3 Ways Tech Can Actually Help You Meet—and Maintain—Your Wellness Goals This Year
What if, this January, you ignored all the voices telling you what you “should be” and instead focused on finding the healthful habits that feel right for *you*? With ReNew Year, the only thing we’re detoxing from is a restrictive mindset. Pick a goal—movement, food, self care, or all three—and hit refresh. Get the ProgramTechnology is everywhere. You know it, we know it. It’s undeniably a part of our everyday lives. You’re even reading this right now on some sort of technology (techception).
But, when you think of wellness, self-care technology is not likely the first thing that pops into your head. Instead, you might think of your favorite workout (Pilates, anyone?), taking your vitamins, or even just getting a good night’s sleep.
Notably not on that list? Any type of technology. But, if used the right way, technology and your favorite wellness practices can actually work hand in hand to help you accomplish your well-being goals. Take it from Valerie Oula, meditation teacher and founder of Modern Ritual NYC, who believes there are actionable ways technology can make wellness less daunting.
“For many people, technology provides an easy entry point for cultivating practices like meditation, drinking more water for better health through an app, or even just setting a reminder to pause throughout the day and intentionally breathe,” Oula says.
The mindful tech for the job? Samsung's Galaxy Watch51 (or Galaxy Watch5 Pro1 if you're all-in on maximizing your workout performance), which is designed to really get to know you in order to help you live your most well life.
To help you find your mindful balance with technology, Oula and Liza Kindred, creator of Eff This! Meditation, are sharing their insights on how you can use tech to support your wellness goals this new year—and keep them going all year long.
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1. Motivating you to move consistentlyGot fitness goals this new year? Whether you're aiming to try more studio classes with friends, or just want to make it a priority to stand up from your desk more often, tech can totally help with that.
"Apps and wearable tech can help keep us accountable as we move towards our wellness goals with daily check-ins," Oula says. "Tracking data and progress ... Helps us feel good with small wins/dopamine reward, which keeps us moving forward towards our goals."
On that front, Watch5 can help keep you accountable not only by tracking your progress toward your fitness goals, but also by helping you stay connected to your IRL accountability partners. With friendly competitions and live challenges with friends and family3, you can push each other to accomplish your goals together—and have a lot of fun while you're doing it.
2. Teaching you to rest properlyIt’s happened a hundred times: You get in bed with every intention of going to sleep early, and next thing you know, you've been scrolling for two hours. If that's ever been you, Oula has some advice: "Simply start by putting your smartphone to bed elsewhere in your home ... And not bringing it to bed with you."
Afraid of missing an important text? With wearable tech like Watch5—which seamlessly connects to other Android devices4—there’s no need to stress about leaving your phone in another room. You can program your watch to alert you of a can't-miss notification—like a message from a family member—comes through.
There are other benefits of wearing your watch to bed, too. “By learning more about our temperature, heart rate5, heart rate variability, breathing, and movement throughout the night, we can take more steps to help ensure we are getting the best rest possible for ourselves,” Kindred says
Advanced Sleep Coaching6 on Galaxy Watch5 can help with all of the above by analyzing your sleep patterns and completed sleep surveys, and then providing you with a five-week program that includes helpful sleep tips, missions, and checklists to help you develop better sleep habits.
3. Reminding you to breatheYou wouldn't think we'd need reminders to breathe when it's, you know, vital for life—but sometimes when our stress levels are high our breath responds accordingly. “The fastest way to reduce our stress at any given moment is to change our breathing patterns, Kindred says. “The ability to take deep, slow breaths is an almost magical practice—and having technology that can remind us of that practice right when we need it can be a lovely service to our well-being.”
Galaxy Watch5 (powered with Samsung Health app1) can help you measure your stress using your heart rate data, which it continuously measures over time via the sensor in your watch. And if your stress levels spike, you can use integrated features like the Breathe meditation app to quickly help yourself feel more centered.
Consider 2023 your year to move more, sleep better, and stress less—and now you have the tools, tips, and tech to make it happen.
Ready to use self-care technology to help you meet your wellness goals this year? Get Samsung Galaxy Watch5 for 50 percent off at T-Mobile when you add a qualifying watch line.2
1. All features shown require smartphone with Android 8.0 or later, 1.5GB or more RAM and Samsung Health app (free) version 6.22 or later.
2. Offer available when you add a qualifying watch line. If you cancel wireless service before receiving 24 bill credits, credits stop and balance on required finance agreement is due.
3. All participants must have the latest version of the Samsung Health app, downloadable via Galaxy Store and/or Google Play Store.
4. Compatibility for Galaxy wearable apps: Android 8.0 or later, 1.5GB of RAM or more.
5. The heart rate software functions are not intended for use in the diagnosis of disease or other conditions, or in the cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of disease.
