Arnold Schwarzenegger might be 77 years old but the former bodybuilder and fitness icon still tries his best to maintain a healthy lifestyle and help others lead one as well. Through his daily newsletter, Arnold Pump Club, the bodybuilding legend has previously talked about how social media can bring about some negativity in life, however, this time, Schwarzenegger goes on to explain in detail some research that proves to be helpful.

It is not unknown to people how they might start comparing their lifestyle with others that they encounter online. Over the years, such habits have resulted in many people getting anxiety, depression, loneliness as well as the fear of missing out. Thus, the Austrian Oak came up with an idea that would help them deal with the situation while not cutting off social media once and for all.

Arnold Schwarzenegger suggests setting reminders

Through his latest issue of Arnold Pump Club, Arnold Schwarzenegger talked about how people who reduced their social media time were proven to have less negativity and an “increased overall happiness and well-being.” He explained that he does not believe that people can completely cut off social media. Instead, he devised a time limit for using it. He said, “Those who reduced their usage — but fell short of the 30-minute goal — saw a similar decrease in stress and increased positive mental health benefits.”

Schwarzenegger also found out that people who have spent less time on social media would also show less inclination to have FOMO or fear of missing out. He suggested, “You can do the same by setting 3-5 reminders throughout the day — particularly at times of high use, such as the first thing in the morning and right before sleep.” He also said that people should start taking breaks from their social media surfing so that they don’t “doomscroll.”

Social media does not only bring about psychological damage to a person, but Schwarzenegger also pointed to the indirect effect it has on training and performance.

How social media can have a 29-percent decrease in workouts

Through another newsletter of his, Arnold Schwarzenegger revealed how there is a phenomenon called “Social Media Kryptonite.” He brought to attention that people who usually immersed in social media before training would usually have a lower performance than usual. He explained, “Looking at your feed might seem innocent, but doing it before training can lead to a 29 percent decrease in workout performance.”

The bodybuilder further pointed out that it happens because of mental fatigue. He boldly claimed that swiping on social media puts one in a situation where they lose their self-confidence as well as mental energy. He said, “The sub-par workouts were the result of mental fatigue. It turns out that swiping and liking burn your self-confidence and mental energy.”

How hard do you think it is to keep oneself away from social media? Can you take this 30-minute challenge? Let us know in the comments below.