Why I’m Taking a Mental Health Break from my Smartwatch

Too much of a good thing can still be unhealthy. Just like obsessing over food, nutrition, or fitness can cause burnout, so can the little things we think are helping us. I was sick recently with a sinus infection, and I knew my body was working extra hard to kick the cold to the curb. I could physically feel my heart racing, and I told myself not to, but I couldn’t stop checking my heart rate and stress levels on my watch. I knew my body was stressed, I knew why it was stressed, but I still looked at my stats and panicked every time. Classic self-sabotage right there.

This week, I’m feeling back to my old self. All my stats (including blood pressure) went back to normal, and I just can’t stop thinking about why I put myself through that. I should have given myself a break. I should have given my body the space and grace it needed to get better.

Mental health doesn’t always need to be focused on how you’re feeling right here and now. It can also be simply acknowledging a worry or feeling that you already had, taking note of what happened, and being aware of how you can make adjustments. You don’t have to fix everything immediately.

So it’s a bit retroactive, but I’m giving myself that mental health break now. No smartwatch this week. Let’s face it, we all know that 90% of the time we look at our smartwatches it’s not to see what time it is. A health coach once told me that we’re guaranteed 5,000 steps a day, and you have to work for the rest. As a parent of excited toddlers, I’m pretty sure I’m guaranteed at least 7,000 steps. I’ve also worked really hard at being in-tune with my body along my health journey the past few years. I know when something feels off and I don’t need a watch to tell me so.

You’ll see this theme often in my self-care messaging and it’s to trust yourself. Let your own mind and body drive your decisions. Do not let external people, things, or ads influence how you think you should feel. You are doing a great job keeping yourself and your little ones healthy, so keep on going and take that mental health break from whatever stressor is causing you doubt.