Replace Social Media With a 30-Minute Workout and See Its Mental Health Benefits
Social media is great for keeping in touch with friends, staying up to date on the latest news and for entertainment. But too much time spent on it can have a negative effect on your mental health. If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed by all the notifications and posts, it might be time to replace your usual 30 minutes of scrolling through your newsfeed with a 30-minute workout.
At first, this might seem like a daunting idea, but it has a plethora of mental and physical health benefits to balance out the effort. In this post, we’ll discuss why replacing social media with a 30-minute workout can be beneficial for your mental health and provide tips on how to get started.
What Are Considered ‘Mental Health Benefits?’
Mental health benefits refer to the positive effects that physical activity can have on our psychological well-being. Plenty of research has shown that regular physical activity balanced with a healthy diet and natural supplements can reduce stress, improve mood, increase self-confidence, reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety, increase focus and concentration and help manage difficult emotions.
Although social media provides us with an unprecedented level of connection and access to information, it can also have a serious impact on our mental health when used excessively. Spending too much time on social media can lead to feelings of anxiety, depression, loneliness, low self-esteem, obsessive behaviour, difficulty sleeping and problems with forming genuine connections with others in real life.
Benefits of a 30-Minute Workout
A great way to counteract these negative effects is to replace your daily dose of social media with a 30-minute workout routine. Regular exercise can have numerous positive benefits for mental health including reduced stress levels, improved mood, increased focus and concentration levels, better sleep quality, increased self-confidence and self-esteem, as well as reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety. Additionally, exercise can help provide an outlet for negative or stressful emotions while providing an opportunity for self-care which is invaluable when it comes to improving mental well-being.
If you’re looking for a way to replace your daily use of social media with something more beneficial for your mental health then here are some tips on how to start a 30-minute workout routine:
1) Start Small
Try starting with just 10 minutes of exercise, something like walking or light jogging. Try doing this three times a week and gradually build up from there as you become more comfortable and confident in your abilities.
2) Try Different Activities
Try different activities such as running outdoors or taking a yoga class. This will prevent you from getting bored by doing the same workouts over and over again.
3) Have Fun
Make sure you’re doing activities you actually enjoy so that you don’t feel like it’s a chore.
4) Set Realistic Goals
Don’t expect too much from yourself right away. Be sure to set achievable short-term goals that will help build up your confidence over time.
5) Be Consistent
Make sure that you’re consistent with your workouts so that you actually begin reaping the benefits from them. Plus, this can help you make it into a positive habit.
Conclusion
Social media has become an integral part of our lives. However, it can have adverse impacts on our mental health when used excessively. Replacing social media with a 30-minute workout routine can not only reduce the amount of time spent scrolling through newsfeeds but can also provide positive mental health benefits such as improved mood and increased self-confidence. So, if you are feeling overwhelmed with your daily use of social media, why not give replacing it with a 30-minute workout and see the positive mental health benefits for yourself?