Track and manage stress in a variety of ways with the Fitbit app and your Fitbit device.
Stress is how your body responds to the demands of everyday life. The source of stress can be positive, like a promotion or new baby, or negative, like an overwhelming workload or traumatic life event. In response to stress, the autonomic nervous system releases hormones, which provide the body with a burst of energy (known as the “fight or flight†response). This process can raise your heart rate, change your skin’s sweat level, and make you more alert or tense.
Small bursts of stress can motivate you to meet a deadline or goal, but an elevated stress level for an extended period of time can negatively affect your health and well-being. Continued strain on your body from unmanaged stress could lead to health problems, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, depression, or anxiety.
- Mindfulness tile
in the Fitbit app (and a library of guided meditations available with a Fitbit Premium subscription)
- EDA Scan app
on Fitbit Charge 5, Fitbit Charge 6, Fitbit Sense, Fitbit Sense 2, and Google Pixel Watch 2 with EDA session details stored in Mindfulness tile
- Relax app
on most Fitbit devices
- Stress Management tile and stress management score
in the Fitbit app
- Body responses (Fitbit Sense 2 only Google Pixel Watch 2)
Mindfulness tile
The Mindfulness tile in the Fitbit app includes mindfulness sessions and can help you track and understand the effects of your mindfulness practice.
- From the Today tab
, tap the Mindfulness tile
Health & Fitness Stats
- Tap to choose a session, then tap Play Audio to begin. Note: Premium subscribers can access additional guided meditations in the Fitbit app.
- After you’re done, tap Log Reflection to record your reflection, or tap No Thanks to skip this step.
- To see details about your session, including your heart rate during the session, tap the Mindfulness tile
To start, your goal is 5 days per week.
To change your goal:
- From the Today tab
- Tap the Settings icon
.
- Choose the number of days that you want to practice mindfulness.
- Tap the arrow in the top left, and tap Done.
, tap the Mindfulness tile 
Your Journey to see your mindfulness-related activities, including meditation sessions, guided breathing, and EDA sessions.Relax app
The Relax app can help you find moments of calm throughout the day with personalized, deep breathing sessions.
- On your device, navigate to the Relax screen.
- The 2-minute session is the first option, but you can swipe to choose the 5-minute session.
- Tap the screen and then tap the play symbol in the bottom right to start the session.
- Remain still and breathe deeply during the calibration period, which lasts 30-40 seconds. The phrase “sensing your breathing†will appear on your screen.
- When prompted, follow the guide (the circle on your screen) and breathe deeply. You can close your eyes because your watch will vibrate when it's time to inhale and exhale. If you want to turn off the vibration, tap the gear icon on the Relax screen.
- After you complete the exercise, press the back button to return to the menu.
- On your tracker, navigate to the Relax screen.
- The 2-minute session is the first option, but you can tap to choose the 5-minute session.
- Press and hold the button to start the session.
- Remain still and breathe deeply during the calibration period, which lasts 30-40 seconds. The phrase “sensing your breathing†will appear on your tracker’s screen.
- When prompted, follow the guide (the circle on your screen) and breathe deeply. You can close your eyes because your tracker will vibrate when it's time to inhale and exhale.
- After you’ve completed the exercise, press the button to return to the menu.
- On your device, tap the Relax app.
- The 2-minute session is the first option. To choose the 5-minute session:
- Charge 3 and Charge 4—Swipe left.
- Versa series—Tap the Settings icon
- Tap the play icon to start the session.
- Remain still and breathe deeply during the calibration period, which lasts 30-40 seconds. The phrase “sensing your breathing†appears on your screen.
- When prompted, follow the on-screen guide (the circle on your screen) and breathe deeply. You can close your eyes because your device vibrates when it's time to inhale and exhale.
- After the session, you see a summary that shows your alignment (how closely you followed the breathing prompt), your heart rate at the start and end of the session, and how many days you completed a guided breathing session this week.
- On your device, open the Relax app. The 2-minute session is the first option. Swipe up to choose the 5-minute session.
- Tap the play icon to start the session.
- Remain still and breathe deeply during the calibration period, which lasts 30-40 seconds. The phrase “sensing your breathing†appears on your screen.
- When prompted, follow the on-screen guide (the circle on your screen) and breathe deeply. You can close your eyes because your device vibrates when it's time to inhale and exhale.
- After the session, you see a summary that shows your alignment (how closely you followed the breathing prompt), your heart rate at the start and end of the session, and how many days you completed a guided breathing session this week.
