Improve your health

March 1, 2025

How to Track Stress Levels Using Wearable Technology

Wearable technology makes stress tracking easy by monitoring your heart rate, sleep, and temperature in real time. Devices like the Apple Watch, Fitbit, Garmin, and Oura Ring provide insights into your stress patterns and offer tools like breathing exercises to help you manage stress effectively. Here’s what you need to know:

Why It Matters: High stress affects your health, sleep, and overall well-being.
How It Works: Wearables use Heart Rate Variability (HRV), sleep data, and skin temperature to measure stress.
Key Features: Real-time monitoring, personalized alerts, guided breathing exercises, and stress trend analysis.
Top Devices:
- Apple Watch Ultra 2: Real-time stress alerts ($799).
- Fitbit Sense 2: EDA sensor for stress tracking ($299.95).
- Oura Ring: Detailed sleep and HRV tracking ($299–$449).
- Garmin: 24/7 stress score monitoring (varies by model).

Quick Comparison Table:

| Device | Key Stress Features | Standout Feature | Price Range |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Fitbit Sense 2 | EDA sensor, ECG monitor | Continuous electrodermal tracking | $299.95 |
| Apple Watch Ultra 2 | HRV tracking, Mindfulness app | Real-time stress alerts | $799 |
| Oura Ring | HRV, temperature, motion tracking | Detailed sleep analysis | $299–$449 |
| Garmin | 24/7 HRV monitoring | Stress score tracking | Varies by model

To get started, choose a wearable that fits your needs, sync it with a health app, and use its features consistently. Regular tracking and timely interventions like guided breathing can help you manage stress and improve your overall health.

How Does Fitbit Sense Measure Stress?

Key Stress Tracking Features in Wearables

Wearables use a combination of HRV (Heart Rate Variability), skin temperature, and sleep data to provide a detailed, real-time view of stress levels. This combination of sensors allows for a deeper understanding of stress-related patterns, with HRV being a key indicator.

Understanding Heart Rate Variability

HRV measures the variations in time between heartbeats, reflecting the balance of the autonomic nervous system. Different wearables approach this measurement in unique ways:

| Device Type | Recording Method | Measurement Period | Key Feature |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Apple Watch | PPG Sensor | 1-minute intervals | Real-time stress alerts |
| Fitbit | PPG Sensor | During sleep | Continuous sleep monitoring |
| Oura Ring | PPG Sensor | 5-minute intervals | Detailed sleep analysis |
| Garmin | PPG Sensor | 5-minute intervals | Stress score tracking

Dr. Emerson Perin, Medical Director at The Texas Heart Institute, highlights the potential of HRV:

"The long-term goal is to develop HRV to improve patients' mental and physical health."

Temperature and Sleep Monitoring

In addition to HRV, wearables also rely on temperature and sleep data to refine stress tracking. A University of Vermont study (April 2024) revealed that every extra hour of sleep reduces the likelihood of moderate-to-high stress by 38%. On the other hand, a single additional beat per minute in resting heart rate increases these odds by 3.6%.

Laura Bloomfield, research assistant professor of mathematics and statistics, explained:

"The study showed that sleep measures from the Oura ring were predictive of participants' perceived level of stress. If we are able to identify in real-time that someone is experiencing increased stress, there might be an opportunity to offer helpful interventions."

Wearables analyze metrics like sleep duration, resting heart rate, HRV, respiratory rate, and skin temperature to assess stress levels. Experts recommend consistent use, regular calibration, and accounting for environmental factors to ensure accuracy. This data helps deliver timely and actionable stress management insights.

Selecting a Stress-Tracking Wearable

Choosing the right wearable is key to effectively monitoring stress levels. Look for devices equipped with multiple sensors to provide accurate, real-time data.

Best Wearables for Stress Monitoring

Here’s a comparison of some top options for stress tracking:

| Device | Key Stress Features | Standout Feature | Price Range |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Fitbit Sense 2 | EDA sensor, ECG monitor | Continuous electrodermal activity tracking | $299.95 |
| Apple Watch Ultra 2 | HRV tracking, Mindfulness app | Real-time stress alerts | $799 |
| Oura Ring | HRV, temperature, motion tracking | Detailed tracking | $299–$449 |
| Garmin | 24/7 HRV monitoring | 0–100 stress score | Varies by model

"At any given moment, you tend to have a pretty good sense of whether you are stressed or not. Catching trends and ups and downs when you aren't even thinking about it can be truly eye-opening."

In terms of accuracy, the Apple Watch stands out with heart rate monitoring error rates between 2.4% and 5.1%, compared to Fitbit's range of 3.9% to 13.5%.

However, a wearable’s performance isn’t just about hardware - it’s also about how well it integrates with health apps for stress management.

Connecting with Health Apps

Once you’ve picked a device, ensure it syncs smoothly with health apps. These apps can enhance your stress management by offering:

Real-time stress alerts and guided interventions
Tailored breathing exercises
Insights into stress patterns
Customizable stress thresholds

"Mindful breathing lets users take control of how they handle stress... When we breathe in a controlled, thoughtful manner we gradually lower our heart rate and increase the beat-to-beat variability. When this happens, the brain gets a signal from the heart that is saying 'Relax, things are okay! No need to worry.'"

