Are Wearables Making Us Healthier or Just More Anxious?
The promise of personalised health data comes with an unexpected side effect
Sarah checks her smartwatch for the fifteenth time today. Her heart rate spiked during the morning meeting, and now she can't stop wondering if something's wrong. The device that promised to make her healthier has become a source of constant worry. She's not alone.
Wearable health technology has exploded into our daily lives with revolutionary promises of transforming healthcare through continuous monitoring. From tracking steps and sleep to monitoring heart rhythms and blood oxygen levels, these devices offer unprecedented insights into our bodies. Yet emerging research suggests that for many users, the very technology designed to improve our health might be creating new anxieties instead.
The phenomenon has become so prevalent that researchers have begun studying what they term "wearable-induced health anxiety" or "digital hypochondria." Dr Emma Richardson, a leading researcher in digital health psychology at Imperial College London, describes the paradox. "We're seeing increasing numbers of patients whose health anxiety has been triggered or worsened by their wearable devices. The technology meant to reassure them about their health is having the opposite effect."
The Digital Health Revolution Meets Human Psychology
The numbers behind wearable adoption tell a compelling story of rapid technological integration. Following the pandemic, health consciousness has accelerated interest in monitoring technology, with over 320 million wearable devices sold globally in 2024 alone. These sophisticated gadgets can detect irregular heart rhythms, monitor sleep patterns, track stress levels, and even alert users to potential health issues before symptoms appear.
For people with established chronic conditions, wearables offer genuine transformative benefits. They enable real-time monitoring that facilitates early detection, supports medication adherence, and provides valuable data for personalised treatments. During the COVID-19 pandemic, some advanced wearables even helped identify infections before users felt unwell, demonstrating their remarkable potential for preventive care.
However, recent studies published in high-impact medical journals reveal a more complex psychological landscape. Research from the University of North Carolina, published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, found that one in five patients with atrial fibrillation experienced intense fear and anxiety in response to irregular rhythm notifications from their devices. The same proportion routinely contacted their doctors when ECG results appeared abnormal, even when no immediate medical intervention was needed.
A comprehensive analysis of the US Health Information National Trends Survey, published in Digital Medicine, found that misinterpretation of wearable device data can cause unnecessary panic among users. The study revealed that individuals with higher health anxiety were particularly susceptible to developing problematic relationships with their monitoring devices.
The Psychology of Perpetual Self-Surveillance
Modern wearables create an environment of constant self-monitoring that human psychology isn't naturally equipped to handle. Dr James Mitchell, a consultant psychiatrist specialising in health anxiety at King's College London, explains the underlying mechanisms. "These devices provide continuous streams of physiological data that most users aren't equipped to interpret correctly. A temporary spike in heart rate during stress becomes a source of worry rather than useful information. Users gradually lose touch with their natural body awareness and become fixated on the numbers."
The psychological impact extends far beyond heart conditions. Sleep tracking, one of the most popular wearable features, has created a new condition researchers call "orthosomnia" - the obsession with achieving perfect sleep metrics. A 2024 study in Sleep Medicine found that individuals using sleep-tracking devices reported higher sleep-related anxiety and paradoxically worse subjective sleep quality despite objective improvements in sleep duration.
The problem lies partly in how these devices present information. Many wearables use alarming notifications, red warning signals, and urgent alerts for readings that might represent perfectly normal physiological variations. They measure and alert without providing adequate context, leaving users to interpret complex physiological data without medical training or understanding of normal biological variability.
Research published in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine demonstrates that wearables can trigger what psychologists term "safety behaviours" - repetitive checking and monitoring that provides temporary reassurance but ultimately reinforces anxiety. Users develop compulsive checking patterns, constantly seeking confirmation that their metrics are "normal" whilst becoming increasingly sensitive to any deviation from expected values.
