What is Spoon Theory?
- Hannah Gassen
- Jun 30
- 3 min read
Have you ever heard someone use the phrase, “I just don’t have the spoons for that today” and wondered what exactly they meant by that? Or maybe you find yourself waking up with little to no energy wondering how you are going to make it through the rest of your day.
Spoon Theory is a metaphor created by Christine Miserandino, a blogger who lives with lupus, to explain what it is like to live with limited energy. This theory was quickly adopted by other people who are chronically ill, disabled, or those who often struggle with the hidden energy costs of daily life.
The main idea of Spoon Theory is that we wake up each day with a limited number of spoons and each task we have in our day costs one spoon. The task can be big or small like cooking dinner for your family or getting out of bed. Everyone has their own definition of how many spoons they use on a given task and how many spoons we start each day with can also vary person to person but also day to day. When you run out of spoons this means that there is no energy left for you to give. It is often hard or impossible to “push through” having no spoons left.
We can use Spoon Theory to help plan out each day and determine what tasks can be done. For example, let’s say that I woke up today with 10 spoons. I used 1 spoon to get ready for the day, 2 spoons to cook breakfast, and 1 more spoon to pack lunch. I used 3 spoons on a doctor’s appointment and I am saving my last 2 spoons to cook dinner later tonight. If nothing unexpected happened during the day then I should be okay energy wise for the rest of the day. However, if I were to encounter an unexpected problem and used a spoon or two to solve this issue I may have to adjust my spoons for the rest of the day. Instead of cooking dinner, maybe I switched to ordering food or eating leftovers. Having an awareness of your spoons throughout the day and what you spend them on can allow you to make more informed decisions while listening to your body’s needs.
You can also share spoons with friends and loved ones. Let’s say my partner came home from a tough day at work and has no energy to cook dinner. I can “lend them” my spoons and step in to cook dinner so that no one goes beyond their energy levels. Spoon Theory can also be used to help explain your energy to other people in a more gentle way. For example, if someone invited you out to watch a movie but you already used 9 of your 10 spoons for the day, you can say, “I would love to, but I do not have any spoons left for today”.
Spoon Theory can be a great way to understand and respect your energy levels which can feel empowering, especially for those who often find themselves fighting against their body and their energy levels. Use Spoon Theory to avoid overcommitting yourself, checking in with your mind and body more regularly, and communicate your needs with those around you.
Resources for Spoon Theory:
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