Let's Talk About Stress

We've all experienced it, but how bad is it for you?

Author

Joshua Berkowitz
August 02, 2023

Welcome to The Wod - By SkyFit - Vol. 2

It’s not that serious, Bro.

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The Basics of Stress

While stress is typically viewed in a negative light, stress can be better defined as the body’s natural response to a physical or mental challenge.

  1. Acute stress - short term stress (nervous anticipation, hitting a tight deadline, or physical exercise)

  2. Episodic Acute Stress - continuous short term stress (demanding job / family life, lack of self-care)

  3. Chronic Stress - nonstop stress (linked to mental health concerns)

In general, Acute stress is a part of a balanced life, Episodic stress is where the negative health effects of stress can begin, and chronic stress is dangerous to your short and long-term health.

If you or a loved one is suffering from chronic stress, see your health care provider.

How your wearable tracks stress

Don't see your wearable / smartwatch? Reply and we’ll send you some specific tips!

Generally speaking, your wearable uses heart rate and Heart Rate Variability (HRV) as the main indicators for stress.

Fitbit, Whoop, Samsung, and Garmin all have stress readings available in their app. click the hyperlinks above to find / understand your stress level.

What about my Apple Watch?

Sorry, your Apple Watch doesn’t directly measure stress. While it has been shown that Apple Watches can identify stress, through apps like Stress Monitor or the ECG, it does not offer anything as straightforward as their competitors.

Each wearable does have a mindfulness tool so you can realign yourself. How-to’s are below:

Let’s Talk Stress Management

We can’t completely get rid of stress, but we can learn to manage it. Here are some ways to begin

  • Sleep → proper sleep helps the body properly regulate stress

  • Meditation → take a second to decompress and lower your heart rate

  • Physical Activity → go for a walk, lift some weights, just move around!

Thanks for reading! We’d love to hear your feedback. See you next week, data nerds!

- Phil & JT

Want to learn more? Something we missed or misspoke? Want to hear on a specific topic? Reply to us here and we’re happy to chat and help you learn more about your wearable.

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