Wow, Eliza, really good points. Bravo! I'm glad you wrote about this. I love bold topics that can sound so unpopular in a world full of measures, comparisons, and technology that promise us the best health possible. Well done!
It is crucial that we transform our understanding of our minds and bodies from outside to inside. I observe a growing trend in the fitness industry, where fewer people are willing to run without an app, walk without a phone count, or eat without calculating calories. I agree with you that fitness apps are a great tool, but it's important to consider their role in your life. Knowing how you actually feel is more important than results shown on a watch, it can lower or elevate your body and mind.
As you noted, as a young adult, I also struggled with self-image conflicts about how I should look or feel, and these conflicts did have an impact on me. Even now, with my extensive knowledge about myself, I sometimes question my inner wisdom when I witness others performing and achieving results significantly faster than me in sports or their relationship with sleep, food or whatever. Sometimes, despite knowing that we can only compete with our previous versions of ourselves, technology makes it increasingly difficult to connect and resist the temptation to not buy into the promises we see on the internet.
I appreciate you recommending my article; it gives me joy to know you are backing my work.
Thank you very much for your work and teachings!
This is just essential: "What most people need when healing their relationship with their bodies is not more stress and anxiety. What most people need are tools to reduce cortisol levels in the body, connect back into joy, and not feel like self-care is another thing to add to their to-do list. "
Aww thanks for these reflections, Katerina. I just adore your work, happy to spread the good word!
Love this point: "Sometimes, despite knowing that we can only compete with our previous versions of ourselves, technology makes it increasingly difficult to connect and resist the temptation to not buy into the promises we see on the internet."
And also...why must we be in constant competition with anyone, including ourselves?! I totally get what you mean, I just sometimes feel "meh" that we are expected to constantly be striving for self-improvement all the time.
YES! To meeting ourselves where we are and NOT constantly striving for improvement. ❤️ As I’ve gotten older it is so hard not to compare my current form with me from 20 years ago- wanting to be in that body, with that fitness and capability- even though I’m literally not in the same body.
20 years of living will do a lot to a body...can we see these changes as a representation of a life lived? I feel that's so empowering and incredible to see each scar and stretch mark and wrinkle as a sign of life.
Ok now I want to talk about the pressures women face around aging and staying young forever, but I won't go there! Lol.
I intended to emphasize comparison rather than competition, but I believe you are right. I had made this transition a long time ago, not comparing my choices with someone else's, and ended up with the mindset that I would always see the evolution of myself through my lenses, in a human way, not in a sense of seeing the result of achieving, but more like celebrating myself for getting to the places I used to dream about, and now I live in the reality I wanted when I was a teenager. In a spiritual way.
In an earthy way, as Georgiana is pointing out really well, hanging on to younger versions of us is not the point; the point is to meet ourselves where we are and just intentionally live our lives in healthy ways. Thank you, Eliza, for this conversation!
I’ve been wearing a Fitbit for years now, and tracking my sleep- while the quantity is on AVERAGE ~5-6 hrs a night, this year it hasn’t been bothering me as much or causing as much anxiety. We also got the sleep number bed that tracks our biometrics, and the tracking part weirds me out so much that most nights I end up falling asleep in a recliner. Which is a bummer because it’s so comfortable for my body— just less so for my mind.
I’ve recently had a reaction to my Fitbit band and had to take it off, and there’s been a weird sense of losing data on how I’m sleeping- like it’s odd to trust my body to get rest, but I may not start again once the irritation is gone. We shall see!
Aww thanks for sharing your experience, Georgiana! "It's odd to trust my body to get rest" is so powerful that I'm sure many people can relate to when it comes to a growing dependence on these devices. Like...can't we just trust that our bodies will do the thing that it was designed to do?! So often the answer is no, and I wonder how much of that is connected to these devices. I didn't explicitly say this in the piece, but I wonder how much of trackign devices is really just a feeling of safety that we feel when we know the data...which is really all that we are looking for as human beings.
