Learning about Spoon Theory changed my life and made it livable. I’ve always been the kind of person who pushed through any illness or pain to get the job done. When I became chronically ill, this attitude only exacerbated my illness. I’ve had to change my outlook on life, learn to say “No,” and maintain a schedule to accomplish what is most important. No matter how much I want to, there are things I will not do because the consequences outweigh the benefit.
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I’d never heard of the Spoon Theory before. It makes total sense.
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It makes a huge difference in my life.
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I had not heard of spoon theory before – but it really makes sense to me. Thank you for sharing.
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I’ve never heard of this before either, thank you for sharing!
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Very cool.
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Reblogged this on The Writer In Me . . . and commented:
I had a conversation with someone about this a couple of days ago. It’s a fab way to explain the limited energy resources chronic illness causes.
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Thank you for the reblog.
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You’re welcome. I want to help get the Spoon Theory out there, to as many people as possible. It’s such a great description.
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Liking this very much. ☀️☀️
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Wow, this is beautiful. This will make explaining myself to people a lot easier. Thanks for sharing this.
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I like this idea.
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Reblogged this on A Twist On Life and commented:
I’ve never heard of Spoon Theory before, and it’s resonating with me to an extreme degree. I’ve been called lazy so many times in my life, and I try so hard to do as much as everyone else I know, but it never seems as though I’m able. This helps me forgive myself and understand the reasons why I’m so easily exhausted and laid up.
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Thank you for this. I had not heard of this theory before and it is resonating with me to an extreme degree. I reblogged, too. https://atwistonlife.wordpress.com/2018/02/12/learning-spoon-theory/
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Thank you. Spoon Theory has helped me so much I’m happy to share.
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This is great. I think many auto -immune diseaases may be related to narcissistic abuse etc. I was starkly reminded by a friend after I had wound up in hospital with kidney issues, that if I didn’t take care of myself, there would be nobody to look after my children.
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I can relate. Much of my motivation comes from needing to be there for my children.
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This is something that I had already in my head, but I didn’t know that it has a name. Awesome post!
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Yes. We know there is only so much we can do in a day. Having a name for it helps.
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I spent £10 on a taxi to save some spoons! well worth it. Thanks for sharing!
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So, once more, I am the student in the class who doesn’t quite get the lesson and is afraid to ask too many questions/take up Teacher’s free time…
I don’t quite get it other than the spoons are like hours in a day. But, I guess my brain is trying to figure out how to purchase or make these “spoons” and ration my resources daily. And, are we accepting that something takes time away from something else, leaving some things undone? Or, are we to stick to a set number of “spoons” every day for every task, plan that usage in advance, and not budge or indulge anything?
I guess it all comes down to making a daily plan/schedule and sticking to it to get things done or being okay with getting less done, provided there are no dire consequences… [And, I’ve been so lousy at scheduling.]
It’s an interesting metaphor, though.
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The spoons relate to how much energy is expended for each task and this varies from person to person. Being in public and dealing with difficult people takes more “spoons” for me than taking a shower. Others may find being in public invigorating and a shower more exhausting. For me, it has to do with a balance between doing things that deplete my energy and those things that help build me up. It helps to be able to listen to your body and understand what your strengths, weaknesses, and limits are.
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I thought spoons were hours in a day.
And, if all these psyche people are onto something, giving more “energy spoons” to something just because it’s public and difficult is kinda giving power to the very things we probably could give less energy to if we just stopped thinking of it as difficult. Just because I suffer from social anxiety doesn’t mean I owe more energy or time to the task. In fact, if I don’t think about how much I am giving those difficult situations, I won’t feel as guilty, later. I think it’s better to feel sure of your feet and power through a task. But, I can understand how keeping to a schedule keeps you steady and your head in the game…until something upsets that schedule.
I dunno how a shower is exhausting to anyone, but it might seem a chore or bother when you’d rather go more days without one.
Energy balance is definitely something to consider. I do think I suffer from lack of sleep. I realize the importance of sleep and how my habits have impaired some of my ability. I see how my eyes suffer as I age, too. I am sure a lack of sleep contributed to my anxieties in school…yet I am having similar anxieties outside of school and not keeping the same homework schedule. So, there is yet more to this problem.
I was just reading something on listening to the body, but it had to do with instant gratification. The flip side of listening to the body is that some of the inner voices may be counter productive in the pursuit of comfort/pleasure. And, thus, there is that question that bounces around my head….am I just being lazy/lax in favor of IG or am I comforting myself like a kind friend so I don’t feel totally deprived or starved of self-love?
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Thats really interesting. I never heard of this before.
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I stumbled across it while reading about chronic illness. It has been a positivie addition to my life.
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That’s wonderful!
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I love this. I have never heard of this before and its such a unique way of looking at it. Thank you for sharing!
https://asimplyinspiredlife.com/
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I didn’t know there was a theory behind it, I just know since going through breast cancer treatment, I have had to accept “the new normal” which has been a trial and error process over several years and certainly not static. Learning to listen to one’s own body and honouring that seems to be the key. ❤
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Yes, it is much like a new normal and requires a “trial and error process.” It took me several years to come to grips with my situation and I am still learning.
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The spoon theory is so helpful in explaining chronic illness… thanks for sharing this so more will understand.
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I also love the spoon theory. It’s such an elegant and clear way to convey our very real limits.
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Agreed.
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I had a friend introduce me to the spoon theory, and at that point in my life, I think that it helped me out a bit. It seemed that I wasn’t able to use very many spoons to handle what life had thrown at me.
As I’ve gotten a handle on my life, I think that you can gain spoons, but I’m also sure that doesn’t work for everyone. I hope you can find a way to obtain more spoons.
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I noticed my thought processes clearing up as I started to heal. The Spoon Theory made sense to me before but I wasn’t able to fully implement it into my life until I started to feel better.
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When I first learned spoon theory and shared it with my husband, that was the first time he was able to truly understand what I was going through with fibromyalgia and complex PTSD. It’s the best analogy I’ve ever seen.
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I frequently use the spoon theory to explain my lupus 💜
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