Can we stop ‘hacking’ health?
It sounds like an old smoker’s cough
I get it — everyone is looking for a shortcut to make life easier. But what if, instead of hacking, we focused on actually resolving the underlying issues that drive us to seek shortcuts in the first place?
"Life hacking" has become so common — finding shortcuts for everything from health and productivity to personal development. Of course, it’s tempting to have a quick fix for problems we don’t want to deal with, but the real question is: Are we truly solving the issue, or just avoiding it?
We live in a society that values efficiency, but at what cost? Life hacks might provide short-term solutions, but they can lead to long-term problems like burnout, lack of fulfillment, or an over-reliance on quick fixes. We have so many hacks available to us, but I don’t see that it’s making our lives any easier.
In the natural health world, “hacking” can look like blue light blockers, EMF shields, supplements, superfoods, red light therapy, diets, cleanses, health trackers, etc. These can certainly play a positive role in your health, but what if instead we took the practical steps to address the underlying issues that might be causing you to seek quick fixes in the first place.
It’s like we only want to do the superficial work to make it look good, but go a step deeper and look for where you could make real change. I’m the kind of person that works on the structural parts of my house before the cosmetic stuff because I want it to last, and I think I do the same with health. You can’t just put a lick of paint over mouldy walls and call it done.
For example, it could be that extra cup of coffee to give you the energy to get through the day because you’re tired and underappreciated. Instead of confronting the deeper problem — like setting boundaries or changing jobs — you go for the coffee and supplements. But are these really addressing the core issue, or just distracting from it?
Or maybe you’re looking for ways to calm your nervous system because you're wired from working all day and looking after your family. While things like supplements or relaxation hacks can offer temporary relief, they don't change the fact that the job or stress is still there. The real solution might be getting support, changing your job, or making space for rest.
It could also be that you're using productivity hacks to try to "have it all" by working more like a man - organised, structured, and efficient. Instead of mimicking a masculine approach to productivity, perhaps embracing a more feminine approach - with time, space and creativity, aligned with your natural rhythms could bring greater contentment and gratification.
What if, instead of relying on light therapies, what you actually need is less screen time and more time in the sunshine?
As I’ve mentioned before, these hacks can be helpful, but the question is, why do we feel the need to ‘hack’ in the first place? Often, we’re trying to sidestep the process that our bodies and nature are offering us — a process that could be exactly what we need to heal and align ourselves.
In GNM (German New Medicine), if you’re feeling tired, it’s because you’re either in the healing phase of a conflict (parasympathetic) or dealing with a conflict-active phase for the adrenals. This is when your life is out of alignment. Instead of further straying from your path, your body is trying to HELP by slowing you down. Something needs to change in order to restore balance and bring back your energy.
I believe that it’s the small, consistent choices we make about our health that guide us to where we want to be. If the hacks are supporting you in that journey, that’s wonderful. But if you’re using them to avoid facing the real issues — whether it's a tough decision, an uncomfortable conversation, or ignoring what your body is trying to tell you — then they’re just bandaids, not solutions.
If you want more, you can find the IllumINNATE Community on facebook where we share GNM questions and cases, or simplifying health @_janakingston on Instagram