What is Spoon Theory?

And Other Ways to Conceptualize Capacity Limitations

Spoon theory was written by Christine Miserandino, who has lupus, an illness which causes symptoms that create pain, fatigue, and low energy. Spoon theory is used to describe the capacity limits people with chronic illness face. It posits that each person wakes up in the morning with a certain amount of "spoons" (energy capacity) and they must choose how to use them. A person with chronic illness has less spoons to work with than a healthy person, so they must decide what to use their remaining spoons on.