When Health Data Becomes Health Obsession
The phenomenon of device-induced anxiety manifests in several distinct patterns. Some users become fixated on achieving perfect daily targets, experiencing distress when they fail to meet arbitrary step counts or calorie goals. Others develop hypervigilance about physiological variations, interpreting normal fluctuations as signs of serious health problems.
Dr Sarah Thompson, a clinical psychologist specialising in health anxiety at the Maudsley Hospital, describes typical presentations. "We're seeing patients who wake up multiple times during the night to check their sleep tracking data, or who become panicked by heart rate variations that are completely within normal limits. The devices that were meant to provide peace of mind are creating a state of perpetual health surveillance and worry."
The constant availability of health data can be particularly problematic for individuals with pre-existing anxiety disorders or hypochondriac tendencies. For these users, wearables can become tools that fuel rather than calm their health concerns. Every notification becomes a potential threat, every unusual reading a reason for extensive worry and internet searching about possible medical conditions.
Research from Stanford University, published in JAMA Psychiatry, found that individuals with health anxiety who used wearable devices showed increased healthcare utilisation, with more frequent GP visits and requests for diagnostic testing despite having no underlying medical conditions. The study highlighted how technology intended to reduce healthcare costs through prevention might actually increase unnecessary medical consultations.
The Science of Normal Biological Variation
One of the fundamental problems with consumer wearables is their tendency to pathologise normal biological variation. Heart rate, blood pressure, sleep patterns, and activity levels naturally fluctuate throughout the day and between individuals. What constitutes "normal" varies significantly based on age, fitness level, medication use, stress levels, and numerous other factors.
Dr Michael Chen, a cardiologist at Imperial College Healthcare Trust, emphasises the importance of understanding these variations. "I regularly see patients concerned about heart rate readings from their devices that are completely normal. A resting heart rate of 55 beats per minute might be perfectly healthy for a fit individual, whilst 85 beats per minute could be normal for someone less conditioned. The devices often lack the sophistication to account for individual baseline variations."
Sleep tracking presents similar challenges. Normal sleep architecture varies significantly between individuals and across different life stages. Some people naturally experience more light sleep, whilst others have longer periods of deep sleep. Age-related changes in sleep patterns are normal but often trigger anxiety when highlighted by tracking devices.
The accuracy limitations of consumer wearables compound these interpretation challenges. Studies have shown that most consumer devices have error rates of 10-20% for heart rate monitoring and even larger variations for more complex metrics like blood oxygen saturation or sleep stage detection. These inaccuracies can lead to false alarms and unnecessary health anxiety.
Digital Wellness Strategies for Mindful Monitoring
Despite these concerns, wearables aren't inherently problematic when used thoughtfully. The key lies in developing a healthy relationship with the technology and understanding its appropriate role in health management. Evidence-based strategies can help users maintain the benefits whilst avoiding the psychological pitfalls.
Establishing Healthy Boundaries
Setting clear boundaries with wearable notifications represents the first step towards healthier usage. Most devices allow extensive customisation of alerts, and users should consider disabling non-urgent notifications during sleep, work, or relaxation periods. The goal should be receiving information that supports health decisions rather than constant streams of data that create anxiety.
Research from the University of California San Francisco suggests that users who customise their notification settings report better relationships with their devices and lower levels of technology-related stress. The study found that limiting alerts to genuinely actionable information significantly improved user satisfaction and reduced anxiety.
Focusing on Trends Rather Than Individual Data Points
One of the most important psychological shifts involves moving from daily data obsession to longer-term pattern recognition. Weekly or monthly averages provide much more meaningful health insights whilst reducing anxiety about day-to-day fluctuations. This approach aligns with how healthcare professionals typically interpret physiological data.
Dr Lisa Park, a behavioural scientist studying digital health adoption, explains the benefits of this approach. "When patients focus on trends over weeks or months rather than daily variations, they develop a much healthier relationship with their data. They begin to see the bigger picture of their health journey rather than getting caught up in normal daily fluctuations."
