Data driven < feeling driven

Like many others, I’ve invested time and money into having a smartwatch that tracks all my data for me, unprompted (apart from pressing go on activities). I’ve tracked my sleep, my cycle, my mood and any workout that I do has previously been logged, stats analysed and milestones reached, all to my dopamine-chasing delight.

But recently, I’ve wanted to readdress my relationship to data capture, to my need to feel I’ve earned rest, and instead listen to my own cues about how I’m feeling in the moment. Having a watch that tells you you’re stressed can be a helpful prompt to slow everything down, but can also make you feel more stressed! I’m trying to listen to my own cues, know my limits and windows of creative opportunity, and lean into my own cycle.

So instead of logging all my activity and letting my Garmin app tell me how I should be feeling, I’m adding a sprinkle of my own intuition and feeling driven by how I’m feeling moment-to-moment. Instead of berating myself for not hitting my step count, I can rest and know that there’s no digital (or real-life) gremlin of punishment chasing me to hit it.

After a lot of change recently, new job paths, and a huge loss of a relationship, I’m grateful for my body carrying me through all of this, and some days the basics are all I need to hit. Quietening notifications, trusting my gut, letting my body lead the way and trusting it to tell me when I’m ready to move and craving rest.

This is not me turning my back on my beloved Garmin Vivoactive 5, I just want to calibrate IRL too.

I wonder if anyone else feels they want to lean into being feeling driven > data driven?