social anxiety and fitness: tracking using humans vs. technology

Social Anxiety and FitnessTracking using humans vs technology

Lisette Sutherland

Social Anxiety: how it

developed Grade school: lived on American

AFB, went to German school Moved to US: culturally different than

others Teens: Goth University: Hydrologist Goth Natural personality trait: ENFX (90%

F)

Social Anxiety: How did it

manifest? Low self-esteem Lots of self doubt Highly sensitive (ENFX) Wanted to go out but dreaded it

(ENFX)

Got tired of dreading it and started looking for solutions!

Therapist as

Quantifier/JudgeSocial anxiety is an irrational fear:

wanted a sympathetic/compassionate solution and an objective judge

Criteria: objective/honest judge someone not a part of my life “normal” well-adapted person

Social Anxiety: Habituation

Repeated presentation of a stimulus will cause a decrease in reaction to the stimulus

Social Anxiety: The Plan

HABITUATION

Choose activity I like but dread

Do it over and over again

Report experience

Social Anxiety: The Plan

HABITUATION

Choose activity I like but dreadGoing dancing at clubs

Do it over and over againDeath Guild every Monday

Report experienceWeekly therapy sessions: use objective

human to guide directions

Social Anxiety: Findings

I SHOULD HAVE QUANTIFIED! (how much faster would therapy have been?)

But I can say: Feel better overall Healthy self-esteem/confidence Go out regularly Go out alone without hesitation Armed with coping mechanisms &

knowledge

Social Anxiety: Findings

Reprogramming is possible! Cheer! Habituation is an awesome tool Habituation is totally hard Important to find activity you truly like Over time (~5 years), the feelings

became so familiar. I learned to recognize that they weren’t real. Severity decreased.

The human sympathy from therapist was helpful & motivating

And now... real quantification

How much can I eat and weigh 63kg?

Fitness: Tracking Tools

MyFoodDiary.com◦ Calories

◦ Exercise

◦ Sleep

◦ Body measurements

RunKeeper.com◦ Routes

◦ Exercise types

◦ Times

◦ Trends

Net Calories vs Weight

(MFD)

Exercise (RunKeeper)

SHIN SPLINTS

Fitness: Findings

Food has too many calories!

To weigh 63kg: Eat less and move more

◦ Eat less than 1500 net calories per day

◦ Add walk to end of day of all sitting

◦ No eating after 9pm

◦ Consider ADCR/16-8

Tracking exercise helps motivate me to do more

Tracking calories helps me eat less

I have more self control before 4pm than after

Good reminder: Be careful of meaningless coincidence

Meaningless coincidence

I never cycle on the 11th, 24th, or 29th

Tracking: Human vs

Technology

Accountability partnerships are powerful

Tracking/quantifying is essential Use methods/tools designed to fit your

situation and your style