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Spoon Theory

Writer's picture: Annie KrollAnnie Kroll
Colorful spoons in a row

As someone with a chronic illness, I often talk about spoon theory to explain my experience of not having as much energy as my peers. This blog post, I will give a definition of the spoon metaphor, and then explain how it relates to my experience as someone with a chronic illness.

The spoon metaphor was coined by Christine Miserandino as a way to explain how people with disabilities have limited units of energy. Those with chronic illnesses have limited energy units, or spoons, and so planning out tasks is harder with a chronic illness because it is easier to run out of energy. The spoon metaphor is used to describe a variety of different disabilities, mental disorders, and other minority experiences (Christine Miserandino, 2003).


 

Imagine you have a bunch of spoons that represent energy, and a bunch of tasks for the day. Let's pretend each person wakes up with 10 spoons per day. In the day, for this metaphor, we will say that most people go to work, do some chores, take a shower, cook dinner, and get ready. For many people, these tasks are doable. It maybe takes 3 spoons, or energy points, to go to work. Maybe it takes one spoon, or energy point, each to get ready, shower, and cook dinner. That leaves 2 spoons, or energy points, to tackle some chores before going to bed. Now you have 2 more spoons, or energy points, left to play a video game, chat with your mom, or something else fun. All of the spoons were utilized effectively, and it is manageable.


I do not wake up with 10 spoons, or energy points each day. On average I maybe have 8 spoons, or energy points. In addition, some tasks use up more spoons, or energy points for me. I look at tasks in my day, and try to pick between what I need to do, and what I want to do. Going to school or going to work uses up 2 spoons, or energy points a day. Going to a medical appointment uses up 1 spoon. I struggle to stand in the shower for long periods of time, so showering takes up 2 spoons. Getting ready takes another spoon. I now have two spoons, or energy points, left to do chores, cook, and delegate hobbies.


I struggle to keep up with societal expectations because I do not have as many spoons as the average person. I navigate this by using some accommodations listed throughout this blog. I try to be mindful of what tasks I take on, and what activities I don't participate in so that I can manage my energy. I also have learned that sometimes I need to ask for help from people who have more spoons, or energy points. Overall, knowing how to plan out my tasks helps me save my energy because I do not have the maximum amount of spoons, or energy points.


 

Thank you all for reading! I hope this post helped you learn more about spoon theory, and how to visualize energy. If you have any questions or comments, message me with a question through the website or over at @Anniekrollblog on Instagram. See you next week!

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