Written by Resha Erheim; Resha is a Licensed Counsellor and a mental health expert working with Fitbit to better understand and promote the overall wellbeing of the local population.
2021 brought with it a renewed hope with the emergence and wide distribution of the COVID vaccines globally including UAE. In addition to keeping us protected, inoculation is also expected to help in reducing stress and the much talked about – the fear of contracting the virus and the lifestyle changes. While this type of stress is not differentiable across genders, 53 per cent of working women have seen a spike in anxiety since February last year, from working longer hours from home to coping up with online learning for kids to continuing to do the daily household chores; the sudden adjustments to the daily routines did dramatically increase the stress levels.
Women play various roles in today’s world; they are mothers or caregivers to family, homemakers, business leaders and sometimes sole bread earners. These roles tend to create an overly busy schedule and as such, historically women have reported to experience higher levels of stress than men in general. In countless ways, women shape the health and well-being of us all. But, this constant giving pattern without self-care is creating a downward spiral for their own overall well-being. It has now become important for every woman to prioritize physical and emotional health in her daily life.
Theoretically, stress and anxiety levels often increase when people face a sudden increase of energy output. This could include participating in numerous meetings, having impending deadlines or achieving an ever-increasing list of responsibilities across multiple fronts. An increase in stress often leads to higher levels of cortisol and adrenaline hormone, which are known to directly affects our overall health and in most cases are the source of common symptoms like insomnia, irritability, difficulty focusing, fatigue.
A recent report published by McKinsey on the impact of COVID-19 on mental health encourages the use of digital platforms to connect consumers to evidence-based care as societies move forward towards a recovery phase. With increased public reliance on creative innovations to lead a healthier lifestyle, one can turn to wearable devices.
On the occasion of International Women’s Day, it is important to recognize women’s efforts in building our society and further support her with the most advanced solutions that could empower women to take a step back from busy schedules and focus on improving their overall well-being. Advanced health smartwatches and fitness trackers with add-on benefits such as digital premium health membership services could play a significant role in helping women incorporate healthier habits in their daily lives and, get personalized and actionable insights for improving their overall health – from menstrual health to stress. wearables have made advanced features like stress detection with help of EDA sensors, heart health notifications and mindfulness tools much more accessible than ever. Wearables may also be able to play an important role in the early detection of diseases with features like monitoring of skin temperature, heart rate variability and breathing rate. Furthermore, paid premium memberships could unlock access to additional features like video workouts, guided programs, wellness reports and wellbeing support communities which could help guide women to better manage stress caused their busy lifestyles.
The benefits and possibilities of leading a healthy lifestyle with help of wearable devices are endless in today’s world. Technology can come as a handy solution that can help women manage stress and increase their overall wellbeing. The advanced capabilities of such wearable devices reduce time constraints for women, helps them stay organized and reach their health goals making self-care more accessible and a healthy lifestyle more attainable in their increasingly busy lifestyle.
This International Women’s Day let’s give women the recognition they deserve and aim to support them lead a happier and healthier life, so that together we can raise a healthier and an emotionally balanced society as a whole.
