Are we majoring in the minors?
Picture this (come with me on this one)...
You've just spent 45 minutes researching the BEST greens powder on the market.
Does it have 37 superfoods or 42? Is it organic? Gut-friendly? Anti-bloating? Does it contain some magical ingredient harvested from a mountain in Peru?
Should you drink it before breakfast? With lemon water?
While manifesting abundance? 🌝
After 27 browser tabs and a few cuppas, you've found THE ONE.
Now, there's absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to make informed choices about your health.
But what if, while we're busy comparing the finer details of our supplements, we're overlooking something much simpler that could make a bigger difference?
Like getting an extra hour of sleep, taking a proper break during a busy day, or making a little more time for the things we enjoy.
But hey, at least we've sorted out the greens powder! 😂
There's actually a name for this.
Parkinson's Law of Triviality, also known as the Bikeshedding Effect.
It's our funny tendency to spend enormous amounts of time and energy on relatively minor details while giving less attention to the bigger things.
Or, as I like to call it, pushing pennies over pounds.
And the wellness world is FULL of opportunities to do this.
We can spend ages researching the latest recovery supplement, when perhaps an earlier bedtime would serve us better.
We can debate the finer details of Pilates versus barre, when the real benefit comes from enjoying both and moving consistently.
We can search for the ONE magical stretch to improve our hip mobility, when a little regular, targeted practice might be exactly what we need.
We're so busy searching for the magic ingredient that we sometimes forget about the actual recipe.
Why do we do this?
Because the little things are FUN!
I love learning about new developments in health and fitness, and there's certainly a place for refining what we do.
But I think it's worth occasionally asking ourselves whether the time and energy we're investing in something matches the difference it's likely to make.
Especially when so many of us already have quite a lot on our plates!
The things that support our long-term health aren't always particularly glamorous.
Sleep. Good nutrition. Strength. Mobility. Managing stress. Connection. Doing things we enjoy.
And finding ways to make them part of our lives consistently.
(Those who know me know I check into an app called Habit Share each day to keep track of some of these basics. It's FAB!)
Here's something I found really interesting...
During my weekly peruse of the wellness headlines, I came across a Yale study on reading and longevity.
Researchers followed over 3,600 adults aged 50 and older and found that book readers lived, on average, almost TWO YEARS longer than nonreaders (reading 30 minutes per day).
Even relatively modest amounts of reading were associated with benefits.
Now, this doesn't prove that reading itself adds years to our lives, but I thought it was a lovely reminder that wellbeing extends far beyond what we do in the gym or put on our plates.
Sometimes it's about making room for the quieter things, too.
A good book.
A walk outside.
An enjoyable Pilates, barre or TRX class.
A little time working on flexibility.
An early night.
Or simply doing something because it makes us feel good, rather than because we're trying to optimise something!
A little food for thought this week!
Is there something you're giving a lot of attention to that might not be making quite as much difference as you think?
And is there something simple, enjoyable or restorative that deserves a little more of your time?
The biggest gains might just come from giving a little more attention to what already works.
Now, I'm off to read a book. Purely for longevity purposes, obviously 😂
P.S. If you're on Habit Share, let's get chasing those greens together! 🙌
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