Ep#195 When Your Wearable Becomes Your Stress Coach

Stress isn’t the real problem — it’s what we make it mean. In this episode, I explore how wearable technology combined with AI coaching can help high performers manage stress in real time, break cycles of self-doubt, and boost productivity.

I share a client story to illustrate how self-judgment prolongs stress and show practical ways to respond differently in the moment. Then, we dive into how wearable-tracked metrics like heart rate variability, combined with AI-guided prompts, can give instant, context-specific coaching to help you recover quickly and maintain high performance.

You’ll learn:

• How to shift your mindset to release stress immediately
• How wearables + AI can alert you to stress before it takes over
• How “B- task” breaks procrastination and self-judgment
• Ways to integrate real-time coaching for faster habit change and sharper performance

Special opportunity: I’m inviting a small group of clients to beta test this next-gen approach to stress recovery—combining coaching with wearable-based prompts. Spots are limited, so if you’re a data-driven high performer looking to reduce stress and improve performance, sign up for a free consult today.

----------------------------------- Burnout Resources:
Get 1-on-1 burnout recovery coaching at https:/mini.dexrandall.com

For even more TIPS see
FACEBOOK: @coachdexrandall
INSTAGRAM: @coachdexrandall
LINKEDIN: @coachdexrandall
X: @coachdexrandall

See https://linktr.ee/coachdexrandall for all links

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction to Burnout Recovery
• 0:32 Understanding the Long Tail of Stress
• 0:47 Client Story: Overcoming Procrastination
• 1:51 Strategies to Release Stress
• 2:31 AI and Wearables for Stress Management
• 4:13 Benefits of Real-Time Stress Alerts
• 5:26 Invitation to Beta Test
• 5:51 Book a Free Consult

Transcript

[00:00:00] Hi everyone. My name's Dex Randall, and this is the Burnout Recovery Podcast where I teach professionals to recover from burnout and get back to passion and reward at work.

[00:00:22] Hello my friends, and welcome to this week's episode on wearables and AI, stress recovery made simple. When we experience stress during the day, the thing that prolongs it the most is what we make that stress mean. The good news, we can change our mind and resolve stress quickly.

[00:00:44] And here's how. My client, Derek, hadn't completed an overdue budget plan, but instead of just doing it, he worried about falling behind and he kept asking himself what was wrong with him? That worry quickly spiraled into self-blame and fear, which paralyzed him. And the budget stayed unfinished. Perhaps you recognize this dynamic.

[00:01:10] Do you have cycles where self-judgment ramps up your stress? Most people in burnout procrastinate, and this is usually why.

[00:01:20] The critical link in Derek's chain was the story he told himself, that falling behind meant he was a failure. If he had instead told himself "It's not a problem. I can finish it now", he probably would've just got on with the plan.

[00:01:37] Our daily stress crises often contain doubt, blame, frustration, or resentment. Each of these reactions leaves us feeling powerless, but here's the key. We can change what happens next. If Derek had offered himself confidence and encouragement, he could have freed up his brain and simply completed the plan.

[00:02:02] Another suggestion I give clients is do the task at B minus -trade imperfect for complete. Often this alone breaks the deadlock because your B minus will likely be received by others as an A plus. And if not, at least you've moved it forward and you can add polish later. Try this next time you're stuck.

[00:02:27] So that's two ways to release stress in the moment. But...

[00:02:31] What if you could get real time context-specific help while you're under pressure at work? Well, you can through AI. I'm currently exploring fitness tracker triggered coaching moments with clients.

[00:02:48] Imagine this, your wearable detects a spike in stress and it asks you what's going on, and then offers real-time coaching suggestions to help reduce the strain. It tracks shifts in your heart rate or heart rate variability(HRV), which reflect emotional stress and your adaptability. For example, my Whoop tracker shows HRV as one overnight figure.

[00:03:16] But lately, I've been testing an app which uses facial scans to measure stress, then an AI coach steps in with context specific suggestions to support fast recovery. This kind of input can bring you out of freeze, restore vagus nerve tone, and bring the prefrontal cortex back online.

[00:03:38] This is your decision making, executive function capacity.

[00:03:42] I've been using my Whoop for about 18 months and it's been invaluable in helping me understand my mind and body's rhythms and its distress signals. It's helped me optimize sleep, exercise, recovery, and stress management, far better than intuition or guesswork ever could.

[00:04:04] For my clients, extending this to stress alerts offers a powerful opportunity for rapid learning and habit change, and increases daily productivity.

[00:04:15] Why?

[00:04:17] The low friction coaching hits at the exact moment habit change is needed, in real time. The alternative is perseverating for hours, days, or even weeks on the same problem.

[00:04:30] Something that chronically erodes mood, wrecks sleep, and perpetuates burnout. And as you know, relationships often bear the brunt of that fallout.

[00:04:43] So here's the takeaway. Stress itself isn't the real problem. It's what we make it mean. Change the story in the moment and you change your ability to recover quickly and move forward.

[00:04:56] And now with wearable data and AI prompts, we can take stress recovery to the next level. Instead of noticing stress hours later, you can get support right when it happens 24-7. Helping you break cycles of doubt and procrastination before they cost you energy.

[00:05:17] I'm inviting a small group of clients to beta test this approach with me.

[00:05:21] You'll combine coaching with real time stress prompts so you can learn faster, build new habits on the fly, and see immediate improvements in performance and peace of mind.

[00:05:34] If you are a data-driven high performer, this is your chance to be part of the next gen approach to stress recovery and sharper performance.

[00:05:42] Sign up for a free consult today at dexrandall.com. Spots are limited.

[00:05:50] The future of high performance is stress recovery.

[00:05:54] That's what I have for you today. If you found value in this episode, please share it with your friends and rate or review the podcast, because this is how we reach more people who need a little bit of support.

[00:06:07] Thank you for listening. Join me for more stress relief next week.