Tracking the Disconnect – Why Inner Work Alone Isn’t Enough
I’ve always prioritised my health—eating 80% clean, training consistently, maintaining a daily meditation or spiritual practice. I have spent years doing the inner work, refining my routines, and optimising my habits. I even structured my life around recovery: avoiding social interactions to preserve energy, declining plans so I could “catch up on sleep.”
And yet, here I am—still burnt out, proof that inner work alone is not enough to thrive in a system designed away from our needs.
First Week Metrics: The Surprising Findings
Over the past ten days, I’ve been tracking physiological and psychological markers, expecting some adjustment. But what surprised me most was how poorly my body adapted to the sudden removal of structure:
✔ Sleep quality dropped significantly—almost no REM sleep, disrupted cycles, and a higher-than-usual resting heart rate.
✔ Stress levels were elevated, even higher than when I was actively training.
✔ Motivation was at an all-time low, with a noticeable lack of drive to move, think, or engage.
✔ Mood instability—oscillating between feeling completely flat and moments of heightened agitation.
Interestingly, not consuming enough energy—physically or mentally—seemed to worsen the agitation. Being aimless rather than actively resting created an underlying restlessness, a feeling of being unanchored.
The Neuroscience of Sleep, Stress & Energy Use
Lack of physical movement and disrupted sleep have a profound impact on the brain. Studies show that even short-term inactivity can reduce blood flow to the prefrontal cortex, affecting executive function, motivation, and mood regulation (Guzmán-Vélez et al., 2016). Sleep deprivation, particularly a lack of REM sleep, further exacerbates emotional dysregulation and cognitive fatigue (Walker, 2017).
Additionally, inactivity increases Default Mode Network (DMN) activity, which is associated with rumination, overthinking, and negative thought loops (Andrews-Hanna et al., 2014). This aligns with my own experience of spiralling thoughts without any external stimulus to balance them.
Adjusting the Experiment: Magnesium, Movement & Waking up at the same time.
With these insights, I’ve made three immediate adjustments:
✔ Introducing magnesium bisglycinate—known for its role in sleep quality, nervous system regulation, and muscle recovery (Wienecke & Norenberg, 2020). By supporting neurotransmitter function and reducing nighttime cortisol spikes, magnesium is a critical component in improving sleep architecture and overall recovery.
✔ Reintroducing movement—the doctor has cleared me to walk, so I’ve started incorporating daily walks to counteract mental stagnation and stabilise energy levels. Movement isn’t just about fitness; it plays a crucial role in regulating circadian rhythms, increasing serotonin, and balancing stress hormones (Hillman et al., 2008).
✔ Waking up at the same time daily—maintaining a consistent wake time helps anchor the circadian rhythm, reinforcing sleep efficiency and stabilising mood. Disruptions in sleep-wake cycles can lead to fatigue, cognitive fog, and hormonal imbalances (Foster & Kreitzman, 2014). By committing to this, I’m testing whether structured wakefulness improves my ability to sustain energy and focus throughout the day.
By implementing these small but targeted shifts, I’m assessing whether regulating sleep, movement, and biochemical support can create a tangible difference in cognitive clarity, mood, and stress adaptation. This will be a key focus as the experiment continues.
Will this improve my REM sleep and reduce stress markers? Over the next few days, I’ll track how these changes influence my physiological and mental state.
Try This: Reviewing Your Own Baseline
If you're feeling low-energy, stuck, or exhausted despite doing all the “right” things, try reviewing these key metrics:
✔ Sleep Quality: Track REM, deep sleep, and total hours. Notice patterns.
✔ Heart Rate Variability (HRV): A higher HRV is linked to better stress resilience.
✔ Daily Movement: How much are you moving vs. staying still?
✔ Mental Load: Are you resting, or are you just not doing anything?
Tracking is not about fixing everything at once, but about understanding what your body is responding to.
Tomorrow: Why Rest Alone Won’t Fix Burnout - I’ll be diving deeper into the myth of rest as a burnout solution—why sleep alone isn’t enough, and how burnout is a nervous system issue, not just a lack of downtime.
🔹 Have you noticed changes in your sleep or stress levels when switching routines?
Let’s discuss in the comments below.
References
Andrews-Hanna, J. R., Smallwood, J., & Spreng, R. N. (2014). The default mode network and self-generated thought: Component processes, dynamic control, and clinical relevance. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1316(1), 29-52. https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.12468
Foster, R. G., & Kreitzman, L. (2014). The rhythms of life: The biological clocks that control the daily lives of every living thing. Profile Books.
Guzmán-Vélez, E., Warren, D. E., Feinstein, J. S., Bruss, J., Tranel, D., & Rudebeck, P. H. (2016). Ventromedial prefrontal cortex is essential for affective adjustments of thought. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 113(20), 5582-5587. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1600988113
Hillman, C. H., Erickson, K. I., & Kramer, A. F. (2008). Be smart, exercise your heart: Exercise effects on brain and cognition. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 9(1), 58-65. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn2298
Walker, M. P. (2017). Why we sleep: Unlocking the power of sleep and dreams. Scribner.
Wienecke, J., & Norenberg, M. D. (2020). Magnesium homeostasis and its role in neuroprotection and recovery. Neurochemistry International, 136, 104728. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuint.2020.104728