Fascinating! I have a lot of ambivalence about my smart watch. I find it’s helpful in measuring how sedentary I’m being or validating my sense that my sleep is poor, but after that reality check, I need to step away. Tracking becomes a source of anxiety and preoccupation that disconnects me further from my body. I find it helpful to take the tracking off the watch face and stick to the features that are better for me. Thanks for raising awareness about these devices so many of us adopted without much thought!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience Lori. I agree, the data is helpful to an extent, but much like social media they are designed to keep us hooked. Glad you’ve found a way to engage that works for you!
Brilliant article! Thank you. :) I’m on a journey to heal metabolism. There are tons of recommendations for wearable trackers and getting ALL the lab tests. I’ve resisted, choosing to trust my body and believing that my symptoms will provide the clues I need. I’d begun to question if I was just being obstinate until I read this.
Aww glad this resonates Pamela 🙏🏼🙏🏼 I’m a big advocate of getting blood work done every 6 months to a year but trust that you’re listening to your body and doing what’s right for you
I’m curious how you see bloodwork as different from other external markers. Would you be willing to say a bit about that? (I know it’s a big topic and a big ask!)
Of course. Bloodwork isn’t an external marker, it’s an internal marker 😊 It’s the most accurate way to know what’s going on internally in your body, it’s the only way to see if you’re deficient in any minerals and nutrients. Listening to your body is obviously very important so that we can hear those signals and symptoms of “something isn’t quite right.” And then bloodwork is an important next step to figure out “ok, I know something isn’t quite right, but what EXACTLY is going on here?”
I find this to be so insightful and make all the sense! I had a very eye opening experience of finally allowing myself to put my phone down with some success but every time I’d be immersed in the present my watch would ding. It was such a feeling of being pulled into my technology that was now attached to me rather than in my pocket. I love to wear my watch to track my physical progress but am in no way as active as I used to be. I can totally see the correlation of being harder on myself for not fulfilling those rings even if it isn’t weighing on me. It might be time to take a break and see the difference in my attitudes and anxiety, should be interesting! Thanks for your writing!!!
Valid points and interesting post. I never really thought much about it before. I agree that we live in a society were are continously looking at improving and perfecting ourselves, a tendency which can be further fed by those wearable. My relationship with wearable is quite different though, as I have been practicing mindfulness meditation for years, and through this have developed a much greater awareness of my body. I find my garmin watch useful to give me additional data points (like heart rate and stress level), but ultimately I don't "need" it to "know" how I truly "feel".
I’m so glad you’ve found a way to be in relationship to yourself and your wearables in a way that works for you, Leila! I, too, have been doing mindfulness practices for years and years, and yet still struggle with getting caught up in the data. My husband also uses a Garmin watch and loves it. We are all different 😊
THANK YOU! I've never heard this explained so eloquently. I've never heard anyone say these things about wearables. I bought the fitbits, and the apple watches, and all they did was either make me feel more "not good enough," than I already felt. I was in competition with my self, anxious about achieving goals that I didn't set for myself, but set by the manufacturer. Wearables made me so self-conscious. How many steps, how much sleep, how many calories can you burn? UGH. I finally stopped wearing those gizmos. Having a smartphone is more than enough me-oriented tech. All the things that you wrote about being connected to one's own bodily cues are so important to my healing from C-PTSD. Devices that co-opt my experiences of myself, do the work for me, (but they really don't, do they?) being told that a machine has more understanding of me than I do...doesn't work for me. I stopped wearing them quite a while ago. I was self-conscious and cut-off at the same time. As an example of other behaviors, I have an eating disorder (among other things) and went on a tracking food diet––I work with a somatic therapist and she advised me to stop, and said that tracking would basically sabotage my attempts to make change, which made such sense for me. All the control behaviors are a shortcut to nowhere in my book. Wow. Great post.
Nan, I’m so glad you resonated with this piece. Not just intellectually, but from a place of embodiment and lived experience. I’m so glad you’re working with a somatic therapist who is supporting you to heal in more sustainable ways. Sending you love and strength as you continue on your journey🙌🏼
Such an important, resonant message, Eliza. Thank you. I’ve never used wearables, in part because my deepest addiction is to the illusion of order and control (which, at various times, has manifested as anorexia, OCD, etc.). I know that wearables would be profoundly unhelpful for me and would set me back decades in my healing process. That healing process is rooted in yoga, meditation, and intimacy with my body and spirit - not outsourcing to external gadgets that epitomize human myopia and hubris.
