Rationally, Iknewthis behavior was ridiculousand actually counterproductive to an effective evening wind-down.
Clearly it doesn’t always know whats best.
Fitness trackers can be helpful, but may also come with downsides.
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First things first:Fitness watchescan provide a ton of helpful perks.
That means they can help you understand whenits probably best to take a rest dayversus pushing through another workout.
Wearers can also make unhelpful assumptions or inaccurate conclusions about the data, says Brauer.
For example, maybe youve been really stressed at work and have missed a few of your regular workouts.
Another downside of fitness wearables is that they can be very intrusive, says Brauer.
And then if they don’t do it, then they can feel like a failure.
When that doesnt happen, they can feel so discouraged that they give up on their fitness goals entirely.
How do you know if you have an unhealthy relationship with your fitness watch?
Here are specific signs your watch dynamic may be unhealthy, according to Brauer.
Strategies that work for some folks may not be all that helpful for others.
That said, there are some general tips worth trying.
Then, compare the reflections.
From there, ask yourself if you are already achieving that why.
The nitty-gritty watch metrics dont matter.
It’s really important to be your own advocate and think about your own needs, says Brauer.
Whats more, the sheer number of metrics at your fingertips can be overwhelming.
Then, adjust your parameters accordingly, says von Stietz.
Thats something thats often difficult to do on our own without prompting, she adds.
Your ability to close rings doesnt have any bearing on them, right?
The idea that you should always be a linear trend upward is really misguided, says Brauer.
Tuning into these sensations cannot be done by a watch, says Ross.
That has to be done by you as a person.
Notice what thoughts, emotions, and sensations arise and resist the urge to judge them, he says.
This can help quell your stress and allow you to better tune into how rested you actually feel.
In some cases, you may even decide to ditch the watch altogether.
Nobodyneedsto use a fitness watch, says von Stietz.
If you find it’s weighing you down, then you might just put it to the side.
Taking that to heart, I recently took a five-day break from my watch.
