Fantastic app
Great app for keeping track of ‘reserves’ the Apple Watch complication is most useful BUT would be much better if the bar was colour coded. Measures everything relevant and personalisation is fantastic. I always recommend this to anyone in the CFS/ME and fibromyalgia groups
Brilliant App
I’ve had ME for over 20 years and am currently in a severe relapse, spending around 95% of my time in bed.
At the moment I have three different pacing apps on my phone: WatchME for comparison.
For me, WatchME has been by far the most useful.
One is largely based around activity levels, for example giving a morning HRV reading which then informs your day. That may work well for some people, but as someone who is almost completely bedbound, it doesn’t tell me very much about what is happening to me as the day progresses.
The other contains a huge amount of information, but I personally find it overwhelming. When cognitive fatigue and brain fog are significant, I struggle to know which metrics I should actually be paying attention to.
What I like about WatchME is that it is simple enough to use when I’m unwell but still provides meaningful information. I did need a little help initially to understand how best to set my personal parameters, but once I had it configured it became very easy to understand.
The biggest benefit for me has been the continuous HRV monitoring. My HRV fluctuates considerably throughout the day and often mirrors changes in my symptoms. During periods of worsening symptoms I’ve seen it fall as low as 8, whereas on better days it may sit in the 20s or occasionally higher. Being able to see those changes happening in real time has been extremely helpful for pacing and understanding what my body is doing.
Because of that, activity-based measures are often less useful for me. My biggest energy drains are frequently cognitive and emotional rather than physical. Writing, conversations, everyday stuff like catching up on emails or even processing memories can all trigger post-exertional worsening despite barely moving from my bed.
One thing that has surprised me is how often those periods of cognitive and emotional exertion seem to show up in my HRV. I can spend an entire day in bed and still end up worse despite doing very little physically. The HRV trends often reflect what is happening before I fully appreciate it myself.
I also contacted the developer with a question and received a prompt, thoughtful response. It was refreshing to get support from someone who clearly understands the challenges faced by people using the app.
Obviously no app can manage ME for us, and different tools will suit different people. However, for someone who is largely bedbound and trying to pace not just physical activity but also cognitive and emotional exertion, WatchME has genuinely helped me understand my illness better and pace more effectively during a severe relapse.
I know everyone’s situation is different, but I thought it was worth sharing my experience because most discussions about pacing apps seem to come from people who are still relatively active. For those of us who are largely housebound or bedbound, the things we need from a pacing app can be quite different.
I hope this might help some of you out there……..😊
At the moment I have three different pacing apps on my phone: WatchME for comparison.
For me, WatchME has been by far the most useful.
One is largely based around activity levels, for example giving a morning HRV reading which then informs your day. That may work well for some people, but as someone who is almost completely bedbound, it doesn’t tell me very much about what is happening to me as the day progresses.
The other contains a huge amount of information, but I personally find it overwhelming. When cognitive fatigue and brain fog are significant, I struggle to know which metrics I should actually be paying attention to.
What I like about WatchME is that it is simple enough to use when I’m unwell but still provides meaningful information. I did need a little help initially to understand how best to set my personal parameters, but once I had it configured it became very easy to understand.
The biggest benefit for me has been the continuous HRV monitoring. My HRV fluctuates considerably throughout the day and often mirrors changes in my symptoms. During periods of worsening symptoms I’ve seen it fall as low as 8, whereas on better days it may sit in the 20s or occasionally higher. Being able to see those changes happening in real time has been extremely helpful for pacing and understanding what my body is doing.
Because of that, activity-based measures are often less useful for me. My biggest energy drains are frequently cognitive and emotional rather than physical. Writing, conversations, everyday stuff like catching up on emails or even processing memories can all trigger post-exertional worsening despite barely moving from my bed.
One thing that has surprised me is how often those periods of cognitive and emotional exertion seem to show up in my HRV. I can spend an entire day in bed and still end up worse despite doing very little physically. The HRV trends often reflect what is happening before I fully appreciate it myself.
I also contacted the developer with a question and received a prompt, thoughtful response. It was refreshing to get support from someone who clearly understands the challenges faced by people using the app.
Obviously no app can manage ME for us, and different tools will suit different people. However, for someone who is largely bedbound and trying to pace not just physical activity but also cognitive and emotional exertion, WatchME has genuinely helped me understand my illness better and pace more effectively during a severe relapse.
I know everyone’s situation is different, but I thought it was worth sharing my experience because most discussions about pacing apps seem to come from people who are still relatively active. For those of us who are largely housebound or bedbound, the things we need from a pacing app can be quite different.
I hope this might help some of you out there……..😊
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Perfect for chronic fatigue and other chronic illnesses!
Amazing app for pacing! Instead of ignoring my symptoms and overdoing it, this app reminds me to slow down. And being able to look back at previous days is super helpful too!
The widgets are great for a quick glance, and I have the watch complication right in the middle of my watch screen to tell me “Caution!” if that’s how my body is doing that day. And it’s super easy to change the thresholds for alerts—either manually, or letting the app choose the numbers based on your recent history!
And the developer is still developing! Looking forward to seeing how this app continues to grow.
The widgets are great for a quick glance, and I have the watch complication right in the middle of my watch screen to tell me “Caution!” if that’s how my body is doing that day. And it’s super easy to change the thresholds for alerts—either manually, or letting the app choose the numbers based on your recent history!
And the developer is still developing! Looking forward to seeing how this app continues to grow.
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Great daily monitor for cfs/me/lc
Update 12/3 this app keeps getting better and better, with new features added nearly every update this year.
I was pleasantly surprised to open the app today and see an update that now includes a Metric page. I sent my thanks to the developer!
I was pleasantly surprised to open the app today and see an update that now includes a Metric page. I sent my thanks to the developer!
Handy app
I am finding this to be a handy app to keep track of where I’m at day to day. When connected to my watch it’s a considerate battery drain (ironic huh) on my watch but if you don’t mind charging your watch twice a day definitely worth checking out.
