Bikeshedding Health
There's a concept in engineering called bikeshedding. As the story goes, engineers were working on a nuclear power plant, and when the discussion about bikes came up, the discussion devolved into a heated argument. Some engineers thought a bike rack would suffice, and some thought a bike shed was necessary. The project was late and over budget because nobody could agree on where the bikes should go.
In software engineering, engineers will mention bikeshedding as a reminder not to overthink a certain aspect of a project. The tricky thing about bikeshedding is that the discussion is often not wholly unnecessary but just not that significant.
Health culture is filled with bikeshedding. It doesn't matter if you do cold plunges, drink green juice, or follow a specific exercise routine or diet. It's not that these things are entirely unimportant (some are), but they are not ultimately important to your health.
Bikeshedding can distract us from focusing on what matters:
- Are you eating whole foods?
- Are you exercising?
- Are you sleeping?
You will find much more success by laser-focusing on these three questions.