by Jacqueline Raposo for GoodRx Health

Image: A white and black graphic showing a closeup of silver spoons with black and silver handles

Key takeaways:

Spoon theory is a way to illustrate the energy limitations that can result from living with a chronic illness.
Using spoons as a unit of energy, spoon theory estimates how many spoons individual tasks require. It also helps people coping with chronic illnesses visualize their total daily energy. Together, the calculations become a benchmark for pacing and prioritization strategies.
People with chronic health conditions may identify as “spoonies.” This can help them find community among others with similar conditions.

If you have a chronic illness, chances are you’ve grappled with limited and erratic energy.

You may rise one morning feeling calm and capable. You can work, tend to your home, and maybe even socialize. But another morning? A pain flare, brain fog, and fatigue make even the mildest task demand extreme effort.

Such inconsistency can make planning to meet life’s daily demands seem hopeless. Explaining energy ebbs and flows to loved ones who may not have the same considerations can feel impossible too.

If you can relate, spoon theory is here to help.

How does the spoon theory work?

Spoon theory is an analogy that describes what it's like to live with a fatiguing chronic illness. It can help you explain to others your limits and boundaries around what you do each day.

Everything you do requires energy, from brushing your teeth to having a deep conversation. Spoon theory uses spoons to demonstrate how much energy such tasks require.

Getting dressed, taking medication, or watching television may use one spoon. Running errands, working, or visiting a relative may take four or more.

According to spoon theory, people without a disability or chronic health condition wake with enough spoons to tackle the expectations of their day. They can tend to their body, home, job or studies, and social plans and not worry that they’ll run out of energy.

But a person with a chronic health condition or disability may wake with a limited number of spoons. Symptoms like brain fog, confusion, pain, and headaches can use up those spoons throughout their day.

If they try to use more spoons than they have, they may collapse, exhausted and unable to do anything more. Or they may pay for the overuse by having even worse symptoms and fewer spoons the next day.

How do you practice spoon theory?

Spoon theory uses a customizable mathematical metaphor. Knowing your benchmark spoon level can help you prioritize tasks. And sharing your spoon process may help your loved ones understand how you cope with energy limitations.

Using the spoon theory for pacing

Pacing is a practice where you space out activities and rest between them. Ideally, pacing keeps you from burning too much energy at one time. It also helps you reserve energy for prioritized tasks.

There are many ways to practice pacing. It can include doing less of an activity than you’d want but still enough that you enjoy it. Or you might break larger projects into smaller tasks that you can do over a few days.

To self-pace using spoon theory, first calculate the number of spoons you have on an average day. Your spoon estimate can help you schedule tasks and avoid overexhaustion.

For example, how many of these sample activities can you do without exacerbating symptoms like pain, brain fog, big emotions, or fatigue?

Taking medications: one spoon
Getting dressed: one spoon
Watching TV: one spoon
Taking a shower: two spoons
Reading or studying: two spoons
Doing light housework: three spoons
Making and eating a meal: three spoons
Working: four spoons
Visiting a friend or relative: four spoons
Going to a healthcare provider appointment: four spoons

You may recognize specific people and experiences as most worthy of your limited spoons. On average days, you can prioritize those.

On high-symptom days, acknowledging that you’re out of spoons may help you limit activities that make your symptoms worse. It may also help you practice self-compassion so you can focus on resting and recharging.

at GoodRx Health

To learn where the spoon theory comes from, how it connects to mental health, examples of spoon theory in practice, how to find spoonie community, and who can consider themselves a spoonie.

click to read a PDF