When Will StressWatch Prompt "Overload"?

StressWatch uses HRV (Heart Rate Variability) and resting heart rate data to indicate and detect physical stress. Physical stress is measured to assess whether the body is in a state of stress, whether the autonomic nervous system is under tension, and to understand the current levels of physical fatigue and psychological stress.

The following behaviors that affect the balance of the autonomic nervous system may lead to being prompted about stress overload or being mindful of stress:

  • High Psychological Stress: High psychological stress will noticeably reduce HRV and increase resting heart rate.
  • Physical Fatigue: Lack of sleep or poor sleep quality, excessive fatigue, excessive exercise without rest.
  • Illness: HRV will significantly decrease in the early stages or during illness, but it will recover after health is restored.
  • Dehydration: When feeling thirsty or consuming a lot of salt, it's recommended to drink about eight cups of water a day.
  • Unhealthy or Irregular Diet: Consuming a large amount of fat or carbohydrates, eating heavy foods, or eating a lot of late-night snacks before sleep can affect HRV.
  • Alcohol, Caffeine, Tobacco: These stimulants have a neuroinhibitory effect and can noticeably affect HRV.
  • During or Immediately After Exercise: At this time, there's higher bodily stress, focusing more on the sympathetic nervous system, causing temporary imbalance. However, moderate exercise and proper rest are helpful for improving HRV in the long run, so please continue to persevere.

Except for the last point, all the others indicate unfavorable mental or physical states. When prompted with low HRV and stress overload, it might be helpful to pause for a moment, slow down your pace, reflect on the situations mentioned above, and take actions to improve. This way, you can achieve a healthier and more relaxed lifestyle.

What is the measurement frequency of the Apple Watch? Can I adjust it?

Under normal circumstances, the Apple Watch will automatically measure your HRV (Heart Rate Variability) every 2 to 5 hours. If your watch is in low battery mode or if you have started a workout, it won't automatically monitor your HRV during these times. Therefore, the actual frequency of data collection can vary based on your daily activities.

Currently, the frequency of HRV monitoring by the Apple Watch is determined by the device itself. [Note] As developers, we do not have the ability to adjust the monitoring frequency of the Apple Watch.

However, for users in most countries (except mainland China), you can force your Apple Watch to check your HRV every 15 minutes to increase the monitoring frequency by:

  1. Turning on the AFib (Atrial Fibrillation) history feature in the Apple Health app under Heart.
  2. Then enabling AFib History in the Watch app under Heart section.

Be aware that this method will consume more battery than usual, and it is currently the only way to increase the HRV monitoring frequency of the Apple Watch.

Can manual measurements be triggered?

If you need to measure your current HRV value, you can trigger a measurement using the "Mindfulness" - "Breathe" feature.

Follow these steps:

  • Open the "Breathe" session in the "Mindfulness" app on your Apple Watch.
  • For accurate measurements, we recommend selecting a breathing duration of 3 minutes or longer.
  • Press start, ensure the watch is properly fitted, and try not to move your body. Keep calm, breathe naturally without following the breathing guide.
  • After completing the session, lock and then unlock your iPhone.
  • Wait about a minute, and the StressWatch will receive your data and display it.

Note: Due to Apple Watch limitations, there might be instances where data cannot be immediately returned. Please be understanding.

If your data doesn't return right away, you might want to set your phone aside and check back later in StressWatch.

Why doesn't the data update immediately after manual measurement?

If your data hasn't updated more than half an hour after following our measurement steps, it might be due to:

  • Being in a state of movement or excitement during measurement, which may prevent the Apple Watch from recording HRV.
  • The Apple Watch being in low power mode or sleep mode.
  • Measuring too frequently in a short period.