The Disconnect of Being Connected

Hey everyone. It's Karen here. In this week's class, we'll discuss the concept of Interoceptive Awareness. It's really just a fancy phrase to describe the sense of what is going on in your body (hunger, thirst, pain, sleepiness, etc.) Sounds simple in theory, but we'll discuss how there are many factors that interfere with our ability to connect with these sensations in our body.

One factor that doesn't get discussed as much as it probably should is technology. Now don't get me wrong. I appreciate all the ways that technology enhances my life. But when technology intersects with health, there is potential for it to disrupt the natural connection with have with our body. Think about food tracking with an app. Do you stop eating when you have met your calorie limit for the day, even though you are still psychically hungry? Do you eat when you are not hungry because the app says you still have calories left for the day? Now think about fitness apps. Do you seek activities that will help you maximize calorie burn, instead of what will make your body feel good in that moment? Or maybe you feel guilty about ignoring your app's nudges to move, instead of honoring that your body needs a day of rest?

A 2016 survey of 200 women revealed a dark side to fitness technology. When not wearing their FitBit, the women admitted to feeling “naked” (45%), that the activities they completed were wasted (43%), and they felt less motivated to exercise (22%). With the FitBit on, women felt pressure to reach their daily targets (79%), and almost 30% felt that Fitbit was an enemy and made them feel guilty.

There are certainly productive and responsible ways to use this technology, but if you feel like it is creating a disconnect with your body, then it might be time to take a break. See how it feels not to enter all your food into that app. Or to take a walk and simply enjoy the walk, without worrying about your pace or calories burned. With that, I'll leave you with this quote: