Biofeedback devices promised a whole new world of mental and physical harmony. They did change my life, but not in the way I’d hopedI love to run, but ask me about my running times or distances and I will have no idea. For me, running is about squeezing exercise into a busy schedule, clearing my head and being in nature. I don’t need to measure it.But unfortunately I am not immune to the oh-so-pleasing dopamine injection of unboxing a new bit of wearable tech, personalising the app for hours and thinking this might just change my life – the new, calmer, fitter, stronger, smarter me dangling tantalisingly within reach. One such scenario occurred after researching the importance of human connection on mental and physical health: less stress, less inflammation, less illness. Human connection, I learned, can stimulate and be facilitated by the vagus nerve – a primitive part of the nervous system. Continue reading...
The article explores the author's experience with trying to manage overwhelm through biofeedback, particularly heart rate variability (HRV) tracking and breathing exercises. Initially, she felt pressured to achieve optimal biofeedback results, leading to feelings of failure and anxiety. However, she eventually realized that constant self-monitoring and striving for "correct" biofeedback data was ultimately unhelpful and liberating her from this pressure was key to overcoming her overwhelm.
Essentially, the main idea is that over-analyzing and striving for perfection in biofeedback can backfire, creating more stress instead of alleviating it. True liberation comes from letting go of the pressure to "hack" the nervous system and accepting the natural fluctuations of our bodies.
The article explores the author's experience with trying to manage overwhelm through biofeedback, particularly heart rate variability (HRV) tracking and breathing exercises. Initially, she felt pressured to achieve optimal biofeedback results, leading to feelings of failure and anxiety. However, she eventually realized that constant self-monitoring and striving for "correct" biofeedback data was ultimately unhelpful and liberating her from this pressure was key to overcoming her overwhelm. Essentially, the main idea is that over-analyzing and striving for perfection in biofeedback can backfire, creating more stress instead of alleviating it. True liberation comes from letting go of the pressure to "hack" the nervous system and accepting the natural fluctuations of our bodies.