- If your device senses signs of stress or worry, it will send you a notification to reflect on your mood.
- Tap Log Mood.
- After logging your mood, tap the Relax app. The 2-minute session is the first option. Scroll down for more options.
- Tap the play icon to start the session.
- Follow the on-screen instructions. When you’re done, view your summary for the week.
- On your device, swipe right or left to the Relax app
- To begin a session the same length as your previous session, tap Start. To set a custom length of time for the session:
- Swipe up and tap Custom.
- Swipe up or down to choose the number of minutes, then tap to set the minutes.
- Tap Start.
- Follow the on-screen instructions. When you're done, view your summary, and tap Done to close the app.
- On your device, tap the Relax app
- The 2-minute session is the first option. To choose the longer session:
- Versa, Versa 2, and Versa Lite Edition—Tap the Settings icon
- Sense and Versa 3—Tap Edit, tap the time, then swipe to set the duration. Tap the duration, and swipe up to tap Start.
- Sense 2 and Versa 4—Tap the time, then swipe to set the duration. Tap the duration to start the session.
- Versa, Versa 2, and Versa Lite Edition—Tap the Settings icon
- Remain still and breathe deeply during the calibration period. The phrase “sensing your breathing†appears on your screen.
- When prompted, follow the on-screen guide (the circle on your screen) and breathe deeply. Your device vibrates when it's time to inhale and exhale
- On Sense series, Versa 3, and Versa 4, choose to log your reflection after the session, or tap Skip.
- See a summary of your session and how many days of mindfulness you completed this week.
- For Sense series, Versa 3, and Versa 4, open the Fitbit app and tap the Mindfulness tile
Stress management score
Your stress management score in the Fitbit app can help you see how your body responds to stress based on your heart rate, sleep, and activity level data. You can also reflect on how stressed you are to see connections between how you feel and your score. This tile is available for Fitbit Charge 4, Fitbit Charge 5, Fitbit Charge 6, Fitbit Inspire 2, Fitbit Inspire 3, Google Pixel Watch 2, Fitbit Luxe, Fitbit Sense series, Fitbit Versa 2, Fitbit Versa 3, and Fitbit Versa 4 users.
On a daily basis, your score can help you plan for your day:
- A high score indicates that your body is showing fewer signs of physical stress, so you may consider taking on a new project or exercising.
- A low score indicates that your body may be showing signs of stress, so you may want to take a break—go to bed early or meditate.
Over time, see trends in how your body responds to stress and how the actions you take affect your overall stress level.
- Tap the Today tab
- See your score for today. If you’re a Fitbit Premium member, a breakdown of your score appears.
- Swipe up to see a history of your scores and reflections.
The score ranges from 1 to 100. A higher score indicates that your body is showing fewer physical signs of stress.
More than 10 factors tracked by your Fitbit device make up your score. These factors are broken down into 3 categories:
- Responsiveness: heart-rate data and electrodermal activity (EDA), if available, to assess if your body shows signs of stress.
- Exertion balance: impact of physical activity on your stress level.
- Sleep patterns: effect of sleep duration and quality on your stress level.
To see a detailed breakdown of your score in the Fitbit app, purchase a Fitbit Premium subscription. For more information, see What should I know about Fitbit Premium?
| What’s my responsiveness score in the Fitbit app? |
When you're stressed, your autonomic nervous system releases hormones to prepare you for a “fight or flight†response, which can affect your skin sweat levels, your heart rate, and other heart activity. You receive a higher score when your body shows fewer signs of this responsive activity. |
| What’s my exertion balance score in the Fitbit app? |
The right amount of physical activity can help you better react to stress. This score is determined by recent activity, including steps, exercise, and level of fatigue. You receive a higher score when you balance the benefits of exercise with the physical stress it can cause on your body. Either too much exercise or too little exercise can impact your score. |
| What’s my sleep patterns score in the Fitbit app? |
Poor sleep can negatively affect your ability to deal with stress, while a high level of stress can make it harder to fall asleep. This score is determined by the amount and quality of sleep you get. You receive a higher score when your sleep patterns indicate a low level of physical stress. |
Try to identify the stressors in your life and determine strategies to manage them. Some tips to manage stress include:
- Get regular exercise to help boost your mood and improve your health.
- Set a consistent bedtime and try to sleep for at least 7 hours a night.
