Jackson White linked his mental well-being to a '100% focus' fitness routine during a recent GQ interview. The Tell Me Lies star shared how he combats social media-induced anxiety. White now prioritizes boxing and heavy weightlifting to maintain his presence.

On May 2, the Instagram account of GQ posted a montage of images of the actor, along with some of his statements from a recent interview with GQ, featuring White’s admission to mental health and his approach to addressing that issue through general fitness.

Talking about mental health, the 30-year-old actor said, “My mental health declines rapidly when I'm on it (social media). I compare myself to others. I stay on it for a long time”. However, he also revealed that by the time he was in his 20s, he had begun working on his insecurities and mental health and prioritizing his inner happiness.

And White knows how to do that because he does not “want to do anything half-assed” in his life. He said, “If I want to do something, even a workout, I want to do it with 100% focus or else I don’t want to do it. That’s just how I like to roll”.

White, who is playing the role of Stephen DeMarco in Tell Me Lies, also admitted that after starting in the role, he began boxing and lost some weight to fit into the role.

Apart from boxing, White follows some other exercises:

• Heavy weightlifting: it helps him build confidence and muscle
• Running: it helps White clear his mind. He used to run 9 to 10 miles per day
• Climbing and hiking: White often enjoys outdoor activities like climbing in Los Angeles trails
• Walking with his dog: it helps him recover

Fitness is not only necessary for his role; it also helps him maintain good mental health. How? The actor revealed himself.

He said, “Do you ever, in a weird situation, socially or whatever… someone's not texting you back, or you're just distracted, and then you go and try and lift weights, and it's harder to do? If you're not feeling present, then you're just not mind-body.

You're just not connecting mind-body, and then you can't perform, or [rather], I can't perform better. That's why I enjoy physical things that require 100% concentration, like heavy weight lifting or boxing, or something where it demands attention. And that way, even if there is s*** going on in your life, you're forced to focus”.

While fitness and maintaining good mental health are important for the actor, White also highlighted the role of diet in this process.

Jackson White’s diet

White is playing the role of a not-so-positive boyfriend in the series, and for that, he has to adopt specific meals, which are also important for his overall fitness.

Talking about his diet for the role, he said, “I try and prioritize eating a lot of protein and chicken, steak, and eggs. I like to stay as simple and balanced as possible.

I can eat whatever I want and start with lots of eggs, and then I eat lots of steak in the afternoon, and maybe I do something really meditative and long in the morning…. This is, by the way, the best day. This is a peak day. And then I'm sleeping great ideally”.

However, he also admitted that he often forgets to eat, and sometimes he eats fast food.

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Written by

Supradeep Dutta

Edited by

Ashvinkumar Patil