“Follow the optimal protocol for…!” “The perfect time to …” “Best ways to …”
❓Feeling confused or overwhelmed by all the promises of “optimal protocols”, the “perfect time”, the “only time” & the “best ways to” do something?
! Most (if not all) of these claims are based on a science of approximation – even if they are good quality claims based on rigorous research. General advice can only ever be based on averages & usually does not talk about variability.
🛈 In fact, for most human behaviours, there are large individual differences (differences between you & I). Intra-individual differences (difference between you in the morning & at night, today & tomorrow) are also often not mentioned.
😴For example, you might think you know that sleeping less than 8 hours impacts us all the same way. But, some studies show that acute sleep deprivation may affect different people differently. In fact, the average difference in sleep pressure (what makes you feel tired) between a regular night & one with less sleep is a lot smaller than the differences in sleep pressure between different people.
🧠In the study of brains & brain activity, variability or intra- and inter-individual differences have usually been seen as ‘noise’ & most of what we know from those studies is based on averages. Only in recent times have researchers started to look more closely at what individual differences can tell us about brains & behaviours.
🏃What is worse, many studies leading to claims of ‘perfect protocols’ are based on what we know about the behaviour of a small number of specific people & there may be very little similarity between you & these specific people. Cue, the most commonly included person in health studies is white, male & in their mid 20s.
💪So instead of getting stuck in “health procrastination” or fretting over what sleep, study, exercise etc protocol might be best for you, make a start. Action is better than inaction.
💡One way to avoid “health procrastination” is to keep reflecting on what is happening once you have made a start. This could be by keeping a casual eye on your energy levels, your ability to concentrate & so on. Or you can use a journal to note down your own observations or metrics that you keep (smart watch health metrics, work metrics etc).
✅Use what you are finding from reflecting to adjust. If something does not work for you, make sure you change things up & try something different. You are your own best experiment.
👪 Another way to keep momentum is to find a crowd that is interested in similar goals & to socialise your efforts. Share what works & what does not for you, so other people can learn & you can learn from them.
If you are keen to learn more about this or other topics related to brain and body health, follow me or subscribe to the blogpost. To work with me one-on-one to apply some of these principles to your own life and movement, message me for a free call. I look forward to hearing from you.
More resources (no paid partnerships or sponsorship)
- Rangan Chatterjee “How To Make Changes That Actually Last”
References (for the extra keen)
Kanai & Rees (2011)
Tucker et al. (2007)
Oertlet-Prigione & Turner (2024)
Van Achterberg et al. (2011)
Kroese & deRidder (2016)