Everyone is talking about wearable tech, especially smartwatches. Comparisons on the latest and greatest feature, practical designs,and discussions on the right manufacturer provide an array of options for every need. There is even a wearable one with built-in biometric sensors that can help you better understand the patterns in your emotional, behavioral and physical wellbeing.

Recently I was given the gift of a Microsoft Band 2. It has a heart rate monitor, notification center, calorie counter, and even a sleep monitor. While the technology is cool and the idea of having multiple types of information almost at my fingertips was appealing, it seems that this watch and other items like it has other possible benefits on the psyche, anxiety, and emotions that was unexpected and certainly surprised me.

“There is even a wearable with built-in biometric sensors that can help you better understand the patterns in your emotional, behavioral and physical wellbeing.”

Are you the type of person who finds themselves constantly wondering what your friends are up to, what might be happening online at this moment, or wanting to stay on top of the latest news and memes? I’m not. I AM the type of person who has an amount of incoming emails that would bury me in about 3.5 hours should they be made of actual paper, a constant stream of PMs both work and personal, and a work schedule that requires me to be globally available for emergencies. Sadly, both these states are fairly typical of the average working individual. This can make it completely normal to be caught in photos and around the house with your phone 12 inches from your face, create the ability to both walk and read simultaneously, and cause the words “just one minute ,honey” to pass your lips far too frequently.

I’ve become used to this state of mind until the advent of this gift. Suddenly, there was something that could allow me the ability to glance at my wrist and see what needed to be prioritized or ignored on all the social media and email programs simultaneously. I was able to look up from that phone and actually participate in events and activities again without the anxiety and panic of missing something essential that needed an immediate response. The extra benefits of the pedometer made me more aware of the importance of getting up and moving around after sitting too long, and the sleep tracker was interesting and had a built in alarm that is touted as waking you at the optimal point in your sleep pattern.

Can all this technology create a sense of control? Yes, it does and that can be advantageous or set you on a path of extreme micromanagement. Balance here is key. I find it calms my mind and allows me a type of freedom while being informed to have this incoming information that can wither be ignored or replied to. So much so that I recently backed the Pebble 2 Kickstarter in anticipation of wanting another “smarter” watch in the future.

Have you used tech to help center yourself and did you find it had an effect on your anxiety?