When it comes to minding our own wellness, keeping ourselves accountable can feel like such a chore. Insert eye roll. 

I grew up as an only child, and the level of accountability focused on me was stifling. Although that amount of attention can be appreciated, it’s also stressful! Constantly being monitored for what you do or where you fail takes a toll. That could be just some of my own childhood influence coming out, but I know I'm not the only one who has taken that hyper-awareness into adulthood.

I’ve had countless conversations with clients while behind the chair, and what I know is that in this age of modern motherhood, the expectations that we put upon ourselves are astronomical. We’re constantly being bombarded by images of incredible beauty and bodies that bounce back to a size two after giving birth. (And the number of cheeky thongs walking the beach these days seems higher than ever, right?) At the same time, there’s the beautiful voice of the female-empowerment movement telling us we don’t need to pressure ourselves to look a certain way. This leaves many of us stuck somewhere between feeling like we’re not quite measuring up, and also feeling like if we know we need a change to get more fit, that we don’t even know where to start.

I found myself in that situation while starting my business in 2014. Entrepreneurship completely tanked my wellness because I didn't yet know that owning a business (and/or having a career) is like looking after a baby that is never quite satisfied. As much as you accomplish today… Tomorrow, the list will be doubled. The metaphorical baby will be hungry again, and then suddenly it’s up and walking and there’s even more to look out for. 

I wonder how many of you can relate to that? 

Talking about literal babies, as modern mothers when it comes to our own wellness we know there’s always something else, someone else, that needs our attention. So while I knew that I needed to do something different for myself, and for my fitness, there just wasn’t enough time in the day. It’s always something in a busy household! You might finally have the dishes spotless, everything in its place, and then the next day — I mean, let's be real, five hours later — that kitchen looks like a tornado tore through it. 

If you’re in this situation now, like I was back while starting my business and nurturing my young family, you might be turning to technology to help provide you with some answers and a new level of awareness. That’s what I did.

The appeal is obvious, right? Tech. Something to give you some answers about what exactly needs to change, without having to involve another person.

I’ve gone through a few different tools since starting (and re-starting, and re-starting) my fitness journey. The key things that I look for out of my wellness tech tools are the scope of the data that they provide, whether or not they can actually keep me accountable, and of course, how seamlessly they integrate into my day-to-day life both functionally and aesthetically.

(I’m not sponsored by any of these companies, for the record, I just love sharing my experiences in the hope that you — yes you, reading this — will find the information helpful.)

At first I went with the Fitbit, which is an entry-level piece of wellness tech that many people start with.

• COST: Lower end models start around $99, and go up from there. FitBit Premium, their subscription to help you meet your goals faster, is around $9.99/mo or $79.99/yr (based on your registration).
• Am I still using my Fitbit today? Silly story, the last Fitbit I had was expensive and didn’t really feel like the best fit for me, personally. One afternoon, fate intervened when I went to the library here in Holland, Michigan with my kids. (If you’re local you might know where I’m going with this, those toilets are fierce.) My Fitbit jumped ship. It went down that fierce, ferocious toilet, and I stood there with my mouth hanging open in shock. I never replaced it.

After having my Fitbit abandon me, I decided to try out the Oura Ring. I’ve actually been using mine for some time now.

• PROs: It measures a lot more than just your heart rate, the simple ring tracks your sleeping patterns, your activities, and for those who are monitoring their fertility or their cycles, it takes your morning temperature, too, so I think it’s really cool for those that are in that phase of life. It comes in a variety of colors. The app itself is user friendly, and you can focus on the things that matter to you. I found the Oura Ring to be very insightful, engaging, and it helped give me daily feedback. 
• CONs: My partner found the Oura Ring annoying because it gives off a glow at night. So if you're a light sleeper, like my partner, seeing that glow on your spouse's hand in the middle of the night can be a little freakish.
• COST: The ring itself starts around $299 and goes up, depending on the finish you choose, along with $5.99/month for the Oura Ring app that accompanies it.

Most recently, I’ve been testing out the WHOOP wristband, which I wanted to try specifically to share my feedback with you all. 

• PROs: WHOOP is a stretchy band that you wear just above the little bony piece to your wrist.To me, it’s pretty sleek, and you can choose, if you want, and purchase a different kind of band to switch things up. The WHOOP, like the Oura Ring, tracks your sleep comprehensively. I encourage you to look up Bryan Johnson, the man that wants to live forever. (Sometimes the media makes him sound like a super kooky guy, but I gotta also say, super kooky guys are usually on to something. It's not all in their heads.) He has a really interesting perspective, and he talks about the womb quite a bit, and the interesting factors that go into having a good night's sleep, what it actually requires, and knowing yourself enough to have a terrific night's sleep. The WHOOP, in particular, also measures your recovery, which is really interesting, meaning your recovery from your day to day activities. Utilizing your sleep as a way to achieve that next level of wellness can be key. 
• COST: They offer a month-long free trial, after which the annual WHOOP membership costs $239. WHOOP users don't have to pay for the tracker itself, but they need to maintain a Whoop membership in order to keep and continue using the device. 

Aside from these three that I’ve tried, a lot of people still love using their Apple watches or other Samsung or Google alternatives, and I think that that's really awesome. A lot of men seem to gravitate toward those watch-style forms of tech. Let's be real, some of those watches are so cool! They're attractive and they're sleek, they connect to apps, and you get to customize them easily in most cases with different digital displays. 

The great news is, there are many, many options out there. And with all those options comes the other great news: maybe someone else in your life is looking to make a change and find their own tech, too! I think it's really cool to have someone do this with you, so if that's your partner, spouse, or maybe it's your BFF at work, it can be amazing to have someone else join you on this journey.

I'm going to call out my friends, and some of the martyr moms out there: I love you guys, but there's a lack of accountability at play when we scoff or dismiss wellness tech. There are some women who simply don’t want to know the data about their wellness, who want to keep these things out of sight and out of mind.

The fact is, the data exists, whether you measure it or not. 

The technology we choose to help us, if it’s working appropriately, provides us with a constant loop of feedback. Sometimes this can make our apps and accessories feel like ever-critical mother figures, nagging us to do better, telling us that we’re not good enough. Which is why so many of us avoid them. We have to remember that they aren’t meant to annoy us, hurt our souls, or frustrate us because we didn't get a certain number of steps in. We ourselves are choosing to implement these helpers because we’re trying to grow. We’re trying to learn. We want to be better. They’re a reflection of us acting on our own best interests.

My saying in the salon world is: it’s not always about the hair. 

To become a successful luxury stylist, you have to have a deeper understanding of more than just hair. It has to do with how you treat people, your communication skills. Do you think ahead? Are you marketing yourself? Do you prepare well for your days ahead? Do you have the mental wellness to connect with several people per day? Do you struggle from a scarcity mindset? These factors must be considered, and the success can be tracked using numbers. Joy is important but emotions can lie, and numbers don’t. All of those different skills and elements add up to create an amazing career .

So in this wellness arena, it’s not always about your weight, but how you got there, and about what led you to slipping to the bottom of your to-do list. All of the different pieces of your day-to-day life — your sleep, your level of activity, your mindfulness — add up to create your overall wellness. Some of those factors can be tracked using numbers, and some by looking at yourself as a priority. 

Be brave friends. Don't look the other way, just look at it for what it is. Therapy can also look like voice recordings for just yourself to have a good chat. It releases the pent up stories and emotions. 

Clear is kind, unclear is unkind. It starts with us. 

I’m cheering you on, always.

🤍Quinn