Fork theory
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| Photo: Matt Popovich |
(I was torn for this blog post with whether to write about Forest Bathing, but I didn't have enough material for it - I may post about it in the future if I can think of an angle, given that I don't live somewhere where any forests are accessible to me. If you're a tree fan, though, then scroll to the end as I was reading about how even looking at just pictures of trees can be beneficial for mental health, so I threw in a few bonus photos despite being off-topic.🌲)
So anyway, hopefully most of those reading this blog will be familiar with spoon theory - if not, you can read
it here:
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| Photo: Joanna Kosinska |
It's a really useful shorthand for talking about chronic health management issues.
A friend recently(ish) introduced me to fork theory.
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| Photo: Alex G |
You can find fork theory here:
The basic idea, inspired by the expression "Stick a fork in me, I'm done", is that forks are stressors (small or large) and everyone has a limit to how many stressors they can handle at a time (a fork limit).
Again, it's a useful shorthand for talking about the impact of circumstances and events (cumulatively) on one's ability to cope.
I also feel like it could be good for actually helping one to cope with those stressors. A way of thinking about those stressors in a way which helps you realise that they can (at least some of them, some of the time) can be removed. The example in the linked website is needing to pee; when things are getting on top of you and you have to pee, going to the bathroom can at least remove that one small fork relatively easily (usually). Doing something practical can reduce one's overall stress load. Sort of the opposite of the snowball effect.
Like for instance when one is starting a college assignment, or feeling overloaded at work.
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| Photo: Hugo Rocha |
Breaking the task down into small chunks helps one to start tackling those chunks one by one, and the feeling of progress can help to reduce the feeling of general overwhelm, or not knowing where to begin, and enables one to start making real headway (ideally).
It's not going to fix everything with one stroke, but it can effectively help in a lot of day-to-day instances - even if it's just a little bit.
If you read my 'D' post on dialectical behaviour therapy, fork theory may link in here, too, as it may be possible to build up an 'immunity to forks', through the process of distress tolerance (working in partnership with one's therapist - there'd be potential risks associated with undertaking one's own exposure therapy without professional guidance, for instance).
But one needn't go that far even; just simply keeping fork theory in the back of one's mind day-to-day doesn't have to take up a lot of mental room, but could be really useful, even if only as a form of 'shorthand'.
Of course, my husband says that I'm a permanent fork, in his a$$; so fork theory may be a useful shorthand when it comes to relationships too!?
Of course, my husband says that I'm a permanent fork, in his a$$; so fork theory may be a useful shorthand when it comes to relationships too!?
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| Photo: Mitra Mohammadi |
Good health!
Bonus tree photos:
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| Johann Siemens |
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| Sergei Akulich |
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| Photo: Luca Bravo |
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| Photo: Trevor Pye |
Photo credits: all photos from Unsplash
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