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The Cockney Rebel

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Nov 16, 2018
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I have mental health diagnoses (EUPD/BPD & OCD) and my anxiety is just bad all round, to be honest.

Received an alert that my heart rate was above 120BPM once in the class, and once at the train station when on my way home.

Do you think this is anything to worry about, or do you just think it's my anxiety firing up?

Thanks in advance, for any advice offered.
 
Last edited:

Juicy Box

macrumors 604
Sep 23, 2014
7,578
8,919
I have mental health diagnoses (EUPD/BPD & OCD) and my anxiety is just bad all round, to be honest.

Received an alert that my blood pressure was above 120BPM once in the class, and once at the train station when on my way home.

Do you think this is anything to worry about, or do you just think it's my anxiety firing up?

Thanks in advance, for any advice offered.
First let me say this is definitely something you wanna talk to a doctor about, MR probably not the best place for medical advice.

Second, do you mean heart rate? Or blood pressure?
 

Howard2k

macrumors 603
Mar 10, 2016
5,664
5,581
Might be that the watch is too loose and not getting a good reading. Regardless, I agree, this isn't the place to get medical advice.
 

sdwaltz

macrumors 65816
Apr 29, 2015
1,086
1,742
Indiana
As others have said, AW can't measure blood pressure so I'm going to assume you mean your heart rate.

Highly likely that it's your anxiety (ask me how I know), but I'm not a doctor and I'd say it's worth mentioning.
 
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Piscestg

Cancelled
Dec 11, 2022
168
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I have my watch set to alert me for a heart rate below 50BPM while sleeping. It is usually 55 to 60 while I sleep. I get an alert now and then but my doctor said 40 beats or more per minute is fine. I would definitely ask the doctor if you're hitting 120 while not being fairly active.
 
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The Cockney Rebel

macrumors 68030
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Nov 16, 2018
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First let me say this is definitely something you wanna talk to a doctor about, MR probably not the best place for medical advice.

Second, do you mean heart rate? Or blood pressure?
Thanks for the response.

I think it was heart rate? Just checked the Health app, and indeed it was my heart rate.
 

The Cockney Rebel

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Nov 16, 2018
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Might be that the watch is too loose and not getting a good reading. Regardless, I agree, this isn't the place to get medical advice.
I was wearing one of my snug fitting solo loops, so a good connection.

Thanks for the feedback.
 

BenGoren

macrumors 6502a
Jun 10, 2021
502
1,427
I would definitely suggest letting your primary care physician (or equivalent) and / or therapist know about this.

A heart rate of 120 BPM is consistent with moderate exercise — not just a brisk walk, but on the verge of breaking out into a run. For some, it’s an easy run.

Anxiety could certainly cause such a fast heart rate while you’re just sitting around, but that’s no garden variety anxiety; it’s closing in on a panic attack.

Since you’ve got the Apple Watch … in addition to, first and foremost, getting advice and help from your doctor and / or therapist … may I recommend?

Make the Breathe app your new favorite.

It’s far from a magic bullet, but simply focussing your attention on your breath, breathing deliberately and with intention and awareness, is an easy, free, and healthy way to reduce stress. It won’t eliminate stress; far from it! But even just taking some of the edge off can have disproportionate benefits.

A “pro” tip — not that I’m even remotely close to a “pro.” But: your mind will wander, instantly. You’ll get to a great start, being aware of your breath. And a few seconds later you’ll be thinking about something else. This is normal, expected, human, and not in the least a failure. Keeping your attention on your breath is actually your second priority; your first priority is to recognize when your attention has wavered from your breath. So, the moment that you realize that you’re not thinking about your breath? That’s a win. Big, huge, monumental win. You want to rack up as many of those points as you can, without worrying about how long you can keep your attention on your breath before your mind wanders.

