If you’ve spent some time in chronic illness communities online or heard people refer to themselves as “Spoonies”, you might have wondered — what exactly does that mean?

The term “Spoonie” isn’t just a nickname; it represents a powerful metaphor and a shared identity among people living with a chronic illness, disability, or invisible conditions that can affect daily life. 

In this blog, we’ll share what it means to be a Spoonie, where the term comes from, and what conditions it applies to. 

But first ... what’s the Spoon Theory?

The Spoon Theory is a metaphor created by Christine Miserandino in 2003, where she explains what it’s like living with lupus by using a handful of spoons to represent energy. While some people might start the day with unlimited spoons, others might only have a few, and for them, once the spoons are gone, they're gone.

The metaphor gave a voice to the invisible exhaustion many people face, and for that, people started calling themselves “Spoonies” as a shorthand for living with energy-limiting conditions. 

For more information on the Spoon Theory, have a read of this article. 

Who Identifies as a Spoonie?

A Spoonie is anyone living with a chronic illness or disability that affects their energy, stamina, or general functioning — especially those with invisible illnesses.

Here are a few conditions commonly associated with Spoonies: 

• Autoimmune and Inflammatory Disorders 
  • Lupus 
  • Rheumatoid Arthritis 
  • Multiple Sclerosis (MS) 
  • Crohn’s Disease 
• Chronic Pain Conditions 
  • Fibromyalgia 
  • Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS) 
  • Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) 
• Neurological Conditions 
  • Migraines 
  • Epilepsy 
  • Parkinson’s Disease 
  • Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) 
• Mental Health Disorders 
  • Depression 
  • Anxiety 
  • Bipolar Disorder 
  • PTSD 
• Other Chronic Conditions 
  • Diabetes 
  • POTS (Postal Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) 
  • Endometriosis 
  • Chronic Lyme Disease 

Being a Spoonie isn’t just about a diagnosis — it’s about navigating life strategically. It often involves pacing yourself — to choose which activities you’re able to do and which ones you should skip. Planning your tasks around “good days” and resting on bad ones is also a good idea. 

How to Support a Spoonie

The biggest thing about the Spoonie community is that they help and look out for each other. Online communities, support groups, and social media hashtags like #SpoonieLife give people space to share tips, vent, and celebrate wins no matter how small they seem. 

There are a few ways you could help someone who identifies as a Spoonie. These include: 

• • Believing in Them. Even if they “look fine”, trust that what they’re experiencing is real.  
  • Be Flexible. Plans may change at the last minute, not because they don’t care, but because their body needs rest.  
  • Offer Help. Small acts like cooking a meal, running errands, or helping with transportation can save a lot of spoons.  
  • Educate Yourself. Learning about their condition(s) shows love and makes you a better ally.  
  • Listen. Sometimes the most important things you can do is simply hold space for their reality without trying to fix it.  

The Spoonies Community is an online community for people with chronic illnesses where they can find healing and connect with others.

You could also represent your own energy with our spoons necklace. 

In conclusion, living as a Spoonie often means adapting to constant changes in your life and making choices about where to spend your limited energy every day. So, the next time someone asks how you’re feeling or why you had to cancel plans, you can simply say, “I ran out of spoons today”. 

If you’re a Spoonie or love someone who is, feel free to share this post to help spread awareness and compassion. 

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