Manage Your Stress Levels With This Heart Rate

Americans are more stressed out than ever before. But luckily, technology makes managing that stress easier than ever, too. According to TechCrunch, an app called Welltory combines the personal approach of life-tracking programs with medical science to help users put themselves at ease.

The app starts by measuring your heart rate using the same technology that’s put into pulse oximeters. After it learns your heart rate variability (HRV), it uses that information to analyze the state of your autonomic nervous system—the control center that governs your body’s heart rate and stress levels.

One you've tracked your heart beats through your smartphone, Welltory generates a personal profile of your stress and energy levels. If you’re willing to pay $4 a month for the Quantified Self Dashboard, you’ll be given the tools to track other aspects of your life—sleeping, eating, physical activity, etc.—and see how these habits correlate with the stress you feel over time. The app is compatible with dozens of personal fitness trackers, the productivity tracker RescueTime, and even home weather stations. So after a few weeks or months, Welltory should be able to tell you if you tend to feel more relaxed on days you exercised or more stressed when it’s overcast.

The service also offers the Improve Yourself subscription for $19 a month. This includes lifestyle recommendations tailored to the data it gathers about you.

The HRV measuring devices used by professional athletes can cost hundreds of dollars. The creators of Welltory aim to bring this resource to the public through an app anyone can download to an Android or iOS device for free.

Interested in more ways your smartphone can help you decompress? Check out these useful apps for de-stressing on the go.