Maintaining Body Awareness and Intuition
Perhaps the most crucial aspect of healthy wearable use involves maintaining trust in natural body awareness alongside technological feedback. Users should be encouraged to notice how they feel physically and emotionally, using device data to complement rather than replace this internal awareness.
Research published in Mindfulness journal demonstrates that individuals who practice regular body awareness exercises, such as mindfulness meditation or progressive muscle relaxation, maintain healthier relationships with their wearable devices. They're less likely to develop device-dependent anxiety and more likely to use the technology constructively.
Understanding Technology Limitations
Consumer wearables, despite their sophisticated appearance, have significant limitations that users must understand. These devices are not medical instruments and should not be treated as diagnostic tools. They provide estimates and trends rather than precise medical measurements, and their accuracy can be affected by numerous factors.
Environmental and Physical Factors
Wearable accuracy can be significantly impacted by environmental conditions, device placement, skin tone, tattoos, and physical activity. Cold weather can affect blood flow and sensor accuracy. Excessive sweating or loose device placement can create false readings. Motion artifacts during exercise can interfere with heart rate monitoring.
Understanding these limitations helps users interpret unusual readings more rationally. A suddenly elevated heart rate reading during a bumpy car journey is likely due to motion artifacts rather than a cardiac event. Recognising these technical limitations reduces the likelihood of misinterpreting normal device quirks as health problems.
The Difference Between Consumer and Medical Devices
Medical-grade monitoring equipment used in hospitals and clinics undergoes rigorous accuracy testing and regulatory approval. Consumer wearables, whilst increasingly sophisticated, are designed for general wellness rather than medical diagnosis. The algorithms used to interpret data are optimised for population averages rather than individual medical assessment.
This distinction is crucial for users to understand. Whilst a wearable might indicate an irregular heart rhythm, only medical-grade equipment and professional interpretation can determine whether this represents a clinically significant problem requiring treatment.
Professional Guidance and Medical Integration
The optimal approach to wearable technology involves integrating device data with professional medical guidance rather than attempting to interpret complex physiological information independently.
When to Seek Medical Advice
Certain situations warrant professional medical consultation regardless of wearable device readings. Persistent symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, or palpitations should always be evaluated by healthcare professionals. Similarly, significant changes in baseline measurements or repeatedly abnormal readings merit medical assessment.
However, it's equally important to understand when wearable data doesn't require immediate medical attention. Single abnormal readings, especially without accompanying symptoms, often represent normal variations or device errors rather than medical emergencies.
Collaborative Healthcare Approaches
Many healthcare providers are beginning to integrate wearable data into patient care, but this requires careful interpretation by qualified professionals. Some NHS trusts now accept certain wearable data as part of remote monitoring programmes for patients with chronic conditions.
Dr Rachel Williams, a GP specialising in digital health integration, describes the evolving landscape. "We're learning how to use wearable data constructively in patient care. The key is helping patients understand what the data means and when it's actionable. Professional interpretation prevents the anxiety that comes from trying to make sense of complex physiological information without medical training."
The Future of Anxious-Free Health Monitoring
The wearable technology industry is beginning to recognise and address the psychological challenges associated with health monitoring devices. Future developments focus on providing more contextual information, reducing false alarms, and supporting mental wellness alongside physical health tracking.
Improved User Interface Design
Next-generation wearables are incorporating psychological research into their interface design. Instead of alarming red notifications for readings outside normal ranges, newer devices provide more nuanced feedback with educational context. They explain what readings mean and when they require attention versus when they represent normal variation.
Some manufacturers are implementing "mindful notification" systems that reduce alert frequency during stressful periods or when users have indicated they're feeling anxious. These systems aim to provide information without overwhelming users with data that might increase rather than decrease anxiety.
