What's a spoonie, anyway?

I get asked this question a lot. I learned about the concept of Spoon Theory from chronically ill creators on social media. The term was originally coined by Christine Miserandino to describe her experience of living with chronic illness. She gathered spoons and used them as a metaphor for units of energy a person will have on a given day to do activities like get dressed, go to work, cook a meal, do laundry, run errands, etc. She said an average person in good health can expect to get through the day without running out of spoons if each activity just takes one spoon of energy. If someone runs out of spoons they have no choice but to rest until they restore some spoons. Someone with a chronic illness will likely start their day with fewer spoons, and basic daily tasks may take more spoons than they will for the average person.

Spoon Theory and the nickname ‘spoonie’ have become popular with many people living with chronic illness and invisible disabilities. Some prefer to use the analogy of having a battery that is constantly low, doesn’t recharge well, or drains quickly.

When I saw people identifying as spoonies online, I realised that was me too, and at first it felt uncomfortable. It felt like if I accepted that term, it would become my identity, and I would have to accept a life sentence of energy impairment. But eventually I realised it’s just a paradigm to help me understand and describe my experience. And with dynamic disabilities such as mine, each day, week or year can be different.

I began to understand what drains my energy, and what preserves or restores my energy. Once I had more of a handle around energy budgeting, I eventually found that I had a greater capacity to do more of what I loved.

Do you relate to Spoon Theory or consider yourself a spoonie? If you prefer other ways to describe your experience I’d love to know!