If you have a health issue, who or what is your first port of call? What information do you look for, and what advice do you take? Do you immediately schedule an appointment with your doctor, or do you like to wait it out for a bit? No matter how you handle your health, you still won’t throw your lot in with anything anyone on the internet says!
We all know that when we have a symptom or two, we should never look up what’s wrong with us online – it’s the easiest and quickest way to convince yourself that you’ve got some kind of fatal disease. But could that be an unfair assessment? After all, if you know the sites to go to, and you know the influencers to listen to and follow, you might just end up a little healthier than you were before.
So in your effort to make an improvement in your life, and a way to put your Wi-Fi use to, well, better use, here are some ideas for you to look into. The online world has a lot to sift through, but you can get smart about it – and help yourself be a little healthier because of it.
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Contacting friends makes us less stressed
We all know the value of a good conversation with your best friend, and how much it can mean to you when they just pop round to check in on you. The power of friendship is in fact so strong that having connections like these can make you a lot happier and healthier in your life. Human beings are absolutely meant to rely on each other – it’s how we’ve survived so long!
Having an internet connection can indeed make it a lot easier to have this kind of social support network, so open up your Messenger app and drop your best friend a message if you’re looking for some kind words right now.
Not only can you fire off a quick message to someone, allowing them to respond immediately or as soon as possible, but you can also contact them whenever you like! Being in touch with friends regularly, and so easily with thanks to the online world, can help you realise how many people out there care about you which can do a lot for your self-esteem, and that can really bolster you against any illness you’re possibly suffering with.
There are some bona fide health sites out there
The internet can have a lot of information for you, and being able to sort the wheat from the chaff is a skill that honestly should be taught in schools. But when it comes to looking up health issues on the internet, as mentioned above, there’s very little information you can trust… Unless you know what sites are the real deal, and how they can help you spot when something is wrong.
Sites such as WebMD, or a health information database that’s been formed by a University you know and trust, are places on the internet you can go to feel a bit safer about your health. They’ll have much more accurate information and advice compared to anyone else online, and they’re just one step down from seeing a doctor if you think the symptoms you have aren’t that bad. If your symptoms are bad and a cause for concern, then you need to see a doctor!
Of course, you still need to take sites like this with a pinch of salt; there are a lot of people updating the pages and not all of them have an equal level of credibility. But surfing through these is much better than scaring yourself into thinking you’ve only got a week or two left! Be rational and seek real-life advice if you are concerned.
You can order medication online
This is just another way the internet can make life in general a lot easier for you, and how it can save you a lot of time and energy when it comes to completing tasks. If you have a prescription you need to file, and a half-hour wait for your medication to be available from behind the counter, why not simply search for the drugs you need online?
Of course, you’re going to need somewhere with the health authority’s stamp of approval, but these are easy to find too. Online pharmacies can help you out here; don’t worry, it’s standard practice to cross-check your prescription against your doctor’s records, to make sure you get what you need and in the right dosage. That’s just saved you some fuel money and time!
People have their own tips and tricks for you to follow
We all follow people online and we enjoy the content they put out because we relate to it or are inspired by it. Plus we get to follow what appear to be real people, people similar to us who aren’t celebrities who can often come across as insincere or saying what a spokesperson has told them to say, or a brand they wouldn’t normally recommend has paid them to say. And that means we’re likely to pick up a few habits from them which are hopefully ones that will lead towards a bit of self-improvement. Namely, if you see your favourite influencer drinking green tea and leading a healthy happy lifestyle because of it then you’re going to buy a packet next time you’re down the shops!
It’s why brands work with the people you dedicate a portion of your life to watching – because you’re going to pick up on the ideas they put out there. So why not find some people who have a bit of a following and focus their creative output on how healthy a person can be? Of course you don’t want to go overboard here, as what works for them may not work for you, but it can at least give you some ideas on how to take better care of yourself. Following someone who is genuinely interested in being healthier and happier isn’t a bad person to follow at all in my opinion. A passion for great health, happiness and overall well-being is a great investment in yourself and your family. The sharing of information and ideas online for the greater health of everyone is so inspiring and a movement I’m glad to be a part of when used with the proper intentions.
So many of the people I have admired online such as Joe Cross, Kris Carr and Deliciously Ella were never experts in health, yet they have inspired so many by overhauling their diets and curing or stopping their diseases or illnesses in their tracks.
Other experts who are medical professionals whom I have watched online on sites such as YouTube and trust are Dr Robert Lustig, T Colin Campbell and Ben Fuchs to name a few. Thanks to the internet, YouTube, blogs and Netflix I have been able to totally overhaul my family’s diet in the past few years to a plant-based diet and we feel much healthier for it. I’ve furthered my studies with books recommended by people I’ve found on the internet. In my experience, the internet has definitely made me a gazillion times healthier. It’s a valuable source of healthy information.
Is the internet more useful than you first thought?
Maybe, maybe not, and how you spend your time in front of a computer is up to you. But using tips like these to go on in search of making yourself feel stronger, healthier, and happier is never going to be a waste of time! Overall, the digital age makes it a lot easier for you to live as long as you can and as healthily as possible. Just be careful to avoid the scams and follow sound advice that makes sense to you and can be backed up with research. I always try to assume what a person or company’s intentions are to help make a decision. Over time and with research and knowledge you will be able to tell the more trustworthy sources of information.