6. For sleep pattern results, user must wear watch while they sleep for at least 7 nights and complete a survey. Not intended to diagnose or treat medical conditions.
The Future Of Mental Health Care? Change Is Already Here
Tim GouwThere is a lot of discussion about the sad state of the healthcare system if you are trying to get help for a mental health issue. But this isn’t a post about systems, it’s about a divide between people. It’s about how different generations deal with mental health and the deleterious effect our differences are having on young people in particular. Why is there a divide? Many Baby Boomers grew up not talking about mental health, particularly their own, and had few avenues to find help outside of their doctor’s office. Where does the divide begin? There’s a clear split between people over age 55 and those who are younger. Gen-Xers and Baby Boomers, who are typically more reserved when talking about mental health, are having trouble relating to younger people and how they cope with mental health challenges. The time to change that? Yesterday. How do we push past that barrier?
First, Ask Yourself: Am I Part of the Problem?
Ask yourself: What if my bias against talking about emotional and social issues prevents me from helping other people? or what if I personally understand the effects of stress, depression, and anxiety because I suffer from it myself. But I absolutely refuse to reveal those issues to my colleagues in any way? With all due respect, ask yourself if you may be the boulder-size block on the road to wellness for the people around you.
Do You Believe That Technology Can Help People Make Meaningful Connections?
Experts often say that a crucial part of staying mentally health is social connectedness. And there’s your first problem—a digital generation connects differently than people who didn’t grow up with technology at their fingertips. My theory: Humanity responds to caring words, whether they come from a phone line, an app, a text or a keyboard. The more people who believe that the more people we can help.
Are You Suggesting Only Resources You Would Be Comfortable Using?
As a member of Generation-X, the numbers 911 are seared into my brain. I need to commit the numbers 741741 to memory, too, because they will connect anyone, anywhere in the U.S. To a live, trained crisis counselor who receives the text and responds, all from a secure online platform thanks to Crisis Text Line. The service is free and saves lives through conversations over text. (Literally, all you need to do is text HOME to 741741.) Are those numbers likely to be top of mind for someone over 50? Not as many as there could be. (Although, yes, they do get calls from people of all ages.)
Still, it’s stunning to think that there are people who may not understand the instantaneous, far-reaching power of text to save lives. Even though I have a background in health reporting, I hadn’t really thought about reaching out via Crisis Text Line or other text services for help and support—for me, a friend or one of my children. I also doubt that many grandparents are offering up a text service to their college-age grandchildren. Why not? The reason could be as simple as the fact that they know little about them.
It takes courage to text Crisis Text Line but texting is an attractive option because it is silent (it can be done at work or with others around you) and private. “You can text from anywhere. A board room or a bathroom, 24/7,” says Ashley Womble, head of communications at Crisis Text Line. “The average conversation lasts about 45 minutes and could be a lot less. We could be there for someone during the 15 minutes they are having a panic attack.”
GettyAre You Aware Of The Power of Peers?
Many people disregard peer counseling as a helpful part of the recovery from addiction, mostly because they have no idea what it is. Peer counselors (who must earn a certification) have been suggested to work particularly for people with severe mental illness. They can fill gaps in care at times when people need someone to listen to them or offer company (services not generally provided by a counselor or doctor). The top three issues for people in recovery are loneliness, social isolation and managing their day-to-day mental and physical health. That’s where the role of certified peer specialists (CPS) comes in, says Karen Fortuna, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the Geisel School of Medicine Dartmouth College. CPS’s have lived experience (meaning they have recovered from either the same or similar issue) and a unique skill set. Their role is part of a network of care. Using the smartphone apps helps clients to track their progress and show it to their CPS. “It’s a holistic way to help. CPS are using smartphone apps to reach people in their homes and their communities and offering real-time peer support services outside of a clinical setting,” says Dr. Fortuna.
Is Your Company Really Helping People With Mental Health Issues? Or are they simply providing a packet of resources and sending you out the door in search of therapy? It’s time that older generations of human resources executives and leaders align their policies and managers with a new generation. In many workplaces, employees say that mental health problems are stigmatized or misunderstood, and they get no support or strategy for improving the situation. Only 3.2% of employees self-identify to their employer if they have an invisible disability, according to a National Organization on Disability study. Again, that may have a lot to do with the generational or cultural difference.
The takeaway for employers and employees of a certain age? When an employee’s values do not align with the policies of their employers, they are less likely to stay and if they do, they will likely be less productive. For years, Gen Xers like me, diagnosed at one time with anxiety, depression, stuck it out in silence. Younger generations are about to up-end that tradition. They are sick of covering—hiding part of their identity from coworkers. Think back to when the deaths of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain made headlines. Several friends were truly stunned and saddened, the same way others are now when talking about the recent news of more death, this time by suicide, in Parkland and Sandy Hook. The news can be a gut punch, especially for people dealing with similar issues in their own family. Do employees typically discuss the news and its effect on them at work? No. I call it the elephant in the office. It’s right there—stigma, discrimination ignorance or lack of education—and no one says a word.
