Ways to improve your wellbeing
Some health technology and apps don’t focus on tracking your fitness, but can still help with overall health and wellbeing.
Some apps can help with your general wellbeing, beyond simple exercise and step-counting.
- Mindfulness and meditation apps help with mental wellbeing, by guiding you with sessions that might involve breathing exercises, or ways to clear your mind of distractions.
- Brain training apps include lots of little puzzles and problems, similar to old-style puzzle books. Games are quick, and doing a few of these a day may help you stay sharp and alert.
- Diet apps let you track what you’ve eaten and when. If you need to take meals or medications at a certain time, the app sets alerts on your device to remind you.
- Mental wellbeing apps help you get access to information, and can be set to give you reminders about any mental health plan you may be following.
If you feel you may have a mental health related issue, you should always seek medical advice as a priority. You can also:
- Call LifeLine on 13 11 14
- Text LifeLine on 0477 13 11 14
- Chat online with Lifeline at: https://www.lifeline.org.au/crisis-chat/
How being in a community can help wellbeing
Many health apps have an option that connects you to a wider community of like-minded people also using the same app, so you can feel part of a group.
- Being part of a group can be a good motivator for some people.
- You can control what information is shared.
Some examples of health apps with community features include:
- Strava running and walking app. Join or compete with other exercisers in your area
- Fitbit fitness app and device brand. Add Fitbit friends to motivate each other
- Headspace mindfulness app. Add Buddies (friends) so you can all motivate each other.
Costs of using technology to help with health and wellbeing
Most health apps are free to download and try, but there are a costs associated with health apps:
- Apps work best with a recent model smartphone (from $500)
- Your mobile data plan (from $20/month)
- A subscription to the app’s full feature set (from $10-15/month)
- A smartwatch (optional, but from $400/$500)
- Webcam, which you might need for telehealth, from $150
- A device to help track your sleep if you don’t want to use a smartwatch, such as a Google Nest Hub (from $100).
All about telehealth
Telehealth means using the internet to see your doctor, or to organise things with your healthcare provider, such as prescription refills. Things you can do with telehealth:
- Video conference with your doctor to quickly follow up a recent appointment
- Visit your healthcare provider’s website to make bookings, order medicines, and other things
- Access MyHealthRecord via my.gov.au and see information about your recent medical history and medications.
Telehealth is very convenient and can save a lot of time and effort, but it’s still essential to get regular in-person check-ups with your doctor. Always follow your doctor’s advice about when you need to visit in person.
Websites for overall wellbeing
You can use the browser on your mobile device or computer to access useful health-related websites.
- Recipe sites let you plan meals and buy just the ingredients you need, or make a list for grocery shopping.
- Supermarket sites let you order online, but they also have recipe pages which let you order the ingredients with one click.
- Australian Government website has a list of useful health apps at www.healthdirect.gov.au/health-and-wellbeing-apps
What health apps do with your data
Many health apps use a health profile to track your results and data.
- Health apps include a privacy statement about how they use your information.
- Always use a strong password with a combination of letters, numbers, and special characters, when using a health app or site.
- Many health apps store data in the cloud. Some of this data may also be visible to other users of the app.