Couldn’t agree more Dana. I’ve found healing in similar modalities…I also always find that when in doubt, simpler ways of being are always more healing and connecting. Always
This has been something I've wanted to write about and explore more because I think fitness trackers, etc., etc. suck the joy out of my life. When I wear them, I become obsessed with the "numbers" instead of the joy of the movement and the experience. How many steps did I get, what was my heart rate, did I get enough REM sleep? WTF? I know if I need to get up off my butt and move more. I don't care what my heart rate was; I'm just glad it's beating normally. And, I know when my sleep is crap; I don't need a device to tell me. Yes, this is something I feel pretty strongly about. Thanks for putting it out there.
I think you did a really good job of covering it. I never know exactly what I'm going to write until I start writing it. Sometimes I even start with one topic and end up with something else, so I can't really answer your question. It's definitely something I've thought a lot about, though. I even conducted an informal poll in a couple of FB groups, and the results were pretty evenly split between hate activity trackers and love them. To each his/her own. They just aren't for me!
I am wearing of technology to begin with, especially anything that tells us how our bodies should be working and functioning. But I also wore a Fitbit in my early twenties and I can resonate with that feeling of hope and potential connection to self. But nothing has helped me heal more than figuring out how to be in my body.
I felt resistance to this piece at first…but curiosity got the best of me. I feel you are really pointing to something quite poignant here. I feel the more humans ‘evolve’ in the modern era the more human and world wisdom they forget. Like the ability to Wayfind in nature….which has become a lost art. I think this paints a similar threat. Thanks for writing this. It's definitely food for thought.
I suppose it's an angle I hadn't considered before. But once I gave it a little airtime it made total sense. Thanks for such a refreshing take... I spoke about your article at lunch with my partner today. It was awesome...appreciate the perspective!
Wow! I'm so happy to hear that this piece has stuck with you...I'm also just so grateful that substack is a place where we can feel into our resistance, share it with each other, and still respect and like each other at the end of the day :) A rare thing in today's online world! Thank you for being here.
A really interesting point re the dystopian texture of wearable technologies. I've never been drawn to fitness trackers etc for the very reason that I find them triggering (and also unnecessary, I know I did not get enough sleep, thank you!). Thought provoking, evidence based insight, thank you.
Thank you for writing this, Eliza! I don't use wearables (even though a relative offered me their Apple Watch after getting a new one).
Somehow, I don't see the point of it. Surely, I can tell more accurately if I have gotten enough sleep than a device, however sophisticated? To me, relying so much on external data feels like a way to outsource bodily awareness (and self-awareness) to technology.
Of course, I can also see that for many people, wearables can be really helpful, especially since it is so common to be disconnected from one's bodily sensations.
Thank you Louise, I'm glad I'm not alone in my weariness towards fitness/health tracking devices :) What have you found to be some of the most helpful practices that support bodily awareness?
Same! :) I’m sure there are more of us, we just don’t advertise our preferences (“look at my bare wrist, it’s the latest in bio-technology… okay, well, I’ve had it for a while but it’s still going strong, no recharge needed”).
I feel like journaling and movement really helps, especially movement where I can tune into the body (stretching, yoga, or any practice that requires skill/coordination).
So glad you've found a balance of mind-body practices to support integration of all these moving parts of our Selves. Would love to have you join us for a breath and movement class that I offer if you're feeling called. Xx
Great reflections, Eliza! I’ve recently given up using my wearable technology (Apple watch, oura ring). In part because of the points you thoroughly cover, as well as concerns over data privacy / sovereignty and the effects of EMF exposure.
I really like the way you put focus on internal awareness and connection to the body. It’s absolutely crucial and such a powerful guide.
Thanks Jeremy! I hadn't even thought about the data privacy issue...such a great point. What are some practices that have supported you back into internal awareness and a deeper connection to your body?
Yeah I’ve worked in big tech and what is being done out the public eye is not ok. The future is in transparent, open sources, decentralized solutions.
I’ve been on a multi year journey to make that inner connection. I meditate daily, exercise, fast, and practice a number of self care / life hacking routines to tap into a higher state of consciousness.
I’d say meditation may be the underlying workhouse, and psychedelics as the most potent accelerant.
