Why knowledge isn't always power when it comes to your health data
Data can empower us to improve our health
Data collection has become an ordinary part of our lives. Everything is tracked, from websites we visit to places we go.
Our health is no exception to this. We wear tracking devices and share intimate details with apps that promise to help us become fitter and healthier. And it often works.
I’ve seen it first-hand, both personally and working in health-tech. An arbitrary 10,000 steps goal can lead to a less sedentary lifestyle. A marathon runner will track to improve their training. Food tracking can help with weight loss.
But no one warns us about the dark side
Tracking can have a negative impact on our mental health.
Things that used to be enjoyable now feel like work
I might come back from a run feeling great, but the data says my pace was slower than usual. I started running because I enjoy it. Now, my endorphin-induced happiness gets overshadowed by disappointment with the numbers.
This goes beyond exercise. Sleep, which was once an ordinary part of life, is now about performance.
I’ve had occasions when I wake up feeling normal, but Garmin tells me that my ‘body battery’ is low (indicating poor sleep quality). Seeing this data changes how I feel. I’m suddenly more tired, irritated that I didn’t sleep well, and concerned about the impact this is going to have on the rest of my day.
When it comes to health data, sometimes ignorance is bliss.
The numbers affect our sense of self-worth
Health apps use methods like streaks and competition to help with motivation, but they can also be detrimental.
Missing one day can feel like a failure and derail us completely, when in fact we were doing pretty well on the whole. Competition can lead to self-judgement. I might be ranked 293 out of about 2000 on a leaderboard of people in London (in the top 15%), but seeing this makes me feel bad about myself because it means there are almost 300 people doing better than me.
Obsession can lead to harmful behaviour
In 2010, William Flint was cycling at a dangerous speed downhill near Berkeley, California. He was attempting to maintain his record on Strava as the fastest time on this route, a title known as ‘King of the Mountain’. He crashed and died.
His obsession with being at the top of the leaderboard literally killed him.
No one warns us about these potential side effects when we buy wearables and use health apps.
What should we do?
Tracking health data is a manifestation of our obsession with productivity.
We want to be efficient in everything we do. And this optimisation is endless - there will always be some aspect to our health that can be improved further. Wearables and apps will never tell us that we are ‘done’.
If we’re going to continue tracking, we need to change how we look at our health data.
Focusing on optimising each workout or night of sleep and getting frustrated by individual failures will ultimately make us unhappy and anxious. But if we shift the time scale of our focus, our perspective on individual data points will change.
Having an off day or week matters less when what you care about is being as healthy as possible over the next 5 years.
Challenge for my fellow data addicts: The definition of addiction is the need to do something repeatedly. If the thought of not tracking fills you with horror, try going cold turkey for a bit. I did it for a few days recently. Your naked wrist will feel uncomfortable at first, but it will help shift your perspective.