Back to School Health Reboot: 11 Health Tech Tools to Help You Feel Your Best This Fall

Habit formation research tells us that a change of environment can be a great time to adopt new habits.

Many of us have moved to Ann Arbor from other parts of the country or are returning after a summer away. We might’ve consumed a bit more than we’re used to in recent weeks or we’re hoping to get into some healthier habits as the semester begins! 

Below you’ll find 11 tech-enabled tools to help you feel better inside and out. 

Wearables & Hardware

1. Full Spectrum Sun Light: Sunlight helps our bodies produce vitamin D, which is important for our bones, blood cells, and immune system – as well as to help us absorb other nutrients, such as calcium and phosphorus. This essential vitamin also helps us with serotonin and melatonin production, which affects our sleep and overall mood. As days become shorter here in Ann Arbor, it might be helpful to get a sun lamp that mimics the UV rays we would otherwise get from the sun to make sure we’re feeling our best all year long. 
2. Fitbit Inspire 3: Sometimes exercise can take a back burner when we’re trying to juggle school work, recruiting, and hanging out with friends. This water-resistant Fitbit tracker is under $100, and it tracks changes in heart rate, calories burned, steps taken, sleep quality, and more. 
3. Etekcity Smart Scale: In addition to qualitative measures, like energy levels and how confident we feel in our bodies, it may be helpful to also use quantitative metrics to assess different physical health markers and track progress. This smart scale measures 13 different metrics and is accompanied by an app that helps track your progress.

Apps, Websites, & In-Phone Tools

1. Your smartphone’s widget function: Our phone widgets can be powerful wellness tools. By adding a meditation app widget on your phone’s first display screen, you may be more likely to actually take the time to meditate. Another great option is adding your phone’s photo app as a widget with rotating images of trips taken or loved ones, reminding you of the people and places you love – especially as we approach midterms and need a little more motivation and positive vibes! 
2. iPhone’s Accessibility Color Filters: Another awesome feature (specifically for iPhone users) is the ability to drastically reduce or block blue light. If you head to your Settings >> Accessibility >> Color Filters, you’ll see that you can transform your phone’s display to various shades of orange or red. According to the National Library of Medicine, blue light is great for increasing our energy levels during the day; however it may hinder or decrease sleep quality at night by decreasing the secretion of melatonin in our brains. Try turning this feature on before bed and see if it helps you sleep better and feel more energized throughout the day.
3. Sleep Cycle – Sleep Tracker: This app helps analyze sleep quality by detecting snoring, talking, coughing and other sounds we make while sleeping. It also has a smart alarm clock to wake us up during our lightest sleep phase so we can wake up feeling refreshed and ready for class.  
4. Nerva: Nerva is an award-winning app that uses guided hypnotherapy to provide relief for gut-related health issues. In this article, UCLA Integrative Digestive Health and Wellness program’s Nurse Practitioner, Suzanne Smith explains that there is a feedback loop between the brain and the gut, and what’s happening in the mind can affect a person’s gut health. Hypnotherapy is one tool that can help reset this feedback loop and improve how you feel via guided imagery and relaxation techniques. 
5. Pinterest: As finals approach and the temperature drops, Pinterest can be a great way to remind ourselves of trips we want to take, activities we’re excited to try, or dreams we’re hoping to make a reality. When life gets stressful, it’s often helpful to have moments to look forward to. Pinterest can help organize your ideas in an aesthetically pleasing way. Why not start planning that spring break trip now? 
6. Liberate Village: Is a trauma – informed, culturally – relevant meditation app that provides guided meditations, talks, and music to promote healing for the Black community and the greater African diaspora. The app’s meditation teachers are all people of color and the app’s content is tailored to meet the needs of its diverse users. Here you can find an interview with founder, Julio Rivera who notes, “there’s something powerful about being guided by someone who looks and sounds like you.”
7. BreatheIn: In his book Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art, award-winning science journalist, James Nestor argues that nothing is more essential to our health and wellbeing than breathing. However, as a species, humans have lost the ability to breathe correctly. Nestor claims that slight adjustments in the way we inhale and exhale can improve athletic performance, rejuvenate internal organs, alleviate allergies, asthma, and so much more. The BreatheIn app is a free breathwork app that promotes wellbeing through a variety of guided breathing exercises. 
8. And last but not least, MyFLO: founded in 2001 by femtech entrepreneur Alisa Vitti, who’s company FLO Living is on a mission to revolutionize hormone care. In addition to her books, supplements, and free resources, the MyFLO app empowers people that identify as women to gain a deeper understanding of their bodies, while offering guidance on how to best align their activities and foods to best support their menstrual cycles. 

As you can see, there’s so many ways that tech-enabled tools can support your health goals this year. Try something new during the next few weeks and let us know how you feel! 

Resources: 

1. Benefits of Sunlight: A Bright Spot for Human Health; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2290997/
2. Sunlight and Your Health; https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/ss/slideshow-sunlight-health-effects
3. The Power of Having Something to Look Forward to; https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/how-do-life/202202/the-power-having-something-look-forward
4. Zocdoc; https://www.zocdoc.com/about/
5. Meet Julio Rivera, the Founder of a Meditation App Founded For the Black Community; https://www.intheknow.com/post/meet-julio-rivera-the-founder-of-a-meditation-app-designed-for-and-by-bipoc/
6. FloLiving; https://floliving.com/app
7. Stresscoach; https://www.stresscoach.app/
8. BreatheIn: Calm Breathing; https://artcoastdesign.com/breathein
9. MrJamesNestor; https://www.mrjamesnestor.com/
10.  Blue Light Has a Dark side; https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/blue-light-has-a-dark-side
11. For stomach pain and other IBS symptoms, new apps can bring relief; https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/10/16/1129325699/ibs-irritable-bowel-syndrome-symptoms-treatment
12. https://www.ritual.io/wellbeing