- Try a relaxing activity such as meditation, mindfulness, or breathing exercises.
- Set goals and priorities to determine what must be done immediately and what can wait (source).
The Fitbit app has tools to help you manage stress, including mood logging to reflect on how you feel, and content related to mindfulness, sleep, activity, and nutrition. Unlock additional content and tips in the app with a Fitbit Premium subscription. For more information, see What should I know about Fitbit Premium?
- From the Today tab
icon on the Stress Management Score tile
- Tap a mood
icon on the Stress Management Score tile You can also log how you feel after a mindfulness session.
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Wear your device for at least 1 full day and night. In the morning, sync your device and check your score.
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Take at least 500 steps during the day.
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Make sure your device can track your heart rate. For more information, see How do I track heart rate with my Fitbit device?
in the Fitbit app. For more information, see How do I use the Fitbit app?EDA Scan app (Charge 5, Charge 6, and Sense series)
Enjoy a quiet moment or a longer mindfulness session and see your body’s response.
Electrodermal activity (EDA) responses are tiny changes in the sweat level of your skin. These changes may be due to stress or other factors such as movement, noise, or temperature variations. For example, you might notice that your hands feel sweaty before you speak in front of a group of people.
While your EDA response may vary, you should typically expect fewer EDA responses the calmer you are.
- On your tracker, swipe left or right to the EDA Scan app
- To begin a scan the same length as your previous scan, tap the play icon. To change the length of time for the scan, swipe up and tap Edit length
- Gently hold the sides of your device with your thumb and index finger.
- Remain still and keep your fingers on your device until the scan is complete.
- If you remove your fingers, the scan pauses. To resume, place your fingers back on the sides of your device. To end the session, tap End session.
- When the scan is complete, tap a mood to reflect on how you feel, or tap Skip.
- Swipe up to see the summary of your scan, including your number of EDA responses, heart rate at the start and end of the session, and reflection if you logged a reflection.
- Tap Done to close the summary screen.
- To see more details about your session, open the Fitbit app on your phone. From the Today tab
- On your watch, tap the EDA Scan app
- Tap Quick Scan for a 2-minute scan or swipe up and tap Guided Session for a scan lasting up to 60 minutes.
- If you chose Guided Session, start a meditation session in the Fitbit app. For instructions, see the steps above.
- Place your hand on top of the screen. Note that your palm must touch all 4 sides of the metal frame.
- Remain still during the scan. Keep your hand on the watch for the full duration of the scan.
- If you remove your hand, the scan pauses. To resume, place your hand back on the screen.
- If you chose Quick Scan, your watch vibrates after the scan is complete. Remove your hand, and tap Log It to record your reflection, or tap Skip. Then swipe up to see a summary of your scan.
- If you chose Guided Session, remove your hand and tap End to complete the scan.
- To see details about your scan or session, tap the Mindfulness tile
If you received an error, try these tips:
- If your device can’t detect your EDA response:
- Charge 5 and Charge 6—keep your fingers on the sides of your tracker for at least 90 seconds and remain still to get a reading.
- Sense series—keep your hand over the watch face for at least 90 seconds and remain still to get a reading.
- If your device can’t detect your heart rate, try tightening your band. The band should be snug but not constricting. If you experience any discomfort, loosen the band, and if it persists give your wrist a break by taking it off.
Body responses (Fitbit Sense 2 and Google Pixel Watch 2)
Sense 2 uses a continuous EDA sensor to identify patterns of stress. When your watch detects a body response, you see a notification asking you to reflect on your emotions. Note that Sense 2 doesn't detect body responses when certain apps are in use, such as the Exercise app and Google Maps app.
To add your reflection on Sense 2:
- Tap Open on the notification.
- Tap the emotion that most closely fits your mood during the time specified or tap Skip to dismiss the notification.
To add your reflection on the Google Pixel Watch:
- Log your mood
- The Relax app will open, prompting you to perform a breathing exercise or take a quick walk.
To see past body responses:
- From the clock face, swipe right or left until you reach the Body responses tile. The total time today your watch detected a body response is shown at the top. Purple segments represent the duration of the body response
- Tap Check in to explore ways to manage your stress. Find shortcuts to the EDA Scan app and Relax app, reflect on your current mood, start a walk in the Exercise app, or learn more about body responses.
- From the Today tab
. The graph at the top displays your logged moods and body responses
- Tap Weekly Summary for an overview of your top moods and body responses each week.