Artificial Intelligence and Personalisation
Advanced artificial intelligence systems are being developed to learn individual baseline patterns and provide more personalised assessments. Rather than comparing readings to population averages, future devices will understand individual normal ranges and alert users only to genuinely significant deviations.
Machine learning algorithms are also being trained to recognise when users might be developing unhealthy relationships with their devices. These systems could potentially intervene with suggestions for more mindful usage patterns or recommend professional support when appropriate.
Integration with Mental Health Support
Recognition of the mental health impacts of health monitoring is leading to integration between physical tracking and psychological support features. Some devices now include stress management tools, mindfulness reminders, and even connections to mental health resources when users show signs of device-related anxiety.
Research partnerships between technology companies and mental health organisations are developing evidence-based interventions to support healthy relationships with monitoring technology whilst preserving the genuine health benefits these devices can provide.
Practical Guidelines for Healthy Wearable Use
For individuals who want to benefit from wearable technology whilst avoiding its psychological pitfalls, several evidence-based strategies can help maintain a healthy balance.
Establishing Personal Usage Rules
Creating personal guidelines for wearable use helps prevent obsessive monitoring behaviours. This might include designated "device-free" periods during meals, before bedtime, or during social activities. Some users benefit from checking their data only once or twice daily rather than constantly throughout the day.
Setting realistic goals based on personal health status rather than arbitrary device targets helps maintain motivation without creating unrealistic pressure. A person recovering from illness might focus on gradual activity increases rather than achieving population-average step counts.
Educational Approach to Data Interpretation
Learning to interpret wearable data correctly reduces anxiety and improves the technology's utility. This includes understanding normal ranges for different age groups and fitness levels, recognising factors that can affect readings, and knowing when variations are likely to be meaningful versus normal fluctuations.
Many users benefit from brief educational sessions with healthcare providers about interpreting their specific device data. This professional guidance helps establish realistic expectations and appropriate responses to different types of readings.
Balancing Technology with Intuitive Health Awareness
The most successful wearable users maintain strong connections to their natural body awareness whilst using technology as a supportive tool. This involves regularly checking in with physical sensations, energy levels, and emotional state independently from device feedback.
Practices such as mindfulness meditation, body scanning, or simply taking moments throughout the day to notice how you feel physically can help maintain this balance. Users who develop strong internal health awareness are less likely to become dependent on external technological validation.
Special Considerations for Vulnerable Populations
Certain groups may be particularly susceptible to developing problematic relationships with wearable technology and require additional support or modified approaches.
Individuals with Anxiety Disorders
People with pre-existing anxiety disorders, particularly health anxiety or obsessive-compulsive tendencies, may need professional guidance before beginning wearable use. For some individuals, the constant availability of health data can exacerbate existing mental health conditions.
Mental health professionals increasingly recommend careful assessment before introducing wearable technology for anxious patients. In some cases, the benefits of health monitoring are outweighed by the psychological costs, and alternative approaches to health management may be more appropriate.
Elderly Users and Technology Adaptation
Older adults may face particular challenges with wearable technology, including difficulty interpreting complex interfaces and higher anxiety about health changes. However, they may also benefit significantly from monitoring capabilities when properly supported.
Research suggests that elderly users benefit from simplified interfaces, clear educational materials, and regular check-ins with healthcare providers to interpret their data. Family support and involvement can help older adults use wearable technology constructively without developing problematic anxiety patterns.
Chronic Disease Populations
Individuals with chronic health conditions often have the most to gain from wearable monitoring but may also be most vulnerable to developing anxiety about their readings. These users typically require more intensive professional support to interpret their data appropriately.
Successful chronic disease monitoring programmes typically combine wearable technology with regular healthcare provider contact, educational support, and clear guidelines about when readings require immediate attention versus normal self-management.
The Economic and Social Implications
The psychological impacts of wearable technology extend beyond individual health to broader economic and social considerations.
