Spoon Theory

July is Disability Pride Month. Are you familiar with Spoon Theory? It’s a helpful lens to understand the varying needs of folks in your workplace.

Christine Miserandino came up with the phrase in 2003 when writing about her experience with chronic illness, as a metaphor for the energy involved in day-to-day activities. Spoon Theory is now used to represent a wide range of disabilities, mental health issues, and forms of marginalization.

On a bad pain day, taking a shower uses up a lot of my spoons. I am privileged to work from home and to run my own business, so if a shower exhausts me, I can stretch out for a while and maybe do some work on my phone.

And then later that day I’m going to choose: do I have the spoons to go out into the garden? I know that being outside makes me feel good mentally, emotionally, spiritually. But sometimes the pain is so exhausting that all I can do is lay down and do something to regulate my nervous system.

For people with disabilities and disabled people, different activities require a different number of spoons.

And what drains one person’s energy could be different from another person. For example, I love talking to people: socializing and connecting doesn’t deplete me. However, someone who needs to mask aspects of their identity might find some social situations exhausting.

It’s also key to recognize that people with disabilities or chronic illness are going to start their day with less spoons.

One of my reasons for starting The Joy Project is a belief in transforming workplaces so that everyone feels they belong. I’ve experienced the negative impacts of ableism, as well as shifting to a space where I feel safe to share about my chronic pain and disabilities. It’s a beautiful place to be.

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