Spoon theory is a concept that was developed to help those with chronic illness to explain how they function in the world. It is also used to help explain how people with chronic illness have different energy levels than those without chronic illness.
What is Spoon Theory?
This is the idea that we all start out the day with a set number of spoons. And those equal the amount of energy that we have for the day. Those who are healthy have more spoons than those with chronic illness. Throughout the day as we do tasks we expend spoons. For people with chronic illness we may lose one from getting dressed or eating. So we learn very quickly we have to conserve them or we may run out before the day is over.
If we run out of spoons that means that we are out of energy for the day. Which is why after working we may not have anything left for social time. We can go into negative spoons. But that means we will have fewer for the next day. As we keep extending ourselves, we may end up crashing and needing days of rest to recuperate.
How to Conserve
With the concept of spoon theory it is important to remember is that conservation is important. If you have a chronic illness you have to weigh the worth of everything you need to do to find balance.
- Plan social outings on days that you don’t have other commitments
- Space out when you do chores and errands
- Try not to overdo it on your good days
- Cancel things as needed
- Have boundaries and don’t say yes to everything
If you keep going into negative spoons by not conserving them, you will pay for it. Your body will pay the price and you will be forced to rest.
For those of you who love someone with a chronic illness, know that we want to do all the things. But we do not have enough spoons to always do all the things. Please try to be respectful and understanding when we have boundaries, have to rest, or leave early. We are capable, but we need to conserve our energy to continue being our best selves.
