Plate Theory© -  by Cynthia Dainsberg, Sparrow Song Health Resources

First, a nod to Christine Miserandino, who came up with the Spoon Theory/Spoonies- to help communicate what it is like to live ‘energy challenged’.

 I’d like to take this table top talk explanation a step further- and explain my Plate Theory.

You’ve heard the old adage of having a lot on our plate- but, I’d like to submit, our ‘plates’ can be of different sizes, and so affect our perception, our view, our abilities, our resources…

Here, I have pictures of some different sized plates, all with the same kind, and number of fruit.

Depending on where you are at in your ‘energy journey’- one of these plates could represent your overall physical plate of energy, as well as your mental plate of energy.

As you can see, when our Energy Plate is small- even a few things will fully occupy our physical energies, and mental energies.  Whereas, someone else, who may have a Larger Plate, may not understand what someone, who has a Small Plate, may be experiencing.

The Larger Plate Person will see the same fruit, relative to their own plate- and often even miss perceiving that the other person’s Plate is Smaller. 

Look at the pictures.

Look from the Largest plate- to the smallest plate- can you not only see how the ‘free space’ on the plates lessen, but also perceive the increased burden of the fruit- the smaller the plate.  The fruit takes up almost all of the small plate.

The Small Plate is weighted; the fruit is in delicate balance, to stay on the plate. The fruit almost completely covers the Small Plate; it would be difficult to even see where any more fruit could be added.

With the Smaller the Plate- the more the person is experiencing the weight, and balance of what is on their plate.  And with this- one’s perspective can hardly allow body and mental space to even entertain anything more that might be placed on the plate- no matter if what is available to the plate is even fun. 

Too much, is too much, for any plate, but particularly for those living with a Small Plate.

What size is your Plate? 

Some of our Plate Sizes remain consistent, some of our Plate Size’s may change throughout the day. 

If you are a Caregiver-  what size is your Plate?  What size Plate is your Care Receiver experiencing. 

Again- The Plate Theory can help us not only explain our present physical capacities, but can be used to explain our present mental capacities as well.

 

To learn more about how you may communicate how you experience fatigue- I’d be happy to share with you about the Dainsberg Fatigue Scale™ .                                  Visit www.fatiguescale.com   or, email me at:  sparrowsonghealthresources@gmail.com

~ cynthia dainsberg, Sparrow Song Health Resources, Inc   (c)2021