Self-optimization—is it still healthy?

Miracle Morning, yoga and meditation, productivity curves, superfoods, perfectly timed sleep schedules, the ideal diet. These are all common terms that, especially nowadays, have one thing in common: optimizing yourself and getting the most out of yourself. A trend of our time? A real compulsion? Is it really necessary to strive for absolute peak efficiency in every area, whether physical or personal?

What is the obsession with self-optimization?
It can seem somewhat intimidating to see how much a colleague manages to accomplish. Getting up at 5 a.m., going for a run before breakfast, feeling motivated to work, and staying productive all day while you sit there wondering: how do they do it? How can I do that?

What you should ask yourself instead is: how will my body cope with this in ten years? Wouldn’t this stress, which could lead to burnout, have much more negative consequences for me, my well-being, and my health? Do we always have to function optimally nowadays? Time every minute perfectly just so we don’t appear idle when we sit on the sofa for five minutes? The consequences of this obsession with optimization in every area of life are often a feeling of being overwhelmed. What is actually supposed to make us happy tends to have the opposite effect.

But what is the solution to all of this? Bertrand offers a few suggestions on how to develop yourself further without getting lost in perfectionism:

Finding balance One thing is clear: for all our love of perfectionism, we shouldn't forget to occasionally leave everything as it is and take care of our friends—and above all, ourselves. A lazy evening on the sofa is by no means a bad thing. Morning exercise isn't going as planned? That's something we should calmly accept, too. The perfect meal with optimal nutritional values doesn't make it onto the table every time? These are all things that make us human and that we should learn to forgive ourselves for. Perfectionism isn't everything, and a healthy balance is much more likely to move us forward. Why not have BERTRAND, which is both time-saving and provides optimal nutritional values, and spend the time you've saved with your favorite book or in front of the television? Finding what makes you happy and listening to your body The morning yoga session fulfills you, but meditation isn't for you? That's perfectly fine. Feel free to try out the wide range of trackers, healthy smoothies, and optimized morning routines, but only do what feels good for you and your body and what brings you joy. Self-love We should also think about optimizing ourselves. The term self-love comes up very often in this context. It boosts self-esteem and makes us stronger. Try to keep developing, but don't put pressure on yourself—instead, forgive yourself for small mistakes. It's okay to be lazy sometimes.