Oh man, I can only imagine all that is being done out the public eye. Let's hope that more transparency is on it's way sooner rather than later.
I'm so glad you've found practices that support more connection and integration of the Self into the present moment. I've had a similar experience with psychedelics and am slowly but surely figuring out the best way to work with and incorporate these powerful medicines in my therapeutic work. I sometimes worry that the psychedelic space as it's set up right now is not equipped to support integration. Perhaps a post for another day...
Agreed, the psychedelic therapy movement is in its infancy and the practice requires immense care and diligence. It is such a powerful experience that it can be dangerous if utilized irresponsibly. Happy to help if you’re brainstorming approaches.
It's funny because the past few months, I have been thinking about going back to wearing a normal watch instead of my Apple watch and then I stumbled across your post on Notes! For me, the watch is such a distraction with its various notifications and also this compulsion to constantly make sure I'm "getting all my steps in".
i appreciate reading about the fine line between initial increased awareness of the body and continued disconnection once one is dependent on an outside source for information. the path to more mindfulness can be so tricky and nuanced! and then reflecting on the layers of perfectionism, which are so often present. here for your somatic takes! 👏🏼
Aww thank you Lauren! Yes it is SUCH a fine line, and is also so dependent on context too. Which is sounding a lot like boundary work, which I suppose in a way exactly what this is…creating boundaries around these technologies in a way that feels good for you (and knowing everyone is unique).
Wow, Eliza, really good points. Bravo! I'm glad you wrote about this. I love bold topics that can sound so unpopular in a world full of measures, comparisons, and technology that promise us the best health possible. Well done!
It is crucial that we transform our understanding of our minds and bodies from outside to inside. I observe a growing trend in the fitness industry, where fewer people are willing to run without an app, walk without a phone count, or eat without calculating calories. I agree with you that fitness apps are a great tool, but it's important to consider their role in your life. Knowing how you actually feel is more important than results shown on a watch, it can lower or elevate your body and mind.
As you noted, as a young adult, I also struggled with self-image conflicts about how I should look or feel, and these conflicts did have an impact on me. Even now, with my extensive knowledge about myself, I sometimes question my inner wisdom when I witness others performing and achieving results significantly faster than me in sports or their relationship with sleep, food or whatever. Sometimes, despite knowing that we can only compete with our previous versions of ourselves, technology makes it increasingly difficult to connect and resist the temptation to not buy into the promises we see on the internet.
I appreciate you recommending my article; it gives me joy to know you are backing my work.
Thank you very much for your work and teachings!
This is just essential: "What most people need when healing their relationship with their bodies is not more stress and anxiety. What most people need are tools to reduce cortisol levels in the body, connect back into joy, and not feel like self-care is another thing to add to their to-do list. "
Aww thanks for these reflections, Katerina. I just adore your work, happy to spread the good word!
Love this point: "Sometimes, despite knowing that we can only compete with our previous versions of ourselves, technology makes it increasingly difficult to connect and resist the temptation to not buy into the promises we see on the internet."
And also...why must we be in constant competition with anyone, including ourselves?! I totally get what you mean, I just sometimes feel "meh" that we are expected to constantly be striving for self-improvement all the time.
YES! To meeting ourselves where we are and NOT constantly striving for improvement. ❤️ As I’ve gotten older it is so hard not to compare my current form with me from 20 years ago- wanting to be in that body, with that fitness and capability- even though I’m literally not in the same body.
20 years of living will do a lot to a body...can we see these changes as a representation of a life lived? I feel that's so empowering and incredible to see each scar and stretch mark and wrinkle as a sign of life.
Ok now I want to talk about the pressures women face around aging and staying young forever, but I won't go there! Lol.
It’s beautiful to embrace the physical signs of a life well-lived. Your perspective is inspiring.
It’s a lot. 🫣☺️
Ah, I am glad you adore it :)!
I intended to emphasize comparison rather than competition, but I believe you are right. I had made this transition a long time ago, not comparing my choices with someone else's, and ended up with the mindset that I would always see the evolution of myself through my lenses, in a human way, not in a sense of seeing the result of achieving, but more like celebrating myself for getting to the places I used to dream about, and now I live in the reality I wanted when I was a teenager. In a spiritual way.
