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Stress is an inevitable part of life. According to reports, around 18% of American adults are suffering from some kind of stress or anxiety. This incidence of anxiety and stress has gotten even worse with this COVID-19 pandemic. While there is no permanent cure for this, getting involved in physical activities like martial arts and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu BJJ can exponentially help you manage stress in your life.
1. What are the Effects of BJJ on the human Body?
When someone starts BJJ training, they start to realize that it not only benefits them physically but also mentally. The high level of endorphins released while training causes positive feelings, which are great for releasing stress symptoms and relaxing the body. Here are a few ways Jiu-Jitsu helps relieve the level of stress and anxiety in the human body:
1.1. Increase Your Mental Toughness
BJJ is a game of planning and strategy. This game focuses more on using your mind and body to work together in harmony, which helps in building more confidence and increasing the stress tolerance level in your body.
Mental strength gives you the ability to leave repetitive failure behind with a positive and competitive attitude. This attitude helps you become more aware of important values like patience, perseverance, discipline, and self-confidence.
1.2. Self-Confidence
Jiu-Jitsu is a challenging game. But this is why it invokes feelings of pride and achievement when you start to see your progress. This feeling of success injects a feeling of confidence into you. While training for Jiu-Jitsu, you will go through a lot of highs and lows, and while the lows are hard to push through, the highs will tell you that hard work and dedication always pay off.
1.3. Jiu-Jitsu Training Shifts Your Focus
Attention and Focus problems are normally linked with depression and anxiety. And it can be fatal in so many ways that it can even harm your career or relationships. Martial arts is one of the best way to release feel-good endorphins, which will help shift your focus away from depressing thoughts.
Prolonged stress can be caused by the jumble of thoughts running through your head. Getting yourself involved in activities like Jiu-Jitsu can help you find yourself able to focus on productive things that are beneficial for you.
1.4. Learn to Thrive Under Pressure
People who are suffering from any type of anxiety disorder live in a constant state of depression while they strive to balance their personal lives and anxiety. It is very depressing and even frustrating, especially when you have no understanding of how to control such thoughts.
Under pressure, jiu-jitsu provides you with the tools to survive and sustain. They are taught about tackling situations when they are facing an opponent or any threat and how to escape from them successfully. With such training, they become able to control stress in a better way, resulting in a much more relaxed life.
1.5. Boosts Brain Function and Neurons
As we have already discussed, exercise is very important for reducing stress and anxiety. In fact, multiple studies have proved that Jiu-Jitsu can drastically reduce the symptoms of depression in men and women. Jiu-Jitsu is a physical activity that creates happy neurons, helping you build an effective defense system against stress.
BJJ training involves continuous body movement, thinking, and problem-solving, which results in stimulating your brain cells. It also helps to have a positive impact on anxiety by releasing happy endorphins to make you feel good immediately.
1.6. Get support from a strong community
When you are depressed, sometimes the thing that you need the most is the support of someone. BJJ is not just a sport, it’s a community. Jiu-jitsu is practically a rapid fix for a sparse social circle. In your first class, you will meet a lot of strangers who will likely become your friends. Other students will make you feel welcome and comfortable in a new environment. In the world of Jiu-Jitsu, you are never alone!
2. Final Thoughts
When people say that BJJ can truly change your life, they are not exaggerating. There is a wealth of benefits you can gain from practicing BJJ. The benefits of eliminating the signs of stress and anxiety are just the tip of the iceberg.
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