Are We Optimising Ourselves Out of Happiness?

The healthiest (and happiest) people in the world don’t just walk more and eat better. They spend time with friends, share meals, laugh often and stress less. Perhaps there is... The post Are We Optimising Ourselves Out of Happiness? appeared first on Good Things Guy.

Jun 3, 2026 - 06:46

Are We Optimising Ourselves Out of Happiness?

The healthiest (and happiest) people in the world don’t just walk more and eat better. They spend time with friends, share meals, laugh often and stress less. Perhaps there is a lesson in that.

Johannesburg, South Africa (03 June 2026) – Did you reach your sleep score? Get your 10,000 steps in? Exercise for 60 minutes? Did you check in at gym? Close your rings? Get enough points to play your gameboard? Did you cold plunge? Sauna? Did you drive well? Did you eat well? Get your Macros? Enough Protein? Log your food? Did you take your vitamins? Your Magnesium? Your Ashwagandha? Did you reply to all your emails? Clean your inbox? Did you write “enough” articles? Did you post on social media? Did you use the right words? Did you reach the right people? Did you practice Duolingo?

I respect Steven Bartlett. What he has done with “Diary of a CEO” is bladdy unreal. It is one of the most popular podcasts in the world. I’m a podcaster. I have a poddie. How could I not be completely in awe of him?

But he said something recently and I have thoughts. In fact, many in the world do.

Steven, in his most recent poddie, explained that he drank a couple of glasses of wine… he didn’t get drunk, but it ruined 3 days of his life because of the “domino effect that it caused”.

“It meant that I got worse sleep that night, I ate more poorly the next day because my dopamine system or the cortisol system or whatever was all messed up. Then I podcasted worse and I didn’t go to the gym the day after and I could track all of this on my Whoop, hashtag ad, hashtag sponsor, investor… whatever.”

And with that one moment… the podcaster has inspired the complete opposite of what he intended.

You see, over the last decade, we have been part of something called the “optimisation movement”, which promotes the use of data, science and technology to “improve productivity and health”. And it has worked. Many of us (me, it’s me) use our smart-watches, and apps, and rings, and things to maximise our everything. That opening paragraph was not me being hyperbolic. That is my day. Except the cold plunge. That’s where I draw the line. But it’s mostly my day. Every day. Even on Sundays.

But Steven has unknowingly started something that is being coined as the “anti-optimisation movement”.

And I think it’s glorious.

You see, Steven had a couple of glasses of wine and it stuffed him up so badly that he didn’t hit all his goals for the next 3 days, “which made him miserable”. But people around the world, some who have been on his podcast, are speaking up about the fact that those goals might actually be making us miserable.

You know me… I love nothing more than a mimosa with friends. Or just spending time with friends. Last Friday, I had all the fun (and tequila) and the next day I was “up in the gym, just working on my fitness”. And pizza (gluten-free, obvs) but I love pizza… especially for breakfast. Covered in green Tabasco (I’m going to need a new bottle soon). Some Sundays, after I have hit all my goals, I spend the day “rotting in bed”. Playing PlayStation. Binging series. Scrolling TikTok. For hours. All while eating a whole bucket of sour sweets from Woolies.

I am not advocating for wine here. Although jussie… sitting at dinner on a random Tuesday, and looking at the time, thinking, I should be in bed, but getting another bottle, and spending another 2 hours, talking about nothing and everything in between, is actually so meaningful. And important.

It fills our cups (pardon the pun) with something that can’t be measured by our smart watches or apps. Happiness.

There are places in the world called “Blue Zones”… where people live better and longer than anywhere else. There are many factors that contribute to this. They eat well. They move their bodies. They walk. They drink good coffee and, in many cases, wine. They spend time with friends and family. They prioritise community and connection. And they seem to carry a little less stress than the rest of us.

I think the culture (or cult) of biohacking and peak-optimisation has cultivated more stress in our lives. It’s taken the “well” and “being” out of well-being. And that kinda leaves us with nothing.

“Everything in moderation, my dear, even optimisation.”

The key to happiness and well-being is balance. Well, that’s my belief anyway.

So I am changing my goals for today. Yes, I will close my rings and I will (try to) eat well. I’ll take my vitamins and tick off a few things on my to-do list. I will even do a round of Duolingo. But I will also do things that are immeasurable by “smart” things. I will have fun. I will seek out happiness. I will drink wine. Or maybe even an Aperol. And that may very well cause a kak night’s sleep.

But I will live. And I will live well.

I don’t think the answer is optimisation. Or anti-optimisation. Some of the most important things in life will never appear on a smartwatch or app. The things that make life worth living are often the things we can’t measure at all. And I guess that comes down to balance.

EVERYTHING… in moderation, my dear.

Okay. Love you. Bye.