the three-dot icon (⋯) in the top-right corner.
  2. Select Reminders.
  3. Add up to eight reminders and turn them on or off as needed.

Note: Allow push notifications from Stanza so your reminders come through.