Awareness of any part of your breathing counts: the sound, the exertion, the way your chest changes shape, the feeling of air in your upper lungs compared with the feeling in your lower lungs, the tempo, the urge to breathe faster or slower … you just want to become the world’s greatest expert on your own breath. You’re not trying to breathe in a particular way; fast or slow, smooth or ragged, easy or labored, controlled or uncontrolled … the point is awareness, not control. It is what it is, but do you know what it is? (And posture rather than breath is also fair game, especially the interaction between posture and breathing.)

It’s also a skill that, like any other, takes practice — and which, also like any other, is impossible to perfect.

If you’re so inclined, feel free to incorporate this into any secular or sacred meditative or prayerful practice you might be drawn to. Many traditions have some variation on the theme.

But the purpose here is to learn how to breathe with intention and awareness … which, surprisingly, is a much bigger challenge than most people realize. And also much more rewarding than you might think, too …

Cheers (and best of luck!),

b&
 

The Cockney Rebel

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Nov 16, 2018
2,789
3,371
I would definitely suggest letting your primary care physician (or equivalent) and / or therapist know about this.

A heart rate of 120 BPM is consistent with moderate exercise — not just a brisk walk, but on the verge of breaking out into a run. For some, it’s an easy run.

Anxiety could certainly cause such a fast heart rate while you’re just sitting around, but that’s no garden variety anxiety; it’s closing in on a panic attack.

Since you’ve got the Apple Watch … in addition to, first and foremost, getting advice and help from your doctor and / or therapist … may I recommend?

Make the Breathe app your new favorite.

It’s far from a magic bullet, but simply focussing your attention on your breath, breathing deliberately and with intention and awareness, is an easy, free, and healthy way to reduce stress. It won’t eliminate stress; far from it! But even just taking some of the edge off can have disproportionate benefits.

A “pro” tip — not that I’m even remotely close to a “pro.” But: your mind will wander, instantly. You’ll get to a great start, being aware of your breath. And a few seconds later you’ll be thinking about something else. This is normal, expected, human, and not in the least a failure. Keeping your attention on your breath is actually your second priority; your first priority is to recognize when your attention has wavered from your breath. So, the moment that you realize that you’re not thinking about your breath? That’s a win. Big, huge, monumental win. You want to rack up as many of those points as you can, without worrying about how long you can keep your attention on your breath before your mind wanders.

Awareness of any part of your breathing counts: the sound, the exertion, the way your chest changes shape, the feeling of air in your upper lungs compared with the feeling in your lower lungs, the tempo, the urge to breathe faster or slower … you just want to become the world’s greatest expert on your own breath. You’re not trying to breathe in a particular way; fast or slow, smooth or ragged, easy or labored, controlled or uncontrolled … the point is awareness, not control. It is what it is, but do you know what it is? (And posture rather than breath is also fair game, especially the interaction between posture and breathing.)

It’s also a skill that, like any other, takes practice — and which, also like any other, is impossible to perfect.

If you’re so inclined, feel free to incorporate this into any secular or sacred meditative or prayerful practice you might be drawn to. Many traditions have some variation on the theme.

But the purpose here is to learn how to breathe with intention and awareness … which, surprisingly, is a much bigger challenge than most people realize. And also much more rewarding than you might think, too …

Cheers (and best of luck!),

b&
Thank you for the detailed advice.

And you're right, I was on the verge of a panic attack.

Wishing you well.
 

Beards

macrumors 65816
Mar 22, 2014
1,387
679
Derbyshire UK
Your watch can and often give a spike of an incorrect reading, mine often does this. What you should be looking at is if that 120bpm is constant. A rapid change from say 65bpm to 120 instantly and you would know it without the watch informing you.
What I would recommend is you download an App on your watch that con give you precise readings. For this I use Heart Analyzer:- https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/heart-analyzer-cardio-monitor/id1006420410
Here is a screen grab I just took from my watch:-
 

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GlenK

macrumors 65816
Aug 1, 2013
1,472
930
St. Augustine, FL
I've been in Afib for 12 years so monitor my heart closely. You've had some great advice here and thanks Beards for recommending that app. I'll download it today.

