Stress Doesn’t Always Need More Thinking — Sometimes You Need to Move

When life gets stressful, our first instinct is often to think more.

We replay conversations, worry about what comes next, check our phones, answer another email, and carry the day’s problems with us long after the day is over.

Sometimes, what we need isn’t more thinking.

Sometimes, we need to move.

What an Hour on the Mats Does

That’s one of the things Jiu Jitsu can offer.

For an hour on the mats, your attention has to be somewhere else. You’re focused on your breathing, your balance, your partner, and the problem directly in front of you.

There isn’t much room to think about tomorrow’s meeting while someone is trying to pass your guard.

Part of Taking Care of Yourself

Jiu Jitsu doesn’t make life’s problems disappear, and it isn’t a substitute for professional mental health care when that is needed.

But physical activity, routine, learning, and connection with other people can all be meaningful parts of taking care of ourselves.

Sometimes you leave class stronger.

Sometimes you leave with a new technique.

And sometimes the biggest benefit is simply walking out the door with a clearer head than when you walked in.

More Than Learning How to Fight

At Six Blades, we believe training is about more than learning how to fight.

It’s also an opportunity to move, connect, challenge yourself, and give your mind a little space from everything happening outside the mats.

Sometimes, the best thing you can do for your mind is give your body a chance to move.