Here’s an interesting concept… in almost every action you complete and every decision you make, you are incorporating advanced scientific methods. Now let’s use it to your advantage.

After an interesting discussion in the office the other day between a few members of our team we proposed an interesting concept. One may be able to quantify (put a number to) every aspect of their life and in turn make adjustments that will have a significant positive impact on health and well-being. So how can this be done?

Whenever you make a decision you already do the following:

1.) Make an observation or analysis of the situation (using sensory pathways- smell, sight, touch, hearing, taste)
2.) Come to a rational (or irrational) conclusion based on the evidence
3.) Use your rational (or irrational) conclusion to dictate your actions
4.) These actions lead to an effect and you learn as a result for future reference

That’s a scientific method, albeit a condensed and shortened version. With this in mind it seems to make rational sense, at least to me, to utilise this process in order to make your lives better.

Whilst quantification of everything may be possible it certainly isn’t practical, but because it’s possible it may allow us to specify and use the process to our advantage. What do I mean? Everybody has an aspect of their life that they want to improve, now we can achieve it. All you have to do is analyse to what extent a parameter is affected during the process outlined above.

Let me give you an example, you’re in the car, somebody cuts you up and you’re really angry, you can put a number to that and note it down. Next time the same situation happens you make a change, for example you breathe more deeply, then consider how angry you are, quantify, note it down and analyse the change. Simple… ish.

By quantifying a change you may then be able to understand how intervention’s impact on end results more easily, thus you can decide whether to repeat that change in the future and improve your health and well-being!

The only question is will this method work in people slightly less insane than me (99.9% of the population), maybe you could try it out and let us know?

Just another idea to help you optimise your performance.

Jack Barton (Researcher, Rescon Ltd)