Reconsidering My Apple Watch

A few years ago, my husband gave me an Apple Watch for Christmas. What an awesome present, right? I'll admit, I had been on the fence for a while about buying an Apple Watch: they were pricey, and I worried about my work being tied perpetually to my wrist. As it turned out, I learned I could adjust the settings and control which apps vibrated my wrist and when. Overall, I loved it -- why wouldn't I? I could receive texts, notifications, and reminders. I could track my steps, celebrate when I "close my rings" (IYKYK), and log my workouts.  I am willing to bet you are surrounded by lots of people who have a smart watch of some sort; they are becoming as ubiquitous as cell phones. 

Any time we add something new to our lives, we need to make room for it -- we have to subtract in order to gain. I lost something when I donned my Apple Watch. I lost a bit of connection with my own body.  Suddenly, I was being told to stand up in order to meet my stand goal for the day; I was encouraged to complete a brisk walk in order to close my Move ring; I woke up to admonishing messages like, "Denise, you only closed 2 rings yesterday. Go for 3 today!" (I admit, these are supposed to be motivational, but for me, they became reminders of what I didn't accomplish instead.) At the beginning of each week, I was presented with a report of my screen time and how many calories I burned a day. 

Now, for some (as I've already alluded), this type of persistent data is inspiring. These messages may be just what you need to push through a plateau.  And I say with my whole heart, sincerely -- good for you! We all need to find out what works for us. 

Here's what I'm noticing about me, though: I need to cut ties with my Apple Watch. I'm feeling out of sync with my own body's messages, confusing the notifications with actual information from my body. I still want the data, but I want it from within instead. My thoughts are repeatedly interrupted. My focus has suffered. 

And so, I disconnected my watch this morning. Funny, that. The process of unpairing an Apple Watch was actually a bit complicated, and I had to turn to Google for instructions. My phone didn't seem to consider a world where a user might want to disconnect . . . unless, of course, it meant pairing up with a newer device. 

This extends beyond my watch, of course. I've deleted all trackers on my phone. My list of electronic surveillance is appalling -- the water tracker app, the food tracker, the running app, the intermittent fasting app, the activity app, the health app. No wonder I'm struggling to hear my own thoughts over the din!

Again, these apps and trackers aren't all bad. I'm simply reflecting on their role in my life, and sharing my thoughts with you. Take them or leave them. Who knows? I may discover that my smart watch had more benefits than detriments, especially when school resumes in the fall. 

Just like the traditional watch that I'll wear, only time will tell.

(Yes, I went there.)