Natural disasters, political turmoil, and a full-blown pandemic. Nobody is gonna disagree that the last few years have been nothing short of a dumpster fire.
There’s been one silver lining though – the importance of mental health has never been more obvious. Loads of people are taking steps to prioritise their mental wellbeing, which is great to see.
Having spent a large part of 2021 in lockdown, I realised how critical Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is to my mental health. Not being able to train with my community made managing my mental wellbeing way more difficult. For me, this hammered home BJJ’s value as a tool for maintaining mental health.
Now, things are swinging back towards the life that we’re all used to. There are a bunch of reasons why you should consider BJJ as not only a way to train your body, but also your mind.
Combined with my own experience, I consulted with one of our TGL community, Isabell Joummaa, for her opinions on BJJ as a mental health tool. Isabell is an experienced psychology professional, and is the Founder of Psych by Bell. In short, she’s a mental health black belt.
With no further delay, here are the ways that BJJ can help to transform your mental health.
Creating Connections and Community
Stepping into a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu gym for the first time can be intimidating – you’re in a room of trained practitioners who are gonna try to choke you out at some point.
Pretty soon, this feeling will change completely. You’ll build connections, camaraderie and community with your training partners as you share experiences and build towards a common goal. This element of BJJ makes it a powerful tool for keeping yourself mentally healthy. Over time your gym will become a place to not only decompress physically but also mentally.
Isabell says that psychology backs this thinking up. “People have an innate need to feel close and connected to others. Humans have evolved to need others around them. Having a sense of belonging to a community allows us to feel loved, cared for, valued, and understood. Pursuits like BJJ are great opportunities for strangers to meet and bond, building a sense of community and belonging”.
Speaking from personal experience, the BJJ community forms one of the largest and most significant parts of my life. There’s no doubt that this community has helped me to maintain my mental health – and it can help you, too.
Building Self-Confidence
Show me someone who says they’re confident 100% of the time, and I’ll show you a liar.
Lacking confidence occasionally is completely normal. From an evolutionary point of view, it helps to save us from doing heaps of stupid stuff. With that said, a chronic lack of self-confidence is unhealthy. Over time, it can detract from your mental health as it impacts your self-esteem.
Isabell agrees. “Self-esteem is key to positive mental health and well-being. When your confidence is low, your self-esteem can suffer, and feelings of anxiety and depression may develop. The development of new skills like those found in BJJ can help people to feel more self-assured. This builds their self-confidence and in turn, their self-esteem”.
You might not be confident the first time you step foot in a BJJ gym, but after a few months of consistent training, you might surprise yourself with how assured you feel.
Creating Identity and Purpose
If you take Brazilian Jiu Jitsu away, there’s a pretty massive gap in the last 15 years of my life. I’ve spent thousands of hours on the mats, getting better with those around me before getting my black belt. BJJ has given me purpose; it’s core to my identity, and if it was stripped away today, I’d feel like a stranger to myself.
According to Isabell, this sense of purpose is a powerful tool in staying on the rails for our mental health. “If you’re training often, activities like BJJ become part of your lifestyle” Isabell says. “Improving any skill requires dedication, consistency, and discipline, which helps to define one’s sense of identity, and serves as a foundation for their sense of purpose”.
I agree. BJJ isn’t the only part of my life, but it’s definitely an integral one. It’s helped me to build a strong sense of self and kept me mentally resilient when things aren’t going so well. If you’re a BJJ regular, I’m betting you’ll feel the same way.
Strengthen the body, strengthen the mind
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a physical sport that offers loads of fitness benefits. If you’re rolling regularly, you’ll get stronger, more flexible, and improve your cardio, all whilst learning practical new skills.
According to Isabell, the physical nature of BJJ also has some less obvious (but equally important) benefits for your mental health too.
“As a high-intensity sport, BJJ promotes the release of endorphins which combat stress and pain,” Isabell says. “It can also help to reduce levels of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. This helps participants feel calmer, and alleviates stress or negative feelings”.
Bottom line – spending time on the mats has a definitive physiological impact on your mental wellbeing. The bad news: now there’s no excuse for missing a session if you’ve had a bad day!
