Pacing - Spoon Theory © Christine Miserandino

[Daffodil]

When I first came to the site in my early days, searching for answers , permanently fatigued and rather hopeless I was confused by Keith and others in the green room offering up a spoon or two, what were they on about. Anyway I soon was enlightened to this great analogy which helped me and others understand my daily choices so think it worth pinning here The link to her site and this story.  

 

https://butyoudontlooksick.com/articles/written-by-christine/the-spoon-theory/

[Louise]

Daff I could never get my head around the spoon thing, however I'll often say 'there's few sparklers in my box' or my sparkler box is empty 

that works for me anyway.

 

[Bev75]

Hi Daffodil,

 

We use the spoons theory in our Pain Management presentation on pacing.

 

Thank you for this link, it will help me immensley, so I won't have to explain in great detail to our patients now, I can signpost them.

 

I use the spoons theory daily and have found it helps with my fatique and pain, I also use the 3 P's.

Prioritise, Plan and Pace.

 

When the body and brain gets use to an easy level of activity, without increased fatique and pain, you can increase your activity only by 20%. 

 

And when the body gets use to that, you increase again by 20%. If you have a flare up or increased cognitive problems and fatique, decrease the length/time of activity for a few days and steadily build up to your basline again.

 

We use an effort scale 0 -10

Try to aim for 5

How much effort is the activity 6 +

 

This is too much and overdoing can cause increased symptoms.

 

When the activity is starting to be ok at a certain level and the effort scale is coming down to say a 2.

 

You can then start to pace up 20%

Starting back at an effort of 5 again.

 

You can use pacing and the spoons theory for everything. It can make a difference to your quality of life and feel more in control.

 

I know it certainly has helped for me

Thank you again Daffodil for the link

 

Bev xxx

 

 

[Winb143]

Thing that helped me was the Brain talking to me.. " A Letter From Your Brain - By Stephanie St. Claire ©1996"

 

It made sense to keep calm and it sort of explains what we've been through it is under "Inspiration" I think xxx (short term lol)

 

https://web.behindthegray.net/articles.html/inspiration/a-letter-from-your-brain-by-stephanie-st-claire-©1996-r167/

 

It made me calmer to be with people who had their B.I. and the whole site helped me as I found people who could laugh again, so once again to Mods and Karen and Family a Big Thank You  xxxx  We are not alone  xxxx