Everything You Need to Know about The Spoon Theory
Most people don’t think twice about the energy it takes to shower, clean, get dressed, or drive to work. Most people can go to the gym in the morning and still have the energy to make dinner in the evening. Most people can make plans and keep them.
However, when you have a chronic illness, you’re not most people.
What is The Spoon Theory?
In a blog titled “The Spoon Theory,” Christine Miserandino narrates how she demonstrated to her friend what it’s like to have lupus. While chatting at a diner, Miserandino handed her friend 12 spoons. She told her the spoons represented units of energy and asked her to describe her daily activities.
Photo by Anna Kumpan on Unsplash
As her friend went through her tasks, she took away a spoon for activities like showering, getting dressed with painful joints, standing on public transportation. Skipping lunch, she explained, would cost a spoon, too. When the spoons were gone, it meant she expended all the energy for the day.
Spoonies Unite
Miserandino’s blog took fire over social media, empowering other people with chronic illnesses with a new way to quantify their fatigue. Now there are legions of “spoonies” creating communities all over the internet to discuss how best to plan their days around the number of spoons they have available.
Counting Your Spoons
How many spoons does a person wake up with, and how many does it take to perform basic tasks? That depends on the person, the day, and the disease. When a disease is flaring, a shower might take ten spoons; if a person is on medication and having a good day, it may not even take a full spoon.
Most people with chronic conditions plan how to spend their spoons in advance. “I have learned to live life with an extra spoon in my pocket, in reserve. You need to always be prepared,” Miserandino shares.
Written by: Kiki Dyemi
"I continue to build my writing business even when my hands refuse to move..."
It all begins with an idea.
I cringed when I wrote this click-bait title, but I knew I must write it the way it is. Just so that you know there is a way to continue working even when your illness renders you immobile or at least difficult to drag yourself through even the basic chores of the day.
Getting on medication has to be the first step
I have had rheumatoid arthritis (RA) since I was 26. This August I turned 44.
I went for a clinical diagnosis and started medication in 2016 when getting up from the chair without crying out in pain became impossible. By that time I also had a frozen shoulder (my writing arm) and spondylitis. I couldn’t sit and type on my writing desk for more than an hour a day.
Getting on medication to manage my pain changed my life, but that’s a story for another day. Today I want to talk about how I managed to build my freelance writing business with a chronic illness that renders my arms too painful and frozen at least three months of the year.
Understand how your body works
I have managed to work the only way I know – using time management techniques. First of all, I decided to find out my working rhythm. For this, I meticulously tracked my time for almost a year. And this is the information I collected:
Total number of hours I could write every day
Total time I could devote to non-writing work that was essential to building the business
I am most productive on hot sunny dry days
Cold winter months are the least productive for me
Schedule your day meticulously
Armed with information about my working capacity, here is how I schedule my day:
Divide my day into client work and non-paying work.
I have identified the hours of the day when I can focus completely on my work and devote those to writing.
I have these 5 non-negotiables for each working day - exercise, journal, client work, marketing, and pitching.
Keep your momentum going and skills sharpened
After so many years of illness, I know the pattern of most of my days and schedule myself accordingly. If the day is going to be hot and sunny, I schedule a couple of hours extra. Winter months from November to January are my worst months, my aim is to just reach the minimum income level.
But this does not mean I stop writing or learning. Otherwise, I will not be able to pick up speed after the lean period is over.
I devote those leisurely hours spent under the sun to nourish my health by writing books. Or take up other writing projects so that I don’t fall out of the habit of writing. For instance, this year I have launched a newsletter which will continue till February. Then I’ll take a break and start season 2 sometime in September or October when the weather changes again.
Final thoughts
When you suffer from an illness that renders you immobile, you need to get smart about when you get done what. What I have shared about my journey applies not only to writers but to other creatives as well. Of course, I do realise that your severity of symptoms or condition may be different from mine. But that does not mean you cannot start trying out the strategy I have used. Maybe start with deciding how much time you can devote to working and take it from there.
"I went through a whole year of not drawing because my hands shook too much"
It all begins with an idea.
When I began About M.E. I was very determined to hire and work with more people with chronic/invisible illnesses and disabilities. It’s been a learning curve, to say the least, but I am so proud to have found Sirius O'Reilly. Sirius was recommended to me and diagnosed with FND as well as Autism and is behind the About M.E. logo.
How long have you been a graphic designer?
I have branched more into Graphic Design since my Foundation Diploma in Art and Design 2016, where I focused more on digital art. I have been illustrating as a hobbyist since I was 6, and have had the pleasure in the past few years to produce Graphical Designs for commercial businesses.
What inspired you to do it?
Graphic Design is a wonderful combination of artistic expression and practical function. I was first given the opportunity to design a logo by a childhood friend, who needed someone who was 'good at art'. They remembered my passion for art, so they got in touch, and I was happy to use my skills to help.
How do you overcome a creative block?
I switch up my medium. I give a new crochet project a go or spend time writing, I channel my creativity in a different way to think about ideas differently, eventually, I'll get back on track!
What advice would you give to someone who has an illness/disability and how to follow their passion?
Be you, do what makes you happy. No one can put a limit on your capabilities, only you can decide that for yourself. The only person you should compare yourself to is your past self, and always your past self will be proud of how far you have come.
I went through a whole year of not drawing because my hands shook too much with an Essential Tremor to draw lines straight, so I watched videos, brushed up on new ideas and skills, and spent my creativity writing/typing. But always keeping those new ideas in my head. When I felt ready to pick up the pen again I had material to focus on, I started small, but most importantly I enjoyed what I was doing.
Written by: Sirius O’Reilly
Work With US
It all begins with an idea.
Hello,
Thank you for stopping by to About M.E. I wanted to share my goals and vision with you.
I want to be able to hire and work with people with disabilities, invisible illnesses, chronic warriors as well as awesome freelancers.
So if you have any of the following skills please share your portfolio, your hourly/day rate, and availability to: careers@aboutme.group
Copywriters write monthly blog posts regarding About M.E. progress and internal news.
Guest writers to share their experiences about living with an invisible/chronic illness and disability.
Social Media Manager
App Developer (Android and iOS)
Work Experience - we will match projects to where you want to be in your future role
Anything you think we are missing? If you are selling products or trying to navigate through an invisible illness we are interested in hearing from you, just let us know what your skillset is or where you would like to be.
Introduction
It all begins with an idea.
***Disclaimer*** I am not a medical professional or a pain management specialist.
What is About M.E.
Hello, and welcome to About M.E. you may have seen a LinkedIn post, TikTok video or Instagram story related to this new adventure. I’m here to introduce you to raising awareness about invisible illnesses. In 2020 during the pandemic I was diagnosed with something called FND (Functional Neurological Disorder).
It was a diagnosis and a link to a website and I was told I would be fine within a few weeks and to just simply get on with it. My Neurologist said I just needed to be more positive along with other “specialists”.
Accepting a long-term condition
Fast forward to January 2021, I realised no one was coming to save me, nor giving me a magical cure, and I was sick of feeling sorry for myself. At this point I wanted to find what worked for me and how I could best manage my symptoms and pain.
I found support within communities who were facing similar experiences, and had been exploring different methods of coping with pain. It was a challenging experience and I faced many personal and professional battles but here we are today.
Managing Pain
I wanted to create something that could help fellow chronic pain sufferers and to what has helped me make a 70% recovery.
So About M.E. is a one-stop-shop to help fellow chronic warriors with pain management, a clothing line to support with daily prejudice we may face, monthly self-care boxes, an app to manage/track your pain.
So thank you for your support so far, whether I know you or not.
Thank you,