In an earthy way, as Georgiana is pointing out really well, hanging on to younger versions of us is not the point; the point is to meet ourselves where we are and just intentionally live our lives in healthy ways. Thank you, Eliza, for this conversation!
I’ve been wearing a Fitbit for years now, and tracking my sleep- while the quantity is on AVERAGE ~5-6 hrs a night, this year it hasn’t been bothering me as much or causing as much anxiety. We also got the sleep number bed that tracks our biometrics, and the tracking part weirds me out so much that most nights I end up falling asleep in a recliner. Which is a bummer because it’s so comfortable for my body— just less so for my mind.
I’ve recently had a reaction to my Fitbit band and had to take it off, and there’s been a weird sense of losing data on how I’m sleeping- like it’s odd to trust my body to get rest, but I may not start again once the irritation is gone. We shall see!
Great reflection provoking piece! ❤️
Aww thanks for sharing your experience, Georgiana! "It's odd to trust my body to get rest" is so powerful that I'm sure many people can relate to when it comes to a growing dependence on these devices. Like...can't we just trust that our bodies will do the thing that it was designed to do?! So often the answer is no, and I wonder how much of that is connected to these devices. I didn't explicitly say this in the piece, but I wonder how much of trackign devices is really just a feeling of safety that we feel when we know the data...which is really all that we are looking for as human beings.
Fascinating! I have a lot of ambivalence about my smart watch. I find it’s helpful in measuring how sedentary I’m being or validating my sense that my sleep is poor, but after that reality check, I need to step away. Tracking becomes a source of anxiety and preoccupation that disconnects me further from my body. I find it helpful to take the tracking off the watch face and stick to the features that are better for me. Thanks for raising awareness about these devices so many of us adopted without much thought!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience Lori. I agree, the data is helpful to an extent, but much like social media they are designed to keep us hooked. Glad you’ve found a way to engage that works for you!
Brilliant article! Thank you. :) I’m on a journey to heal metabolism. There are tons of recommendations for wearable trackers and getting ALL the lab tests. I’ve resisted, choosing to trust my body and believing that my symptoms will provide the clues I need. I’d begun to question if I was just being obstinate until I read this.
Aww glad this resonates Pamela 🙏🏼🙏🏼 I’m a big advocate of getting blood work done every 6 months to a year but trust that you’re listening to your body and doing what’s right for you
I’m curious how you see bloodwork as different from other external markers. Would you be willing to say a bit about that? (I know it’s a big topic and a big ask!)
Of course. Bloodwork isn’t an external marker, it’s an internal marker 😊 It’s the most accurate way to know what’s going on internally in your body, it’s the only way to see if you’re deficient in any minerals and nutrients. Listening to your body is obviously very important so that we can hear those signals and symptoms of “something isn’t quite right.” And then bloodwork is an important next step to figure out “ok, I know something isn’t quite right, but what EXACTLY is going on here?”
I find this to be so insightful and make all the sense! I had a very eye opening experience of finally allowing myself to put my phone down with some success but every time I’d be immersed in the present my watch would ding. It was such a feeling of being pulled into my technology that was now attached to me rather than in my pocket. I love to wear my watch to track my physical progress but am in no way as active as I used to be. I can totally see the correlation of being harder on myself for not fulfilling those rings even if it isn’t weighing on me. It might be time to take a break and see the difference in my attitudes and anxiety, should be interesting! Thanks for your writing!!!
Yes I felt the same way with my watch, Kasey. I’d be curious to hear how you feel after taking a bit of a break!
Valid points and interesting post. I never really thought much about it before. I agree that we live in a society were are continously looking at improving and perfecting ourselves, a tendency which can be further fed by those wearable. My relationship with wearable is quite different though, as I have been practicing mindfulness meditation for years, and through this have developed a much greater awareness of my body. I find my garmin watch useful to give me additional data points (like heart rate and stress level), but ultimately I don't "need" it to "know" how I truly "feel".
