I know I’m not alone in my Apple Watch activity ring obsession. Closing the rings, meeting the move goal, the stand goal, the step goal, and on and on and on. Of course, just like the number on the scale these rings define us as human beings, right?! KIDDING!!!

I was like this when I had a Fitbit, my precursor to the Apple Watch. Meeting the steps or calories or whatever lofty goal I could set for myself that meant I was moving my body enough to be healthy and fit. After all this is what we do in order to feel our best, look our best and be our best, right?! Gah, kidding again!

Seriously though, don’t get me started on when I’m working out and the watch isn’t recording my heart rate to give the correct credit for said workout.

Sure, there is an aspect to all of this that is important, but is it everything? I sure hope not. I am guilty as charged, self filed these charges, when it comes to walking around my house at 9:30 PM so I can close a ring. I’m guilty of feeling inadequate for not burning enough calories during my workouts and I’m guilty of letting all this be a total mind F! Yep, I said it. We’re getting real today.

This struggle is almost nearly as bad as the one I have with the scale and I can look each and every one of you in the eye and sincerely tell you that it doesn’t define you as a person, that being healthy comes in lots of forms and that the toll that some of these behaviors take on the mind are more unhealthy than any missed workout or cookie eaten. And I would mean it. I get it and yet, the struggle is real.

This is why I share it with you. You are not alone in feeling all the feelings.

There are many benefits to fitness trackers like the Apple Watch, they are motivating, you can participate in friendly challenges with friends, you can measure your progress. Yes, these are all great, but when we cross the line from motivation to obsession this is when we must reevaluate our priorities.

I’ve been giving this a lot of thought and the way I see it is that I could keep on keeping on and just be obsessed, feel insufficient when a goal is not met and beat myself up about not closing the rings every single day. Or, I could choose a new path. One that promotes my physical health AND my mental health. Friends, this feels like an easy decision.

I’m not planning to give up my Apple Watch or even stop working towards daily health goals, they do matter to me, but I am going to start showing myself a little compassion and re-prioritize the rings. Maybe Apple should implement a meditation ring rather than the “Breathe” reminder that I bet most people don’t pay much attention to.

Here’s how I’m tackling this challenge.

Pick one day a week to be watch free. I’m starting with Monday!

I know that doesn’t seem like much, but the constant checking daily of where I’m at is well, constant, so even releasing myself from that for one day a week is a good start. Ultimately the goal is to get to a place where if I wear my watch great, if I don’t that is okay too!

No more, “I forgot my watch, OMG, does this workout even count?!”.

Zero Competition

For the time being I’m turning off alerts from my friends that I’m connected with on my Apple Watch. I love encouraging them and seeing them crush their own goals, but I’m going to take a time out for now.

Accountability

This is where you come in. Ultimately just putting this out into the universe will help hold me accountable to this new plan.

I want to hear from you! Do you struggle to keep up with the rings, love the way they motivate you, somewhere in the middle? Please share with me!

My Apple Watch Activity Obsession