My Look: Apple Watch, Dress, Mules, Bag
Happy Thursday, Sistas!
Today I wanted to chat about a serious game changer, the Apple Watch. The Apple Watch wasn’t something I really wanted to like and furthermore, definitely did not think I would love. After becoming completely addicted to it over the past few months, I wanted to put together this post to share the ways the Apple Watch has helped me to be more mindful and active in my daily life! Before I get into it, the apple watch that I currently use is this one “Apple Watch Series 3 (Gps + Cellular), 42mm Gold Aluminum Case with Pink Sand Sport Band,” and can be found here.
I would also very much like to point out that I am not a “techy” person. I actually tend to be rather challenged in the technology department. This might sound funny because I am a blogger and all of my work is online, ha! However, I really can be challenged with things like tv’s, setting up electronics, & getting them all to work without breaking. The computer is in a totally different category for me, but explaining that is for another day, haha. That’s why, I was so surprised to find the apple watch so simple. If you have an iPhone, it will be extremely easy for you to get used to it.
SO, here are some of the main ways the Apple Watch has helped me be more mindful!
1. You can set a “move” goal.
This is the coolest thing. A move goal on the Apple Watch is basically telling your watch how active you want to be throughout the day. From there, the watch will give you reminders to get moving, will give you a message that it’s time to go out on a walk, and let you know how much more “activity” time you need throughout the day. Of course there are days where I don’t hit my move goal, but when I do it sure feels GREAT. I find that I sleep better, am more present in my work, and am happier on days where I’m really working towards my move goal! The move goal is not just minutes spent exercising, but rather overall minutes spent being active during a full day period. You can also share your move goal with friends to help motivate each other! There have been times when I see that a friend has just worked out and it motivates me to get out on a walk. It’s pretty awesome!
2. Tracking and paying attention to how much exercise I’m getting.
This one has been HUGE! Prior to purchasing the Apple Watch, I wasn’t so great at tracking how many steps I was taking throughout the day because I used to just use my phone which wasn’t always accurate. Being active is a big priority for me and often times I would feel disappointed when tracking my steps on my phone because the step count wasn’t accurate as I would set my phone down throughout the day.
I tried another fitness watch a few years ago, but found that I fell out of using it after only a few weeks. The big difference I’ve noticed when using the Apple Watch is that it literally tracks every bit of movement during the time you wear it AND also acts as your cell phone as needed. It has me feeling so much more motivated to go out on a walk because I try and hit my daily step goal of 10k steps per day.
3. The stand reminder.
Similar to being more mindful of how much exercise I’m getting, I also have my Apple Watch set to remind me to stand throughout the day. This is especially helpful if you work at a desk or in an office and tend to be sitting a lot of the day! You can change the amount of time you want to be standing and honestly any bit helps. The watch will give you a little reminder when it’s time to stand up and move around for a few minutes. In this time, you can walk around the office, get some water, use the bathroom, whatever you want to do!
4. Just breathe.
This portion of my Apple Watch has been a REAL game changer for me. There’s a setting on the watch called “breathe” where you can have the watch remind you to take periods of one-minute breathing breaks throughout the day. You can even choose to have the watch vibrate with little pulses when you should be breathing in and out. It is INCREDIBLY helpful and forces me to take that minute to breathe deeply. This isn’t something that I’m naturally good at throughout the day and before I had this reminder, I would rarely stop to have a minute of meditation. However, the watch really acts like a mini-meditation guide and helps a lot. I actually used it just this morning as I was feeling super anxious in traffic and it did the trick of helping my anxiety.
5. I can leave my phone AT HOME.
When I’m taking my dog out on long walks in the evening, I absolutely love being able to leave my phone at home when I have my Apple Watch on me. I essentially always know that I can make a call in a heartbeat if I need to and it helps me to take some time away from my cell phone. At first I wasn’t sure if I would use the cellular data on the Apple Watch but now I am so thankful that I have it! Wearing my watch allows me to feel disconnected from technology but also make sure I’m being safe out on a walk or hike.
Some other things I’ve been loving about the Apple Watch is that I can tell if a call or text is pressing or not, am able to listen to music and podcasts, can use it for directions when driving, & so much more!
Let me know if you have any questions at all, I’m happy to help if you’re thinking about getting one. 🙂 This little device has made a big impact in my life & I am grateful for it!
Thanks for stopping by!
