Training Jiu Jitsu is fun, and just being able to roll is a blessing in and of itself! Or at least that’s how it feels like most of the time; especially when other things around you are threading well. However, when the fatigue from the hectic everyday life starts creeping in (and it most often comes in the form of work or school-induced stress)… That’s when your BJJ practice will begin to suffer.
It’s in these moments that it’s very important not to crumble under pressure, to persevere and continue training despite everything. But that’s easier said than done.
For that reason, here are two decisions that you can make right now to ensure that your BJJ will not falter during these trying times.
LET GO OF THE „SCHOOL AND WORK UNCONTROLLABLES“ – AND DO WHAT YOU CAN
Sometimes, there will simply be too much to do at work or in school. Obligations, deadlines, reports and exams in their various forms will pile up almost unexpectedly; and you will be left with a huge amount of work that you did not expect.
It might feel as if the whole world is against you and trying to make you fail. After all, couldn’t these things have waited for just a little bit, just until you’re done with all of the other obligations?
The truth is, these unexpected and unwanted stressors will reveal their ugly heads from time to time… And there isn’t much that you can do about it.
Well, actually, that isn’t totally true. There are two things you can do; and the worse one is to lose your cool completely and just go haywire with anger. Cursing your inability to change these things won’t do you any good. It’ll just zip your energy and leave you feeling even more exhausted than it would be the case otherwise.
Instead, you need to accept it for what it is. Don’t let it infiltrate your thoughts and cloud your judgment; just do what you can and be done with it. This goes for the things you have on your table on the regular basis but that are stressing you out as well – control what you can and let go of the rest.
Then, when it’s time to train, you’ll have a much easier time mentally; for you know that you’ve done what’s within your reach.
GIVE YOURSELF PERMISSION TO REST A BIT MORE
Look, we understand that BJJ is a great outlet from all that work and school-related stress. But we also know that you’re getting increasingly fatigued from it – and that Jiu Jitsu could greatly impair your ability to recover soundly… What’s more, it could even play a role in your mental (in the form of a burnout) and physical breakdown.
Given that, it would be a smart decision to give yourself permission to rest a bit more than it was the case prior. Be it during training – in the form of having a rest round here or there or by rolling a bit more lightly; or/and outside of training… By taking an additional day off from training altogether, perhaps.
These decisions will probably make you even more restless than you’ve been up until now, for BJJ truly is a great way to get rid of that excess stress! But, in the long run, these will help manage your fatigue and ensure that you won’t injure yourself or burn out.
It’s the fatigue which will hinder you the most, in the end of ends, not stress alone. So make sure to handle it; and your training longevity will thank you for it.