Mental health issues are complex and require a combination of therapies that most often take place outside of work. This post is not a substitute for professional medical advice.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, provides free and confidential emotional support via phone to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7days a week, across the United States. Call NSPL at 1-800-273-8255. Or use Lifeline Chat if you have access to the internet. Crisis Text Line, also free, confidential and available 24/7 in the U.S., can be reached by texting HOME to 741741.
Health Care Sector Decarbonization To Accelerate In 2023: How To Do It Best
As health care sustainability enthusiasts, we’re hopeful. Major health care institutions are publicly recognizing both the impact health care sector carbon emissions have on our environment and global health, and the need to do something about it.
In 2021, the New England Journal joined over 200 medical journals in declaring climate change “the greatest threat to global public health.” In 2022, the National Academy of Medicine, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, and The Joint Commission (TJC) all directed resources toward decarbonizing the health care sector. And just this November the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced more than 100 health care organizations signed the Health Sector Climate Pledge.
In 2023, we expect a lot more of the health care sector to join these 102 early adopters. Some will recognize the societal and financial value of eliminating waste, conserving energy and decarbonizing the practice of medicine. Others will be compelled by federal action: the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has highlighted the “importance of setting goals for reduced emissions.” We expect thoughtful regulations guiding health care sector decarbonization to follow.
Honing the health care decarbonization metric
HHS’ Health Sector Climate Pledge focuses on absolute emissions reduction until 2030 and then a “net-zero” emission goal by 2050. We strongly prefer an absolute emission reduction metric to “net-zero” for both short and long-term goals.
Consider that an organization mandated to be “net-zero” by 2050 can continue to emit carbon without reduction until 2049. And then in 2050 that organization can continue to emit carbon, account for the carbon it emits, purchase traditional carbon offsets equivalent to the carbon it emits, and claim “net-zero” emissions. “Net-zero” may result in decades of emissions without any reduction.
Even the use of traditional carbon offsets (e.G. Paying for solar electricity generation, conserving forests and planting trees) is concerning. Traditional carbon offsets often do not necessarily achieve what they claim: Renewable energy power plants may be built because they’re cost-effective, conserved forests result in the substitution of non-conserved forests for lumber and saplings die before they mature into trees.
If an institution cannot meet an absolute emission reduction goal, we recommend direct capture of carbon as an acceptable, market-based, solution instead of carbon offsets. Direct air capture of carbon sequesters atmospheric carbon into subterranean rock formations. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates the current cost of direct air capture between $134 and $344 per ton. With an average hospital patient generating 45 kg of carbon emissions per day, direct air capture of those emissions could cost as little as $6 per patient per day.
We recommend reasonable absolute emission reductions on a five-year schedule as the primary health care sector decarbonization metric.
High-value, health system-focused decarbonization
From personal experience, we recognize many health care sector institutions including health systems have yet to consider how to decarbonize. High-value health care is fundamental to decarbonization: optimize patient outcomes, eliminate waste. While eliminating carbon emissions entirely from the health care sector may require innovation and time, there are many opportunities to reduce emissions now. We offer three suggestions that can be implemented today to help companies start toward their absolute emission reduction goals:
Health care’s future is decarbonized
The health care sector in the United States represents 8.5 percent of U.S. Carbon emissions and over 17 percent of U.S. GDP. Decarbonization of the health care sector has started and will accelerate in the new year — billions of dollars will be spent. Early adopters have already signed HHS’ Health Sector Climate Pledge. TJC, CMS and other entities are marshaling their substantial resources to gently compel health care sector institutions to decarbonize. Focusing on “net-zero” emissions may delay emissions reductions and result in money being spent on less effective carbon offsets.
We can’t ignore the toll the pandemic has taken on the health of our kids Tobacco control is not a zero-sum gameThe devil is in the details, and execution matters — decarbonization aligns with high-value health care. We strongly encourage the health care sector to adopt absolute emission reductions as its decarbonization metric, as well as direct carbon capture as the best way to account for emissions when absolute emission reduction targets are not met. We look to the rest of the year with hope that the health care sector can leap from laggard to leader in the climate change public health crisis.
Matthew J. Meyer, MD, is co-chair of UVA Health’s Sustainability Committee and a steering-committee member of Virginia Clinicians for Climate Action. He is also a perioperative sustainability researcher, innovator/inventor and advocate at the University of Virginia.
Bill Shobe, Ph.D., is an environmental economist, professor and the director of the University of Virginia’s Center for Economic and Policy Studies with expertise in carbon emission markets and carbon capture technology.
