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&