Progress
not perfection
Progress
not perfection
Whether it's vino ruining Steven Bartlett's sleep score or rejection of the 5am club on our social feeds, there's a growing chorus online that self-improvement may be going too far. Laura Potter asks the experts how we can use wearables, goals and rewards in a way that actually works, without chasing perfection
"How did you sleep last night?" It is a question we have asked for generations. But today, the answer might be less “well, thank you” and more “I scored 53 out of 100. I didn’t get enough REM sleep and my stress score was high".
We have access to more information about our health than ever before. Used well, that data can encourage us to move more, improve our sleep routine and notice patterns we might otherwise miss. However, if a score begins to override how we feel, or turns every healthy choice into a success or a failure, it can leave us feeling anything but well.
Whether it is Steven Bartlett raising eyebrows by saying that a couple of glasses of wine had "ruined" three days of his life, or the rise of rigid 5am routines, wellness optimisation - or the use of data and habit routines to maximise good health - is prompting plenty of debate online. In fact, many have asked: are our health metrics helping us feel better, or making wellbeing feel like another job? It even led Radio 1's Greg James to announce that "optimisation is killing fun!".
However, as experts tell us, the answer is not to abandon tracking completely. It is to use the information mindfully - in a way that works for you, not against you.
“Data should inform decisions, not determine self-worth”
- Jonathan Kibble, Head of Exercise and Physical Activity at Vitality.
Up your motivation
Dr Katie Tryon, Deputy CEO for VitalityHealth, explains that people can have an “optimism bias”, meaning we often believe we are doing more than we really are. “There’s an advantage to being able to see what you’re actually doing and use metrics to create a daily, weekly or monthly target on the journey to a greater goal,” she says.
Research has found that fitness trackers can act as a “cognitive anchor”, helping people stay focused and motivated. When tracking is combined with achievable goals and rewards, it can provide an extra nudge towards positive behaviour.
“Tracking can help people stay accountable, monitor progress and maintain consistency,” says Jonathan Kibble, Vitality's Head of Exercise and Physical Activity. “Step counts are a good example because they increase awareness of everyday movement.”
Problems can occur, however, when we do not know how to use the information. This can be “at best a waste of time and, at worst, anxiety-inducing”, says Dr Tryon. With one report describing tracking as “competitive self-surveillance”, warning us against treating the body as a system to hack rather than something to inhabit.
“Think of metrics as a sat nav rather than a school report,” says Kibble. “They’re there to provide information and help guide decisions, not to tell you whether you’ve been ‘good’ or ‘bad’. The healthiest relationship with data is one of curiosity rather than judgement.”
Looking at the bigger picture
Steven Bartlett’s declaration after a couple of glasses of wine provides one high-profile example of optimisation prompting debate. His tracker indicated that his sleep was poor and his diet was suboptimal. But what those metrics could not quantify was the pleasure, relaxation and social connection he may have experienced during the evening. A 2025 study found that people who were highly social had a 42% lower mortality risk than those who didn’t engage in social activities.
This doesn't mean the data is inaccurate or unhelpful. It simply means it represents one part of a much bigger picture.
The same is true when someone completes a run they would once have been proud of, only to feel disappointed because their watch produces a lower time than they expected.
“If a number can turn an achievement into a failure, that’s a sign we’re giving the metric too much power,” says Kibble.
The key question is whether the information is helping you make positive choices or consistently leaving you feeling guilty, anxious or inadequate.
Make tracking work for you
So, what does a balanced approach look like in everyday life? From sleep scores and step counts to nutrition data, different metrics bring different benefits and pressures. Here's how to use them in ways that support your health without losing sight of what's most important: your enjoyment.
Sleep: Look for patterns, not perfection
Sleep tracking can reveal useful connections between our routines and rest. Looking across several weeks, rather than focusing on one night, may help us notice whether a regular bedtime, a gentler wind-down or changes to our daytime habits make a difference.