I'm pretty new to AW and got my first one just over a year ago. My S7 will take an ECG too. You might want to check that and see if yours will too. It was on the Watch in Apps as ECG and shows its finding on your iPhone. It takes 30 seconds and just make sure you hold down the crown for the full 30 seconds. You should get a notification on your iPhone when it's ready. Can't remember if you need to set anything up in the Health app first or not.

If anything weird continues I agree with the advice of contacting your Dr asap..
 

5425642

Cancelled
Jan 19, 2019
983
554
I have my watch set to alert me for a heart rate below 50BPM while sleeping. It is usually 55 to 60 while I sleep. I get an alert now and then but my doctor said 40 beats or more per minute is fine. I would definitely ask the doctor if you're hitting 120 while not being fairly active.
Below 50? I'm around 40 when resting
 

jagolden

macrumors 68000
Feb 11, 2002
1,580
1,490
As others have said, AW can't measure blood pressure so I'm going to assume you mean your heart rate.

Highly likely that it's your anxiety (ask me how I know), but I'm not a doctor and I'd say it's worth mentioning.
BPM = Beats Per Minute.
 

BenGoren

macrumors 6502a
Jun 10, 2021
502
1,427
Two more quick points …

First, just as the in-campus student health services won’t treat cancer, the student counseling services won’t treat serious mental illnesses. But they will be more than happy to help you with the kinds of struggles students regularly face — and, of course, get you a referral to off-campus help for SMI if you need it.

Second, consider setting the threshold for high heart rate alerts a bit lower, and think of it as an early warning sign of a potentially imminent panic attack. If your therapist has given you skills to head one off at the pass, use them. If not, at least try to dispassionately observe both what’s going through your head and what physical sensations you’re experiencing. Those are important puzzle pieces that can help you and your therapist understand what’s happening.

Also … college is intimidating. Everybody — and I mean everybody — suffers from imposter syndrome. Even the faculty. And there will be lots that doesn’t make sense as well as even more that makes sense but you can’t remember without looking it up. And and and and and.

The key is to persevere anyway, and the challenge is to figure out how to do that. You will fail, and often, at the small things like homework problems. You may well fail at bigger things, like tests and even entire courses. If you want the degree, you’ll have to figure out how to pick yourself up again and how to head off future failures at the pass.

Good luck. You’ll need it, but it’s worth it.

b&
 
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Piscestg

Cancelled
Dec 11, 2022
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190
Below 50? I'm around 40 when resting
Mine only gets to 50 when I'm sleeping. I probably could drop that alert to 40 but I just want to see how often it gets to 50 or less. I'm not a young kid anymore so it's just for my info.
 

StarShot

macrumors 65816
Mar 31, 2014
1,151
397
There's always the old saw, 220 minus your age which supposedly give you your maximum heart rate. Multiply that number by 85% and that number is the maximum you should normally see. I use 75% for my maximum. I normally see my heart rate at 60ish while sitting.
 

5425642

Cancelled
Jan 19, 2019
983
554
Mine only gets to 50 when I'm sleeping. I probably could drop that alert to 40 but I just want to see how often it gets to 50 or less. I'm not a young kid anymore so it's just for my info.
I understand I'm 35, don't know if I'm counting as young or not.

Don't know where I am when I'm sleeping don't have my watch on me when I'm sleeping
 

Piscestg

Cancelled
Dec 11, 2022
168
190
I understand I'm 35, don't know if I'm counting as young or not.

Don't know where I am when I'm sleeping don't have my watch on me when I'm sleeping
Well I have 30 years on you so in my book you are young. But beware, time goes by faster the older you get. However experience and wisdom helps counteract growing old. ;)

I like to see my sleep data as I often don't sleep well. So while doing that I keep track of my heart rate since it's available.
 
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