There is no doubt that technology plays a huge part in the wellness industry.

Wearable technology has made it possible for us to track our every step and monitor our calories, but is technology beneficial for our well-being or a detriment?

The rise of technology and the availability of smartphones, tablets, and wearable technology means that we have a whole world of information at our fingertips.

This can be both a help and a hindrance to our well-being. This ease of entertainment has been criticised to lead to addiction, and affect our self-esteem as we strive to unrealistic goals.

Similarly, it has also been praised by offering a range of informative wellness blogs and websites to encourage positive mindsets and aspirations.

Wearable technology and mobile phones have easy to use apps that allow us to count every step we take and every calorie we consume. While this has been said to leave people exposed to unhealthy and obsessive habits surrounding diet, it also makes it easier for those wishing to make positive life changes to do so armed with sufficient knowledge.

Many other apps exist in the technology realm that helps aid productivity, positive mental health and learning that all help to improve our mental well-being.

The focus view feature added to Microsoft Word as well as the distraction-free writing button for WordPress helps support engagement and flow while conducting work, a valuable tool to help those of us with scatter brains to focus on work.

Social media allows you to connect with people across geographies and industries, so you can easily leverage different platforms to meet great people and expand your network.

Studies have demonstrated that you really are who you surround yourself with and that both happiness and healthy habits spread through social networks.

Research and technological breakthroughs around sleep can vastly improve the quality of your shut-eye.

While staring at a screen late at night can hinder sleep, many programmes have been developed including ASMR and music to help users drift off into the land of nod.

Similarly, brain training apps have taken the world by storm aiming to improve people’s memory retention, hand-eye coordination, and more for a happier and healthier life.

Studies suggest that learning and education make us happier. Scientists have discovered that our brains retain a degree of plasticity well into adulthood, and learning new skills literally rewires the brain by stimulating the production of neurons.

With technology, it’s never been easier to learn new things. You don’t need to move to a different country to reap the benefits of language learning or picking up an instrument, all of this information is readily available thanks to technology.

At the same time, there are cases of people becoming so addicted to technology that they put their well-being and mental health at risk.

But while caution is warranted, technology is a valuable tool to help benefit our everyday lives.