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What I Learned From Tracking My Stress Metrics Continuously
How surprising insights from my stress metrics shifted my lifestyle and self-awareness
How well do you respond to stress and how aware are you of what stresses you? If you’re like me, you probably think you know yourself very well; and if you’re like me, you’re probably wrong.
A few months back, a friend gifted me a Garmin wristband and stress tracking app and for months, it languished in my desk. When it comes to technology and health, my philosophy has generally always been “less is more.” I have no interest in gluing myself to a screen, prioritizing metrics over my own internal signals. But recently, a conversation with a stress researcher shifted my perspective. As he was discussing the impact of tracking your stress metrics through wearables, he shared:
“Many people know what stresses them as its happening, like an important meeting or a fight, but it’s harder to notice the small stressors and their longer-term impact. A nurse I worked with who began tracking her stress ended up giving up drinking wine in the evenings once she saw how it impacted her sleep and ability to cope with stress throughout the next day. It’s those subtle, indirect stressors that wear a lot of people down.”
His description of stress tracking reminded me of what a budgeting app had done…
