spoon theory

[ spoon thee-uh-ree, theer-ee ]

noun

1. (sometimes initial capital letters) a metaphor to explain how a person with a disability or chronic disease must manage energy expenditures, calculate effort, and conserve resources to accomplish activities of daily living.

Word History and Origins

Origin of spoon theory¹

Coined by Christine Miserandino (born 1978), U.S. blogger and author, in her essay “The Spoon Theory” (2003)

Example Sentences

One thing you can do when you have the "spoons" — to borrow from writer Christine Miserandino's 2003 essay "The Spoon Theory" — is to sit down with a journal or a notepad and physically write down meal ideas that are based off convenience or quick-fix items, like instant rice or jarred pasta sauce.

From Salon

Anyone with chronic illness is likely familiar with spoon theory, the idea that one only has so many spoons per day and once you use them up, they're gone until you can rest again, recover and get some spoons back.

From Salon

As The Washington Post explains it, "each spoon represents a finite unit of energy . . . Spoon theory has become a shorthand for chronically ill people to explain how they're feeling and coping day-to-day."

From Salon

The Spoon Theory explains the effects of invisible pain with very effective imagery.

From The Guardian

Blogger and lupus advocate Christine Miserandino has an analogy for chronic illness that she calls the “Spoon Theory.”

From Slate