Are You Overloaded?

The Spoon Theory is a simple metaphor created by Christine Miserandino that illustrates the limited, often invisible energy many people live with due to disabilities, chronic illness, or mental health conditions. It’s a helpful way to understand and communicate daily capacity—and to remind yourself to pause and check in with your own energy levels.

Every spoon represents an amount of physical and mental energy that is used for every task in a day. Using this theory can help you set healthy boundaries on what you can do in a day without over extending yourself.

If you had 12 spoons today, how would you use them?

One spoon:

• Get out of bed
• Get dressed
• Take pills
• Watch TV

Two spoons:

• Bathe
• Style hair
• Scroll through social media
• Read or study

Three spoons:

• Make and eat a meal
• Make plans and socialize
• Light housework
• Drive somewhere

Four spoons:

• Go to work or school
• Go shopping
• Go to the doctor
• Exercise