The Wrong Spoons: Why Your Energy Isn’t Broken (and How to Get It Back)

The Wrong Spoons: Why Your Energy Isn’t Broken (and How to Get It Back)

 

We’ve all had those days where brushing your teeth feels like climbing Everest — and other days you redesign your entire life between 9:00 and 9:17 AM.

Neurodivergent energy isn’t broken — it’s just different.

And the internet gave us a pretty useful metaphor for it: spoon theory.

At The Wrong Spoon Co., we like to say: the world hands us the wrong spoons.
So let’s talk about what that means — and how to spend your energy without the guilt hangover. 

 

🧠 What Is “Spoon Theory,” in Plain English?

 

Think of your daily energy as a handful of spoons. 🥄
Every task “costs” a spoon (or three).

Neurodivergent folks (ADHD, autistic, AuDHD) often start the day with fewer spoons — and the price tags vary wildly.

📱 Replying to messages → 1–2 spoons
📞 Unexpected phone call → 4 spoons + a nap
🎯 Hyperfocus on something joyful → you gain spoons (hello dopamine magic)

It’s not laziness. It’s logistics.

 

🍽️ Why the World Keeps Giving Us the Wrong Spoons

 

Because most systems were designed for neurotypical rhythms — bright lights, open-plan chatter, endless admin.

We can do hard things; we just need the right cutlery. 

 

⚠️ Signs You’re Using the Wrong Spoon

 

  • You finish tasks but feel electrically drained

  • You procrastinate “simple” things (they’re not simple for your brain)

  • You need a recovery day after “normal” errands

  • You mask through social time, then crash 

 

🛠️ How to Get the Right Spoons Back

 

1️⃣ Match task → energy window

Do admin in your lowest-stress hours; do creative work in your high-dopamine window. Protect both like tiny queens 👑

2️⃣ Pre-load decisions

Lay out clothes, prep the bag, write three bullet points you’ll say on a call. Decision fatigue is a spoon-thief.

3️⃣ Build frictionless defaults

  • Loop earplugs by the door

  • “Bare-minimum morning” checklist (three items max)

  • One grab-and-go meal you actually like (boring on purpose)

4️⃣ Design recovery on purpose

Rest isn’t the opposite of productivity — it’s part of the process.
Schedule reset pockets: ten minutes of nothing after high-social or high-sensory blocks.

5️⃣ Make joy a tool, not a treat

If a playlist, hoodie, or silly mug sparks dopamine, it’s not frivolous — it’s fuel.
(Yes, we made merch for exactly this reason 💖).

 

🧩 The AuDHD Twist: Hyperfocus & Hibernate

 

AuDHD people often live between two extremes:
⚡ Hyperfocus (twelve tabs of genius)
🌙 Hibernate (horizontal + snacks)

Both are valid.

When hyperfocus hits: ride it — set a timer, drink water, micro-move.
When hibernation hits: lower the bar — one-spoon tasks, soft lights, quiet comfort.

 

🗣️ Scripts for Real Life (Steal These)

 

💬 Saying no: “I’m low on bandwidth this week — can we push to Friday or keep it to fifteen minutes?”
💬 At work: “I do my best deep work 9–11; can we avoid meetings then?”
💬 At home: “I need a quiet reset hour to be a person again. Back soon.”

 

💡 Why I Started The Wrong Spoon Co.

 

I’m AuDHD. I wanted subtle, wearable nods to our reality — without shouting.
Pieces that say “I’m not ordinary — and I’m not sorry.”

They spark conversations with the right people and make the day 2 % kinder on the brain.
If someone gets it — it’s magic. 

 

🌈 Gentle Reminder (and a Tiny Pep Talk)

 

You’re not behind.
Your brain is not a broken appliance.

You’re navigating a world that often hands you the wrong spoons — and still showing up with creativity, care, and weird brilliance.

That’s extraordinary. 

 

 

🧵 Want a soft, sensory-friendly reminder on tough days?
Explore the Not Ordinary. collection — oversized, cozy, and made for your kind of energy. 🌿

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