Spoon theory

In the essay, Miserandino describes her experience with chronic illness, using a handful of spoons as a metaphor for units of energy available to perform everyday actions.

The metaphor has since been used to describe a wide range of disabilities, mental health issues, forms of marginalization, and other factors that might place unseen burdens on individuals.

In her 2003 essay "The Spoon Theory", American writer Christine Miserandino writes about a time she told a friend about her experience with lupus.

[3] Spoons are a metaphor used as a unit of measurement to visualize the mental and physical energy a person has available for activities of everyday life and productive tasks throughout a given amount of time (e.g. a day or week).

[6] Those with mental health issues such as anxiety or depression may similarly find it challenging to go about seemingly simple tasks throughout the day, or to deal with a crisis.