How to Leverage Technology to Bring Stress Under Control

The article is developed in partnership with BetterHelp.

With the abundance of modern stressors, it’s unsurprising that many people find stress management challenging. While one could argue that technology has contributed to society’s high-stress levels, it is also possible to use technology to bring stress under control. This article will discuss common ways people use modern technology to help maintain a robust stress-management system and improve their overall well-being.

Physical health and basic self-care

Self-care refers to health-supporting behaviors that improve mental and physical well-being. Many experts point to three essential self-care behaviors for maintaining more advanced self-care routines: sleep, diet, and exercise. If you’re trying to manage stress, you may want to begin by focusing on those three areas before trying more advanced stress management techniques.

Many apps and technological solutions can help you monitor your basic physical self-care. Wearable technology, such as smartwatches and fitness trackers, makes tracking workouts and other physical activity easier. Many wearables can also provide information about a person’s body composition, offering additional insight into physical health. Evidence suggests that wearable technology significantly boosts the frequency and quality of exercise routines.

Wearables, if worn during sleep, can also provide valuable information about sleep routines. Even if you don’t want to wear a smartwatch while you sleep, you might consider keeping a digital sleep diary where you record the quality of the previous night’s sleep each morning. If wearable solutions aren’t appealing, you can still use workout, diet, and sleep-tracking apps where information is recorded manually. Workout apps can offer bespoke workouts customized to your equipment and fitness level. There are also many diet-focused apps where you can keep track of calories consumed and what food you eat. You can also get recommendations for recipes or meal planning.

Mental health and mindfulness

Mental health apps and software can help you keep track of self-care routines dedicated to mental health and stress relief. An especially promising mental health approach, mindfulness exercises, has several apps and websites that can guide you through evidence-based mindfulness techniques. Mindfulness involves separating a thought from the emotion it produces and will likely be useful for managing high stress levels.

You might also consider online therapy a viable path toward consulting a mental health professional. You can attend online therapy from home, and avoiding traveling to a physical office might appeal to someone managing high stress levels. Online therapy might also be a good solution if you’re concerned you may have underlying conditions that adversely affect your stress management, like anxiety or depression. For more information on how therapy can help depression and other conditions, check out this article from BetterHelp.

Expand your education

While most educational experiences were once relegated to schools and universities, modern technology allows bespoke and a la carte learning experiences that can occur anywhere. You might want to consider investigating what courses are available through online learning platforms. You can look for subjects that improve your career, help you start a new hobby, or enrich your life. Online, customized learning experiences can help you reinforce the idea that learning is a lifelong journey, not one that ends at graduation.

Connect one-on-one with a Psychiatrist

Learning about things that are important to you and other enjoyable leisure activities are strongly associated with reduced stress. Online learning might offer you a way to expand your interests and engage in enjoyable activities, potentially lowering your overall stress level.

Take practical steps to reduce stress

Often, much of the stress a person experiences from daily stressors is attributable to poor organization and prioritization. Digital workspace platforms, to-do apps, habit-forming apps, and other technological innovations can help remove some of the burden of staying organized and choosing your priorities effectively. Digital workspaces can help you organize your work materials and workflow. To-do apps can help you break tasks into manageable chunks, an important part of good goal setting. Some apps can help you form new, healthy habits by offering reminders, encouragement, and feedback on your progress.

While not every technological solution will work for everyone, the sheer number of available products makes it likely that something will resonate with you. You might start by checking reviews and testimonials from other users before trying various tools until you find what works best for you.