{"id":936882,"date":"2024-10-03T07:00:10","date_gmt":"2024-10-03T07:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ouraring.wpengine.com\/?p=936882"},"modified":"2026-09-30T20:01:46","modified_gmt":"2026-09-30T20:01:46","slug":"daytime-stress-feature","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ouraring.wpengine.com\/daytime-stress-feature\/","title":{"rendered":"Discover Oura's Daytime Stress Feature"},"content":{"rendered":"

Oura’s Daytime Stress<\/a> feature empowers members to <\/span>track, understand, and better manage their physiological stress. <\/span><\/p>\n

As Tuomas Romppainen, Senior Product Manager at Oura, who led development of the Stress feature, says: <\/span>\u201cWe wanted to rebrand stress and help members see stress as a resource rather than something to avoid at all costs. <\/span>Members will now have a more holistic picture of their overall wellbeing, and we have a new sensing capability for us to build upon in the future.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

READ MORE: Inside the Ring: Understanding Oura\u2019s New Daytime Stress Feature\u00a0<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

https:\/\/ouraring.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/100323_Stress_30Sec_16x9_Compressed.mp4<\/a><\/video><\/div>\n

The State of Stress<\/b><\/h2>\n

\u201cStressed-out\u201d has become our state of mind. According to<\/span> Gallup<\/span><\/a>, 40% of people around the world say they experienced \u201ca lot of stress\u201d the day before. In the United States,<\/span> 76% of adults<\/span><\/a> report health impacts due to stress, with more than a quarter<\/span> saying<\/span><\/a> they are so stressed they cannot function.<\/span><\/p>\n

Stress isn\u2019t just in your head; it can also affect your physical health. Chronic stress is <\/span>linked<\/span><\/a> to conditions such as heart disease, obesity and metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and arthritis. It can also lead to other mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Perhaps unsurprisingly, stress can also interfere with your ability to fall asleep, stay asleep, and experience <\/span>restorative deep sleep<\/span><\/a>. It also disrupts the normal progression of <\/span>sleep stages,<\/span><\/a> particularly REM sleep.<\/span><\/p>\n

READ MORE: <\/span><\/i>How Stress Affects Your Sleep<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n

Not All Stress Is “Bad”\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

That being said, not all stress is bad. Research shows that a type of stress known as <\/span>hormetic stress<\/span><\/a> can improve and enhance your health and resilience in the long run. Examples of hormetic stress can include exercise, intermittent fasting, exposure to cold or heat, and even small challenges like a crossword puzzle or mind game.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Plus, some fun and relaxing activities can also be perceived as stressful by your body, and show up in your Oura App as periods of stress\u2014think: a sauna session, a competitive game of pickleball, or even a dinner party with friends.<\/span><\/p>\n

LEARN MORE: <\/span><\/i>Reframing Stress: The Difference Between \u201cBad\u201d and \u201cGood\u201d Stress<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n

Optimize your holistic health and manage stress with Oura<\/div>Shop Now<\/a><\/div>\r\n\n

New to Oura: Post-Activity Stress<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Exercise is one of the most common forms of hormetic stress, and your Oura App accounts for it. If Oura detects both a completed activity and elevated stress, it marks that period on your Daytime Stress graph as “Post-activity stress.” This helps you to easily distinguish between stress due to exercise and stress due to other lifestyle factors.<\/p>\n

What Does Daytime Stress Measure? <\/b>\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

How might stress appear in your biometrics? A <\/span>lower-than-usual HRV<\/span><\/a>, for instance, can indicate that your sympathetic nervous system is overworked. Stress might also show up as a<\/span> faster resting heart rate<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>higher respiratory rate<\/span><\/a>, indicating a <\/span>rapid heartbeat and fast, shallow breathing<\/span><\/a> \u2014 both of which are features of a stress response.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Additionally, when exposed to stress, your peripheral body temperature (measured at the base of your fingers), <\/span>can dip<\/span><\/a>. This is because the blood vessels in your hands and fingers can constrict and reduce blood flow.<\/span><\/p>\n

Find more details into how Oura’s Daytime Stress feature measures your biometric responses to stress here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

How Can I Monitor My Stress Levels Throughout The Day?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

You can use the Daytime Stress Feature to keep an eye on your physiological stress levels, which will be categorized into one of four zones:<\/span><\/p>\n