I’m so glad you’ve found a way to be in relationship to yourself and your wearables in a way that works for you, Leila! I, too, have been doing mindfulness practices for years and years, and yet still struggle with getting caught up in the data. My husband also uses a Garmin watch and loves it. We are all different 😊
THANK YOU! I've never heard this explained so eloquently. I've never heard anyone say these things about wearables. I bought the fitbits, and the apple watches, and all they did was either make me feel more "not good enough," than I already felt. I was in competition with my self, anxious about achieving goals that I didn't set for myself, but set by the manufacturer. Wearables made me so self-conscious. How many steps, how much sleep, how many calories can you burn? UGH. I finally stopped wearing those gizmos. Having a smartphone is more than enough me-oriented tech. All the things that you wrote about being connected to one's own bodily cues are so important to my healing from C-PTSD. Devices that co-opt my experiences of myself, do the work for me, (but they really don't, do they?) being told that a machine has more understanding of me than I do...doesn't work for me. I stopped wearing them quite a while ago. I was self-conscious and cut-off at the same time. As an example of other behaviors, I have an eating disorder (among other things) and went on a tracking food diet––I work with a somatic therapist and she advised me to stop, and said that tracking would basically sabotage my attempts to make change, which made such sense for me. All the control behaviors are a shortcut to nowhere in my book. Wow. Great post.
Nan, I’m so glad you resonated with this piece. Not just intellectually, but from a place of embodiment and lived experience. I’m so glad you’re working with a somatic therapist who is supporting you to heal in more sustainable ways. Sending you love and strength as you continue on your journey🙌🏼
Thank you, Eliza. And thank you for your commitment to the work and sharing it with people. I'll keep reading!
Thank you🥺 that means so much to me. So happy to be connected here.
If you have an interest in checking out my newsletter, I'd love it. I'm so glad I found your writing.
Such an important, resonant message, Eliza. Thank you. I’ve never used wearables, in part because my deepest addiction is to the illusion of order and control (which, at various times, has manifested as anorexia, OCD, etc.). I know that wearables would be profoundly unhelpful for me and would set me back decades in my healing process. That healing process is rooted in yoga, meditation, and intimacy with my body and spirit - not outsourcing to external gadgets that epitomize human myopia and hubris.
Couldn’t agree more Dana. I’ve found healing in similar modalities…I also always find that when in doubt, simpler ways of being are always more healing and connecting. Always
This has been something I've wanted to write about and explore more because I think fitness trackers, etc., etc. suck the joy out of my life. When I wear them, I become obsessed with the "numbers" instead of the joy of the movement and the experience. How many steps did I get, what was my heart rate, did I get enough REM sleep? WTF? I know if I need to get up off my butt and move more. I don't care what my heart rate was; I'm just glad it's beating normally. And, I know when my sleep is crap; I don't need a device to tell me. Yes, this is something I feel pretty strongly about. Thanks for putting it out there.
So glad this resonates, Daria! Is there anything I missed that you would add if/when you write about it?
I think you did a really good job of covering it. I never know exactly what I'm going to write until I start writing it. Sometimes I even start with one topic and end up with something else, so I can't really answer your question. It's definitely something I've thought a lot about, though. I even conducted an informal poll in a couple of FB groups, and the results were pretty evenly split between hate activity trackers and love them. To each his/her own. They just aren't for me!
Totally! Glad you’re listening to your body Daria 👏🏼👏🏼
I am wearing of technology to begin with, especially anything that tells us how our bodies should be working and functioning. But I also wore a Fitbit in my early twenties and I can resonate with that feeling of hope and potential connection to self. But nothing has helped me heal more than figuring out how to be in my body.
Yes. Like…actually IN it. The journey of a lifetime, but the most profound thing there is👏🏼🙌🏼
I felt resistance to this piece at first…but curiosity got the best of me. I feel you are really pointing to something quite poignant here. I feel the more humans ‘evolve’ in the modern era the more human and world wisdom they forget. Like the ability to Wayfind in nature….which has become a lost art. I think this paints a similar threat. Thanks for writing this. It's definitely food for thought.
Thank you so much for sharing. I'm curious, what was the initial resistance? Would love to hear more if you're willing to share :)
I suppose it's an angle I hadn't considered before. But once I gave it a little airtime it made total sense. Thanks for such a refreshing take... I spoke about your article at lunch with my partner today. It was awesome...appreciate the perspective!
