Zebra Seeking Spoons

🥄 What Is Spoon Theory?

A powerful way to explain life with chronic illness

Spoon Theory = Energy Budgeting

Imagine:

You wake up each day with a limited number of spoons.

Each task costs a spoon.

🥄 12 Spoons: A Normal Day Might Look Like…

🛏 Getting out of bed – 1 spoon

🚿 Showering – 2 spoons

🍳 Cooking breakfast – 1 spoon

💻 Work or school – 4 spoons

🧺 Doing laundry – 2 spoons

📱Socializing or texting – 1 spoon

🍽 Making dinner – 1 spoon

Total: 12 spoons = You’re out.

Some days, you wake up with only 6 spoons.

Other days, you borrow spoons from tomorrow (and pay with a flare-up).

🥄 Spoon Theory Helps Explain:

✔️ Why people with chronic illness can’t “just push through”

✔️ Why simple tasks are exhausting

✔️ Why pacing and planning are survival tools

✔️ Why rest is non-negotiable

💬 “I’m out of spoons today” = “I’m drained. Please understand.”