Healthcare System Impacts
The phenomenon of wearable-induced health anxiety has measurable impacts on healthcare utilisation. Studies suggest that worried wearable users are more likely to seek unnecessary medical consultations, request diagnostic testing, and use emergency services for non-urgent concerns.
While some healthcare systems are working to integrate wearable data constructively, others are experiencing increased demand from anxious users seeking reassurance about normal device readings. This represents a challenge for healthcare resource allocation and highlights the importance of supporting healthy technology relationships.
Workplace and Social Considerations
Many employers now provide wearable devices as part of workplace wellness programmes. However, the potential for these devices to increase rather than decrease employee anxiety represents an important consideration for occupational health programmes.
Social comparison enabled by sharing wearable data can also contribute to competitive behaviours and anxiety about health metrics. Some users report feeling pressured to achieve step count targets or other metrics to maintain social standings within app-based communities.
Evidence-Based Recommendations for Healthcare Providers
Healthcare professionals play a crucial role in helping patients develop healthy relationships with wearable technology. Evidence-based approaches can help maximise benefits whilst minimising psychological risks.
Assessment and Education
Healthcare providers should assess patients' psychological readiness for health monitoring technology, particularly those with existing anxiety or obsessive tendencies. Educational discussions about device limitations, normal biological variation, and appropriate responses to different readings can prevent many problems.
Providing clear guidelines about when to seek medical attention versus when to reassure themselves helps patients use their devices constructively. Many users benefit from written resources explaining their specific health conditions and how wearable data might relate to their management.
Monitoring for Problematic Use
Regular check-ins about patients' relationships with their wearable devices can identify developing problems early. Signs of problematic use include excessive worry about normal readings, frequent requests for reassurance about device data, or significant life disruption due to health monitoring anxiety.
Healthcare providers should be prepared to recommend modified usage patterns, provide additional education, or refer for mental health support when wearable technology is contributing to rather than supporting patient wellbeing.
Conclusion: Technology as a Tool, Not a Master
The question of whether wearables make us healthier or more anxious doesn't have a simple answer. Like most powerful technologies, the impact depends entirely on how we choose to use them. For some individuals, wearable devices provide valuable insights that support better health decisions and improved quality of life. For others, the same technology creates anxiety and obsessive monitoring behaviours that detract from wellbeing.
The key lies in approaching wearable technology with appropriate education, realistic expectations, and strong support systems. Users who understand device limitations, maintain connection to their natural body awareness, and have access to professional guidance when needed are most likely to experience the benefits whilst avoiding the psychological pitfalls.
As wearable technology continues to evolve, the focus must shift from simply providing more data to supporting healthier relationships with that data. This includes better user interface design, more educational resources, and integration with mental health support systems.
The future of health monitoring lies not in choosing between technology and human intuition, but in thoughtfully combining both approaches. Wearable devices can provide valuable objective information whilst we maintain trust in our subjective health awareness and professional medical guidance.
For individuals currently using or considering wearable technology, the message is clear: these devices work best as supportive tools rather than sources of constant worry. With proper education, appropriate boundaries, and professional support when needed, wearable technology can genuinely contribute to better health outcomes without sacrificing mental wellbeing.
If you find that your wearable device is causing more anxiety than benefit, or if you're struggling to interpret your health data appropriately, professional guidance can help. Understanding your individual health profile, learning to use technology constructively, and developing confidence in your body's natural signals represent important steps towards optimal wellbeing in our increasingly connected world.
The promise of personalised health monitoring remains compelling, but realising that promise requires wisdom, education, and support. When used thoughtfully, wearable technology can indeed make us healthier without making us more anxious. The choice of how to achieve that balance lies with each individual user, ideally supported by knowledgeable healthcare providers who understand both the benefits and limitations of our digital health tools.
For personalised advice about managing health anxiety or interpreting your wearable device data, our qualified GPs are available for consultation via WhatsApp. Get the professional guidance you need to make informed decisions about your health technology and overall wellbeing.