Staying healthy in body and mind is a must for many of us, and smartwatch mental health tracking is here to help.
Most wearables are associated with physical fitness, and it’s easy to overlook their mental and emotional features. However, these tools can be just as powerful and effective on your overall health.
Scroll down to learn how smartwatch mental health tracking works and how you can get involved.
Smartwatch Mental Health Tracking: What & Why?
Using a smartwatch to look after your physical health is an important step. However, more and more smartwatch fans are looking for the best smartwatches for mental health. Today, wearable companies have to cover all bases, not just provide simple pedometers!
When much of popular culture focuses on mental wellness, there’s no surprise that our tech is following suit. In fact, even the World Health Organization is on a mission to promote better mental health, so it might be time for us to try out these new techniques.
Did you know? It’s official, making sleep a priority and trying out relaxation tips do positively benefit your mental health. Sleep promotes better cognitive skills, leaving us more stressed without good ZZZs.
If you want to build on your mental wellness, it might be time to embrace smartwatch mental health tracking.
How Does Smartwatch Mental Health Tracking Work?
So, how can you actually use a smartwatch to deal with anxiety and depression?
Smartwatches don’t have a catch-all “mental health” tool. However, they do provide handy metrics to help you track your feelings and symptoms, which help you gain an overall view of your health.
Top metrics that help with mental health include:
- Sleep — Tracking the quality of your sleep can help you identify how you can get more and better sleep.
- Heart Rate — Keeping track of your own heart rate can help monitor anxiety, as heart rates change during more stressful cognitive tasks.
- Exercise Tracking — Often, the more you work out, the better you feel mentally. Adults that exercise daily have a 20-30% lower risk of depression.
Taking note of your daily statistics and watching your personal trends can help you discern what works best for you. If you have a bad mental health week, investigate your smartwatch trends and avoid repeating these behaviors.
What About The Garmin Stress Tool?
If you know the smartwatch market well, you might wonder if Garmin’s Stress tool can help.
This advanced statistic doesn’t measure anxiety or emotional stress. However, this does measure your heart rate variability (HRV), which can be used to monitor your anxiety levels.
At its core, HRV measures the time between your heartbeats by examining the body’s ANS (autonomic nervous system). The ANS oversees most of the body’s core processes, such as respiration, digestion, blood pressure, etc. You’ll get a higher HRV score when you’re stressed or tired.
Learn about the best HRV monitors online here.
Mental Health Smartwatches: The Takeaway
Smartwatch mental health tracking is a great way to improve your overall well-being. However, it’s essential to understand the metrics you’re using before you start making any changes. When in doubt, consult a trusted medical professional for personal mental health assistance.
Delve deeper into stress monitoring watches here.
Last Updated on April 3, 2023
Isobel is a freelance copy and content writer who regularly contributes to Superwatches. Well-versed in all the ins and outs of the smartwatch industry. Isobel specializes in Fashion and design and is a First Class fashion design graduate.
Currently lives in Bournemouth, United Kingdom.