Keep in mind that some devices, like the Oura Ring, may require a subscription for app features, costing $5.99/month. Factor this into your decision if personalized insights and app functionality are important to you.

Setting Up Your Stress Monitor

Getting your stress monitor set up properly is crucial for accurate tracking.

Setting Stress Alert Levels

To ensure reliable stress tracking, you need accurate heart rate readings. Here’s how to get the best results:

Wear your device snugly on your wrist to maintain steady contact with the sensor.
Remain still while measurements are being taken.
Turn on continuous monitoring for ongoing data collection.

Garmin devices use a scale from 0 to 100 to display stress levels. Orange bars show stress levels above 25, while blue bars represent levels below 25. Over time, the system learns your individual patterns for better accuracy.

"To use this feature, your phone or smart watch must have a heart rate sensor... You can connect a wearable device with a heart rate sensor to measure your stress." – Samsung Support

For Samsung Watch 5 users, follow these steps to set up stress monitoring:

Open the Samsung Health app.
Navigate to Settings.
Select the Stress option.
Enable continuous monitoring.

Keep in mind that continuous monitoring can drain your battery faster, but it provides more detailed stress data. Once you've set your alerts, sync your device with a health app to keep all your stress data in one place.

Connecting to Health Apps

Here’s how to sync your device with a health app, depending on your phone:

For iOS Users:

Download the companion app for your wearable.
Enable Apple Health integration.
Allow access to heart rate and stress data.

For Android Users:

Install Google Fit.
Connect your wearable's app to Google Fit.
Sign in with your Google account.
Grant permissions for data sharing.

For a deeper dive into your stress and health metrics, consider linking your wearable to Healify. This app combines stress data with other health information to give you tailored insights.

Pro Tip: Consistency is key. Regular syncing ensures you get the most out of your stress monitor. Note that when you connect a new app or device, only recent data will sync - older measurements won’t transfer.

Making Use of Stress Data

Reading Stress Measurements

Understanding stress measurements can help you take control of your well-being. Many wearable devices rate stress on a scale from 0 to 100:

0–25: Resting state (blue)
26–50: Low stress
51–75: Medium stress
76–100: High stress

To get accurate insights, wear your device while sleeping to establish baseline HRV (heart rate variability) data. Stress scores often reflect factors like physical activity, sleep quality, diet, and daily pressures.

Different brands present stress data in various ways:

| Brand | Visualization Tools |
| --- | --- |
| Apple Watch | Mindfulness rings, breathing animations |
| Garmin | Body battery graph, stress timeline |
| Fitbit | Daily stress score chart, EDA patterns |
| Samsung | Real-time stress level graph |
| Polar | Recovery status visualization

"Continuous stress data is paramount to provide deep and personalized insights. Garmin is the only large provider with this functionality... We needed continuous stress data, inexpensive devices, high diversity of design and good battery life. Garmin was a natural choice."
– Magnus Liungman, NudgeLabs CEO

These measurements don’t just track stress - they also help you decide when to take action.

Responding to Stress Alerts

When your device shows high stress levels, it's time to act. Studies reveal that users who respond to stress alerts see an 80% improvement in health metrics within a month.

Here’s how to respond effectively:

Use Guided Breathing

Most devices include breathing exercises or meditation apps. For instance, Samsung's Calm app offers quick meditation sessions, while Fitbit’s EDA scanning tracks your body’s stress response.
Get Moving

A short walk or quick workout can help reset your stress levels. Regular exercise is proven to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Analyze Your Data

Look for patterns in your stress levels, such as triggers, peak times, or links to poor sleep. This can help you make better decisions about managing stress.

Conclusion: Next Steps for Stress Management

Wearable technology has made managing stress easier by offering real-time tracking and insights. With options to suit different budgets, finding a device to help you monitor and address stress is now more accessible than ever.

Research suggests that pairing wearable stress tracking with specific techniques can improve overall well-being. As Garmin's Senior Product Manager Han Paik explains:

"Mindful breathing lets users take control of how they handle stress... When we breathe in a controlled, thoughtful manner we gradually lower our heart rate and increase the beat-to-beat variability. When this happens, the brain gets a signal from the heart that is saying 'Relax, things are okay! No need to worry.'"

To get the most from your wearable, follow these steps:

Start with a baseline: Wear the device regularly for two weeks to identify your stress patterns.
Focus on key metrics: Pay attention to HRV (Heart Rate Variability) and EDA (Electrodermal Activity) readings.
Take action: Use guided breathing exercises or other calming techniques when stress alerts occur.
Measure progress: Compare your data over time to see how well your strategies are working.

By taking these actions, you can turn your wearable into a powerful tool for understanding and managing stress. Regular monitoring helps uncover patterns that might otherwise go unnoticed, allowing for timely responses.

Additionally, sharing anonymized data can contribute to better workplace stress management strategies. Combining personal insights with organizational support creates a stronger foundation for handling stress effectively.

Use your wearable to stay ahead of stress signals - it’s a practical step toward better health and balance.