Stress Gauge

• Calm Zone (homeostasis): Your body’s natural state of equilibrium when you’re calmly engaged in regular activities, like working, chatting, or reading, without noticeable physical changes.

• Reactive: Any physical response to specific situations, whether from internal (like emotions) or external factors (like exercise). The Stress Gauge monitors and differentiates these reactions, including changes in heart rate, sweating, or other signs of stress.

• Sympathetic Nervous System (fight-or-flight): Increases reactivity preparing you to meet threats that require immediate action. Your heart beats faster, breathing quickens, palms may get sweaty, and decision-making becomes more impulsive.

• Parasympathetic Nervous System (rest-and-digest): Decreases reactivity to focus on background processes such cell renewal, recovery, and digestion. Your heart rate slows, breathing deepens, digestive activity increases, and the body shifts resources toward maintenance and restoring.

The Stress Gauge chart shows a line which reflects your reactivity. It also uses colours to indicate different types of mental states:

• Purple: Higher reactivity- often linked to emotional responses like stress or excitement.

• Blue: You might be in a calm state, or you could be physically active—like during exercise or movement. Another possible state is physically recovering, which typically happens in the minutes following a physical activity. Even if you're no longer in the Calm zone due to activity, the colour may stay blue, as this doesn't mean you're stressed, just physically engaged.

• Green: Low reactivity—typically seen during restful states like sleep.

When the Stress Gauge shows reactivity above the Calm Zone, it means your body is actively responding to a situation—whether it's stress (purple) or physical activity (blue). Recognizing these moments can help you identify your triggers and manage them more effectively.

On the other hand, spending long periods below the Calm Zone may signal fatigue or low energy, suggesting you might be more vulnerable to getting sick or still in recovery.

Keep reading to learn more about stress resilience and four common patterns you might notice in your Stress Gauge readings, and what they can tell you about your body.

Your Stress Gauge helps you understand how well your body is managing daily demands and recovering from stress. When you spend more time in the Calm Zone (also called homeostasis), it’s a sign of good balance and resilience.

Naturally, you will sometimes move outside this zone, during exercise, challenges, or exciting moments, but returning smoothly to calm shows that your body is handling stress well.

At times, your body may react more strongly to small triggers or take longer to recover. Recognizing these patterns can help you better support your well-being through rest, recovery, or mindful breaks.

Here are the different patterns you may see in your Stress Gauge:

1. Resilient System

2. Delayed Recovery

3. Heightened Sensitivity

4. Depleted Resources

We’ll take a closer look at each below.

When you're Stress Gauge often shows in the Calm Zone (also known as homeostasis), it’s a sign that your body is healthy and thriving. You move through daily life with ease and focus. You might occasionally leave this zone like during a workout or challenging situations, but you naturally bounce back to calm soon after.

High Resilience:

When your Stress Gauge shows High Resilience, it means your body might be handling daily demands well. You spend most of your time in the Calm Zone and naturally recover from brief moments of stress, helping you stay balanced, focused, and at ease through the day.

Low Resilience:

When your Stress Gauge shows Low Resilience, it means your body might be under more pressure than usual. You’re spending more time outside the Calm Zone and recovering more slowly. Pausing for small moments of rest, like a short walk or deep breaths, can help you reset and build resilience over time.

If you notice your Stress Gauge stays high for a while after stress, you’re likely spending extended time in the “fight-or-flight” mode. This means it’s taking longer than usual to recover. Over time, this can wear you down and use up your energy reserves.

High load (Delayed Recovery):

When your Stress Gauge shows High Load (Delayed Recovery), it means your body may be working harder and taking longer to reset, with slower recovery between stress responses. Gentle pauses, like five mindful minutes, can help you recharge and return to calm more easily.

If your Stress Gauge is often spiking, even with small triggers, your system may be extra sensitive right now. That means your body is reacting to everyday stimuli, sometimes unnecessarily, which can lead to feeling drained, even when situations may not be as stressful as you see them.

High Load (Heightened Sensitivity):

When your Stress Gauge shows High Load (Heightened Sensitivity), it means your body might have been on high alert, responding to difficult or exciting challenges. It could also be a sign of increased sensitivity to everyday demands.

A little stress can help you stay sharp, but staying in this state too long, feeling more irritable than usual and maybe even snapping at people, can be draining. Small pauses, like a short walk or deep breaths, can help you return to balance.

Delayed Recovery & Heightened Sensitivity:

When your Stress Gauge shows Delayed Recovery & Heightened Sensitivity, you might notice yourself being more easily triggered and taking longer to return to calm. Even small stressors might feel stronger today. Gentle breaks can help you reset and support your resilience.