HAPPINESS TRACKER WATCH AIMS TO MAKE YOU HAPPIER EVERY WEEK

Can a smartwatch actually make you happy? The gadgets already claim to help people get fit and sleep better.

But happiness? Really?

Smartwatch maker Pebble has created a new app - tested on its own employees - which helps people track their happiness over a week.

The company says that Happiness helped some of its employees to look at ‘patterns’ in their behaviour - and resolve, for instance, to take up yoga.

The app logs people’s happiness levels (reported by themselves) and then quizzes them on where they are, what they are doing and what they have done recently.

At the end of the week, the app provides a report on when users are happiest, via email.

Susan Holcomb, Head of Data at Pebble, said, ‘We found that the app delivered value to testers simply by providing them with a moment to check in on how they were feeling and what they were doing.

‘The app supplied a call to action -  it asked testers to pay attention to their emotional landscapes, and to stay aware of the various activities that can impact their mood.

‘We also noticed that the app’s prompts subtly encouraged testers to adopt new behaviors. One tester realized that he was always saying “no” when the prompt asked if he drank water in the last hour, so he resolved to drink more water.

‘Another took up yoga thanks to a recurring yoga-related question. Since the study only ran for a week, these changes are not likely to stick for a lifetime, but it is encouraging to note that subtle suggestions really can inspire healthier habits.’

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