Biofeedback devices promised a whole new world of mental and physical harmony. They did change my life, but not in the way I’d hoped
I 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.
About Author
More Stories
Direct Line chasing me over dead uncle’s cancelled car insurance
A moment that changed me: I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s at 41 – and had to find a new look
Our highs and lows along the Pennine Way | Letters