What Is Spoon Theory?
- Lit Liz
- Aug 3
- 2 min read
🥄 What Is Spoon Theory? Understanding Energy Limits You Can’t Always See
By Scop Scribe
Have you ever felt so tired that even texting someone back felt hard? Now imagine if every day felt like that—even after a full night’s sleep.
That’s what life can be like for people who live with chronic illnesses (long-term health problems). And to help explain that, there’s a clever way to look at it called...
🥄 Spoon Theory!
Spoon Theory was created by a woman named Christine Miserandino, who has a chronic illness called lupus. She came up with the idea while trying to explain her daily struggles to a friend.
Here’s how it works:
Imagine this:
You start the day with 12 spoons.
Every activity you do uses up spoons—like energy points.
Activity Spoons It Might Use Getting out of bed 1 spoon Taking a shower 2 spoons Going to school 3 spoons Hanging out with friends 2 spoons Doing homework 2 spoons Making dinner 2 spoons
When the spoons are gone, you’re done. No extra energy. No borrowing from tomorrow.
🤷 But Wait... Can’t You Just Rest?
For people with chronic illnesses—like lupus, fibromyalgia, or even long COVID—rest doesn’t always refill the spoons. Some days they might only have 5 spoons to start with. Some days none.
And that’s the big idea:
“I want to do more... but I don’t have enough spoons today.”
🧠 So What Does This Mean for You?
Maybe you have a friend or classmate who cancels plans a lot, gets tired quickly, or seems “off” some days. They might be dealing with invisible challenges that you can’t see—but they’re very real.
Instead of judging, think:
“Maybe they’re out of spoons today.”
“I wonder if that’s all they had energy for.”
“I can still be kind without expecting a lot back.”
🫶 Being a Spoon-Aware Friend
Here’s how to support someone who might live with limited energy:
✅ Don’t take it personally if they cancel.✅ Offer low-energy ways to connect, like texting instead of hanging out.✅ Ask what they need, instead of assuming.✅ Respect their boundaries. If they say “I can’t talk right now,” believe them.
You never know what someone’s “spoon count” is for the day.
💬 Want to Learn More?
If this made you think, “Wow—our energy and conversations are more connected than I realized,” you’ll definitely want to check out another blog post called:
It breaks down how different types of talking (like deep chats vs. small talk) cost us different amounts of energy. It ties in perfectly with Spoon Theory.
So if spoons = energy...Social currency = what we do with that energy.
Go give it a read—you’ll start to see your friendships and interactions in a whole new way. ✨
Have you ever felt like you were out of spoons? What helps you recharge? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!
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