Research into the short-term predictors of self-harm thoughts and behaviours (SHTB) has been hindered by methodological limitations including the episodic nature of SHTB, long assessment periods (lifetime/past year) and a reliance on retrospective self-reports which are subject to bias. Ecological Monentary Assessment is a diary-based method, involving repeated and frequent assessment of feelings and behaviour in an individual’s natural environment. This method minimises recall bias, maximises validity and enables dynamic processes to be captured. This presentation will highlight some of the technical difficulties that may be encountered when conducting an EMA study. Common issues surrounding the approval process, data set up and collection, and integration with wearables will be discussed. The presentation will draw on personal experience conducting an EMA study with 80 young adults aged 18-25. Participants completed a short survey on their Smartphone six times a day for a period of two weeks (84 assessments in total), using Ilumivu software. EMA data was paired with data from a Garmin wearable to explore relationships between physiology (e.g. sleep, heart rate) and SHTB. The presentation will highlight important challenges to be aware of when conducting an EMA study and will provide advice and practical tips on how technical difficulties can be identified and avoided.