Apps That Put You in the Driver’s Seat of Your Wellness

Last week, Lim Yung-Hui wrote a review of the new Lift app in Forbes, calling it “a no-frill, commonsensical approach to personal change.”

I promptly downloaded the app myself. I scrolled through the list of habits, which included some amusing ones like “Tell your wife you love her,” “Unclutter,” and “Talk to a stranger.” I selected a few more run-of-the-mill habits that I was already tracking or just intended to do more of such as flossing, exercising, and reading.

I have to agree with Yung-Hui, it is immensely and strangely satisfying to press the ‘check-in’ button when you complete a task and see a big green checkmark appear on the screen. It’s like the app version of a pat on the back. I can see how it could really help people develop and maintain positive habits. It is a well-executed, solidly designed app, but what excited me most is not just the product but also the thinking behind it.

Lately, there has been a lot of hype in the mHealth world about the potential of apps to change health care. There are apps to:

• Measure your stress level such as Stress Check
• Monitor your diabetes care such as DiabetesManager
• Remind you to take your medication such as Pillboxie
• Come up with a self-diagnosis such as iTriage
• Answer your medical questions such as HealthTap
• Help you make doctor’s appointments such as ZocDoc

And of course there is Happtique, a “curated app pharmacy featuring programs it has vetted to meet certain standards.”

Clearly, the medical app and technology world is booming.

But being healthy is more than just about treating illness, taking the right pills, getting the right diagnosis, or finding the right medical professional. Being healthy and staying well has everything to do with the small choices we make every day about what we put into and do with our bodies, our outlook, how to spend our time and energy, our investments in the things that make us motivated and fulfilled.

We are responsible for our own wellness; and wellness or illness are often the product of the small choices we make every day. This is the philosophy behind Techurself and urWell, our soon to be released iPhone app that helps you connect your lifestyle habits with your wellness. Technology is one tool among many that can put us in the driver’s seat and empower, encourage, and affirm the positive choices that will help us be, and stay, well.

You can reach more of Lim Yung-Hui’s technology blogs here or follow him, @zhiQ, or the Forbes Tech column, @ForbesTech on Twitter. 

This blog was originally published on the Tech urSelf blog.