To recap, a stressor triggers your amygdala, which in turn activates your sympathetic nervous system. This system lowers your heart rate variability (HRV), and once the stressor is gone, your parasympathetic nervous system kicks back in, raising your HRV. Being able to measure stress objectively is crucial, and monitoring your HRV can help you achieve that.
When measuring HRV, focus on the trend rather than exact values, and avoid comparing your results to others, as HRV can differ based on age, gender, health, and fitness level. Let’s explore how to obtain an initial HRV measurement.
There are various devices available for measuring heart rate and HRV, ranging from high-end to low-end options. High-end devices include 24-hour monitors used for those with heart conditions or hospital monitors, both of which offer accurate measurements. On the low end, smartphone cameras can also be used to measure HRV through apps like HRV4Training. Fitbit and Oura ring are other examples of low-end advanced devices that automatically measure HRV, usually during early morning sleep.
If you want to work on stress or anxiety levels, consumer-grade smartwatches like Garmin, Apple Watch, and Samsung watch are recommended, as they can measure HRV and stress levels throughout the day. Garmin devices are particularly useful, as they provide a comprehensive stress measurement using their app.
For example, on February 9th, the stress measurement graph began with low stress levels during sleep, as indicated by the blue color. As the day progressed, stress levels increased due to physical activity, such as assembling IKEA furniture. However, stress levels reached an unusually high point in the evening due to mental stress while watching an exciting World Cup Soccer game between the Netherlands and Argentina. This high stress level affected the body battery, which is expected to recharge during sleep, but instead remained low due to the excitement from the game.
Garmin devices measure stress, whether positive or negative, physical or mental, displaying it in orange on the graph. It’s normal to experience fluctuations in stress throughout the day due to various activities, but it’s also important to have periods of low stress, represented in blue, to maintain homeostasis. Other devices, such as Samsung and Apple Watch with the StressFace app, offer similar stress tracking features.
If you don’t own a smartwatch and still want to measure your stress, you can rely on subjective measurements. Thankfully, there are several apps available for both Android and Apple phones that can help with this. Stay tuned for the next video, where we will discuss these apps in more detail.
