From the moment I wake up, I begin tracking. I track my steps, calories burned, sleep quality, period, and ovulation. I track my runs on Strava and my heart rate, blood oxygen and performance zones. I sometimes track my food, my protein goals, and how much water I’ve drunk in a day. I source the majority of my health metrics from my Apple Watch but I am saving up for an Oura Ring (round-the-clock insights in jewellery form? Yes, please) and I’m more than due to try a glucose tracker. Frankly, I don’t need to worry about artificial intelligence taking over the human race because I AM ROBOT. To be clear, I have no negative associations with all my tracking — I genuinely find it fun and empowering — but to the ears of my loved ones, it all sounds “a bit much.” Or as my friend described it, “living life inside an Excel spreadsheet”. While tracking my health data has become embedded into my everyday life, it’s suggested that it could lead to health anxiety over time. Is there a thing about knowing too much about ourselves?
