\n<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you just get a promotion and you\u2019re excited or did you lose your car keys and you\u2019re upset?\u201d Megan says. \u201cIt matters what\u2019s going on in your life and your emotions, but your body doesn\u2019t know the difference \u2014 it just knows it\u2019s stressed.\u201d In some instances, experiencing some<\/i> stress can actually be helpful. \u201cMaybe you\u2019re feeling stressed about a presentation you have to give in a meeting,\u201d Megan says. \u201cA little bit of stress around that could actually lead you to being more effective and have some good energy in the presentation.\u201d Another example of helpful stress is how you might feel before a big race; that extra adrenaline rush could help you reach peak performance.<\/p>\n
But stress can become a significant problem when it causes distress or when it\u2019s chronic, which can potentially lead to negative health outcomes like trouble sleeping, anxiety or high blood pressure. What matters is what you\u2019re able to do about or with your reactions to stress; our approach with Fitbit and Google Pixel Watch devices is three-fold: detection, intervention and reflection.<\/p>\n
So first, let\u2019s talk about detection. \u201cFitbit stress alerts and Google Pixel Watch\u2019s Body Responses help you connect the psychological to the physiological,\u201d Megan says. Body Response uses the Google Pixel Watch\u2019s cEDA (continuous electrodermal activity) sensor to detect tiny changes in your skin’s sweat level, which can point to possible signs of stress when combined with heart rate, heart rate variability and skin temperature. (And it\u2019s smart enough to know the difference between stress or a workout, so sweating while exercising won\u2019t trigger the algorithm.) There\u2019s also the Fitbit Charge 6\u2019s spot check feature, which uses the same activity to give you an in-the-moment look at your stress levels.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese kinds of alerts are a really useful opportunity for you to bring awareness to how you\u2019re feeling and think about what\u2019s going on in your life or around you that affected your emotional state and your body.\u201d That\u2019s when you get to the intervention stage \u2014 you could use the Charge 6\u2019s spot check to see your stress spike and opt to try one of the suggested mindfulness activities. Or you can use Google Pixel Watch\u2019s breathing exercises. On the flip side, maybe you\u2019re just feeling energized, and it\u2019s a good opportunity to go for a run or attack your to-do list.<\/p>\n
Then eventually, you can reflect. \u201cNoticing the reaction you\u2019re having and tying it to what\u2019s happening with you is a critical skill that empowers you to learn from your surroundings or possibly change them,\u201d Megan says. \u201cJust being able to see and connect that, ‘Oh, something that happened had an effect on me,\u2019 is really important.\u201d Features like Stress Management Score and mood logging show you trends over time, too, so you can get a bigger picture of your mental health. As Megan puts it, in order to change something, you have to notice it first. \u201cThen, you can start to identify your signs of stress, notice your response \u2014 whether mental, physical or both \u2014 and start to take steps to manage it.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n