Wow! I'm so happy to hear that this piece has stuck with you...I'm also just so grateful that substack is a place where we can feel into our resistance, share it with each other, and still respect and like each other at the end of the day :) A rare thing in today's online world! Thank you for being here.
A really interesting point re the dystopian texture of wearable technologies. I've never been drawn to fitness trackers etc for the very reason that I find them triggering (and also unnecessary, I know I did not get enough sleep, thank you!). Thought provoking, evidence based insight, thank you.
Yes! As if my tired eyes and brain fog isn't enough evidence of a lack of sleep! :) Haha
Thank you for writing this, Eliza! I don't use wearables (even though a relative offered me their Apple Watch after getting a new one).
Somehow, I don't see the point of it. Surely, I can tell more accurately if I have gotten enough sleep than a device, however sophisticated? To me, relying so much on external data feels like a way to outsource bodily awareness (and self-awareness) to technology.
Of course, I can also see that for many people, wearables can be really helpful, especially since it is so common to be disconnected from one's bodily sensations.
Great article, thank you for writing this!
Thank you Louise, I'm glad I'm not alone in my weariness towards fitness/health tracking devices :) What have you found to be some of the most helpful practices that support bodily awareness?
Same! :) I’m sure there are more of us, we just don’t advertise our preferences (“look at my bare wrist, it’s the latest in bio-technology… okay, well, I’ve had it for a while but it’s still going strong, no recharge needed”).
I feel like journaling and movement really helps, especially movement where I can tune into the body (stretching, yoga, or any practice that requires skill/coordination).
haha yes! The age-old technology of the body!
So glad you've found a balance of mind-body practices to support integration of all these moving parts of our Selves. Would love to have you join us for a breath and movement class that I offer if you're feeling called. Xx
Great reflections, Eliza! I’ve recently given up using my wearable technology (Apple watch, oura ring). In part because of the points you thoroughly cover, as well as concerns over data privacy / sovereignty and the effects of EMF exposure.
I really like the way you put focus on internal awareness and connection to the body. It’s absolutely crucial and such a powerful guide.
Thanks Jeremy! I hadn't even thought about the data privacy issue...such a great point. What are some practices that have supported you back into internal awareness and a deeper connection to your body?
Yeah I’ve worked in big tech and what is being done out the public eye is not ok. The future is in transparent, open sources, decentralized solutions.
I’ve been on a multi year journey to make that inner connection. I meditate daily, exercise, fast, and practice a number of self care / life hacking routines to tap into a higher state of consciousness.
I’d say meditation may be the underlying workhouse, and psychedelics as the most potent accelerant.
Oh man, I can only imagine all that is being done out the public eye. Let's hope that more transparency is on it's way sooner rather than later.
I'm so glad you've found practices that support more connection and integration of the Self into the present moment. I've had a similar experience with psychedelics and am slowly but surely figuring out the best way to work with and incorporate these powerful medicines in my therapeutic work. I sometimes worry that the psychedelic space as it's set up right now is not equipped to support integration. Perhaps a post for another day...
Agreed, the psychedelic therapy movement is in its infancy and the practice requires immense care and diligence. It is such a powerful experience that it can be dangerous if utilized irresponsibly. Happy to help if you’re brainstorming approaches.
Thank you!! Once I flesh it out a bit more I might take you up on that :)
It's funny because the past few months, I have been thinking about going back to wearing a normal watch instead of my Apple watch and then I stumbled across your post on Notes! For me, the watch is such a distraction with its various notifications and also this compulsion to constantly make sure I'm "getting all my steps in".
I appreciate what you said here Eliza 😊
How perfect is that! So glad you found my newsletter when you needed it, Mackenzie :)
thank you for this!
Thank YOU for reading. Any part that resonated as a fellow therapist?
i appreciate reading about the fine line between initial increased awareness of the body and continued disconnection once one is dependent on an outside source for information. the path to more mindfulness can be so tricky and nuanced! and then reflecting on the layers of perfectionism, which are so often present. here for your somatic takes! 👏🏼
Aww thank you Lauren! Yes it is SUCH a fine line, and is also so dependent on context too. Which is sounding a lot like boundary work, which I suppose in a way exactly what this is…creating boundaries around these technologies in a way that feels good for you (and knowing everyone is unique).