I couldn’t find my watch charger.
So I couldn’t charge my watch.
Which meant I couldn’t wear my watch.
Which meant no step count, no average heart rate, no movement reminders, no sleep score, and no digital nudge telling me whether I had done “enough”.
At first, it felt strange — almost as though I had forgotten something — because wearing a watch creates a sense of connection to your goals, habits, data, and progress, but after a few days it also felt freeing: I walked because I wanted to, moved because my body asked me to, rested without a device telling me whether I had earned it, and in doing so, I was reminded of something important.
Tracking has value. For many people, step counts, calorie tracking, sleep scores, heart rate zones, and fitness goals can be incredibly helpful. They create awareness. They show patterns. They give us structure when we are trying to make a change.
I recently had a conversation with my neighbour, who has lost weight and is looking great. He told me that calorie counting has really helped him, but that it is also starting to drive him a little mad. My response was simple: tracking is a bit like training wheels on a bicycle. At first, it helps you find your balance by teaching you what a portion looks like, how much you are eating, how much you are moving, and where your habits may need adjusting — but the goal is not necessarily to stay on training wheels forever.
At some point, we need to reconnect with our body cues. You know when you have slept well, when you feel heavy, sluggish, energised, hungry, satisfied, restless, or restored. You know when your body needs movement and when it needs stillness. We live in a world where technology can tell us so much, but sometimes the most valuable information is already there — we just need to notice it. It’s a bit like checking the weather: sometimes we reach for the app before we have even opened the curtains, yet there is something beautifully simple about opening the window, stepping outside, and feeling the air for yourself.
This week reminded me that wellness is not only about tracking the numbers. It is also about learning to listen. So yes, use the tools. Use the apps. Use the data when they support you. But every now and then, whether by choice or because your charger has gone missing, take the watch off.
Walk for enjoyment.
Eat with awareness.
Rest without guilt.
Move because you are alive, not because a device told you to.
That’s my two cents for the week.
Wishing you a wonderful week ahead.
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