One low score does not guarantee a difficult day. Sleep naturally varies, so check in with how rested you feel before allowing a number to set the tone. For some people, however, tracking can create extra pressure. Orthosomnia is a term used to describe an unhealthy preoccupation with achieving perfect sleep, often driven or reinforced by sleep-tracker data.
Dora Kamau, a meditation and mindfulness teacher at Headspace, experienced this herself. “I became fixated on increasing my REM sleep. Before I knew it, sleep had become an optimisation project. Eventually, I was skipping time with friends to keep my sleep routine perfectly intact. Something that was supposed to support my wellbeing was making my life smaller.”
Dr Tryon recommends redirecting attention towards the actions we can influence. “You can’t lie in bed and tell yourself, ‘Get more REM sleep’, so focus on what you can control: what you’re doing through the day, whether you have a consistent bedtime and waking time, and taking the next best action,” she says.
Movement: Let targets motivate you
Physical activities, like a daily step target, can encourage us to move more throughout the day, whether that means taking a lunchtime walk or choosing the stairs over the lift. Through the Vitality Programme, you can earn activity points and rewards for taking positive steps towards your health. This helps a healthy action become regular habit, provided the pursuit of a target does not come at the expense of rest, recovery and enjoyment.
“Fitness isn’t linear,” says Kibble. “Life, work, family commitments, illness and ageing all influence performance. If your self-esteem rises and falls with every result, exercise can become emotionally exhausting.”
It’s important to remember that a missed target, slower run or broken streak does not erase the healthier actions that came before it.
Nutrition: Listen to your body too
Nutrition tracking can help you understand your eating habits and identify small, positive changes. But it is most useful when considered alongside signals such as hunger, energy and satisfaction.
“Our bodies are not machines,” says dietitian Priya Tew. “There are days we’re hungrier, but tracking could lead you to ignore this, or your body may tell you it needs more of a certain nutrient one day, and you can miss that signal.”
Instead of expecting every day to look perfect, focus on balance over time and the healthy choices that feel realistic for you. Tracking works best when it helps those choices become lasting habits.
Across sleep, movement and nutrition, tracking works best when it helps us make realistic choices that can become lasting habits.
Build habits that last
Positive changes are more likely to last when they are realistic and gradually become part of everyday life.
The Vitality Habit Index, which explores healthy habit creation, found that someone wanting to increase their activity could begin by adding 800 steps to their usual daily total and gradually work up to a target daily goal.
Dr Katie Tryon recommends, “mapping out the journey, set realistic subgoals - small targets that help you build towards larger ones - and reward yourself for achieving those to keep yourself motivated."
The purpose is not to demand a perfect score or an unbroken streak. It is to make healthy actions feel achievable, sustainable and rewarding.
Dr Tryon explains that lasting habits can draw on intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation comes from the pleasure or social connection an activity provides, while extrinsic motivation might come from earning a reward or achieving a medal.
The purpose is not to demand a perfect score or an unbroken streak. It is to make healthy actions feel achievable, sustainable and rewarding.
“People who remain active into older age are usually those who found sustainable habits they could maintain for decades,” says Jonathan Kibble. “Don’t chase the perfect training programme, diet or recovery score. Build a lifestyle that includes regular movement you genuinely enjoy, some strength training, good social connections, adequate sleep and a sense of balance.”
That reflects a central part of the Vitality philosophy: making small, positive choices that can be maintained over time, rather than trying to optimise every aspect of every day.
So, alongside scores and streaks, also notice what a device may not be measuring: greater energy, confidence and mobility, time outdoors, enjoyment and connection with others. “Use data when it helps. Put it down when it does not. No device can give you a complete picture of what it means to be well,” concludes Kibble.
More ways to make healthy living rewarding
At Vitality, we believe small, positive lifestyle choices can make a big difference to your life.
That is why we offer partner benefits and rewards with a range of big brands. From cashback on Waitrose & Partners to discounts on gyms, fitness trackers and days out, there’s something for the whole family.
Explore the benefits available through the Vitality Programme below.
Qualifying plans and terms and conditions apply.
