Be a Scientist

Have you ever taken the time to track how your breakfast impacts your energy levels? What about whether sleep quality effects your mood?

Everything we experience in our day likely impacts us in some way, but few of us really notice how. Most of us don't think to pay attention to how our daily decisions impact our individual well-being, and even less of us feel like we have the time to track these factors even if we wanted to.

A growing body of research shows the relationship between our lifestyle choices and our mental health, but it becomes much more meaningful for us to notice those relationships within ourselves. The way that each lifestyle factor impacts us as individuals may vary, so it's important for each of us to begin noticing how our unique bodies respond to different lifestyle variables. We can then use that insight to help us make sense of how we're feeling and even use that information to inform us on future decisions.

So, I have a challenge for you. For two weeks try listening - really listening - to your body and how it responds to a certain lifestyle factor. Don't worry, this can take as little as 5 minutes of your day!

To complete this challenge, choose one factor to track - preferrably something you have some control over and can engage in pretty consistently. There's lots you can choose from here, but some options could include: general nutrition, sleep, exercise, alcohol use, stretching, caffeine use, sugar intake, carb intake, time sitting, time moving, screen time, hours of work, amount of play, frequency of sex, time meditating, time reading, amount of news intake, time alone, time with others, use of a coping strategy, time creating art, time enjoying art, water intake, time outside, laughing out loud, time with a particular loved one.


Once you've chosen what you're going to track, get a notebook and at least once each day (preferably at the same times each day) record the following:

1) The factor in question (and time of completion if applicable)

2) Your current mood (1-10)

3) Your current energy level (1-10)

4) Anything else to note (Thought patterns? Physical soreness? Reflections on self-esteem? Other complicating factors that day? Timing between the factor and this journal entry? Changes in mood/energy over the day?)

As you track this information, think of yourself as a curious scientist doing an experiment. Do your best to let go of any predetermined goals or expectations on what you'll find here - let the evidence speak for itself.

There's no need to change your behaviour in these two weeks. The point of this exercise isn't to implement changes right now - the point is for you to gain insight into how your current lifestyle impacts your immediate well-being. As a bonus, you'll also be practicing noticing and attuning to your body's signals during this process, which is a great skill to have.

After two weeks, take a look at what you've recorded. Was your mood or energy impacted at all in relation to the factor you are observing? What about your mood or energy the following day? Notice any patterns?

I should note that sometimes it takes consistent, daily actions for one to experience positive results from a lifestyle decision. Just like you can't gain significant strength from one day at the gym, ongoing well-being isn't usually cultivated from a single event either. The challenge I've suggested here can help you gain insight in how daily decisions might offer you immediate benefits for your energy and mood, but please keep in mind that further "experimenting" is needed on your part to connect daily practices to your overall well-being. This activity is only meant as a starting point.

If you found this exercise interesting, try repeating it with another lifestyle factor. For more extensive insights between your lifestyle and your well-being, please consider working in collaboration with a therapist.