Living with a chronic illness can bring lots of different things with it, but more often than not chronic fatigue is one of them. It can make daily activities like showering or driving to work difficult and exhausting. While many people don’t think twice about the energy daily activities take, those of us with chronic illness are forced to.
This is where the idea of the spoon theory comes in. Christine Miserandino is credited as the inventor of this now famous metaphor. One evening at dinner with a friend she was trying to describe how exhausting having Lupus is and how draining daily activities can be. She gave her friend 12 spoons that represent all the energy for one day. She then had her friend list daily activities and would take spoons accordingly. This became known as the spoon theory and those who use this metaphor are lovingly self-proclaimed “spoonies”.
Here are some common examples of how many spoons daily activities take. Remember you only get 12!
ONE SPOON: Some of these activities include; getting out of bed, remembering to take your medicine, getting dressed, and watching TV.
TWO SPOONS: With a bit more effort these activities require another spoon. Two spoon activities include; bathe or shower, blow dry hair or put makeup on, surf the internet, reading, and studying.
THREE SPOONS: How are your spoons? Are we even through your morning yet? Get ready for three spoon activities. These include; making and eating a meal, making plans, socializing, driving, and light housework like dishes and laundry.
FOUR SPOONS: Do you have any left? What about work or school? You guessed it, these are four spoon activities. These activities not only include work and school, but Dr.’s appointments, and exercise too.
While Christine Miserandino used this method to describe symptoms of her Lupus, it has since been adopted by many people with autoimmune disorders to describe to friends and family what it’s like having their illness. I personally came across this theory about a year ago after finding other people online that had IBD. It is so simple, yet so profound. It’s an easy and straightforward way to explain to people like friends and coworkers to help them understand that everything you do in the day takes energy, and protecting that energy so you can make it through the day is a battle every day.
If you don’t have a chronic or autoimmune illness I hope this helps you understand why those who do may cancel plans or change their mind seemingly out of the blue. Depending on their illness this struggle for finding energy while dealing with a range of symptoms can be a daily thing and utterly exhausting. Try to extend compassion and see it from our point of view. If you do have a chronic illness and are reading this, chances are you are already familiar with this theory. For those of you, remember there are lots of spoonies out there (including me!) and you are never alone! How are your spoons today? Let me know in the comments!
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