I have the strangest forms of therapy. Cooking, cleaning, choking people out, and punching things are my cathartic releases. I literally spent all day Saturday on the mats learning the most effective ways to cause someone bodily harm using only my fists and limbs and then Sunday was spent color coding a plethora of laundry and alphabetizing my medicine cabinet by symptom and severity. The next few days will be spent traveling from one gym to the next in order to get in quality training with the only breaks being the 60 minute commutes along the way. I’m honestly hoping this means I will fall into such a sound sleep come night time, but alas, the nerve pain in my neck usually disrupts those plans. But at least when I’m all cranky from lack of sleep, I have the mats to ease my attitude and am able to vent out all my frustrations with some marathon rolls or situational sparring. Plus my family gets to reap the rewards of a ridiculously organized house and refrigerator full of home cooked meals so that’s always a plus.
I don’t know how people who do not have a healthy outlet to air their grievances cope, but I guess that’s where the unhealthy behaviors like addiction come to play. I think it’s important for people to find the (legal) things that make them happy. For me, even if it’s something small that I have complete control over, I am pretty content. This allows me to handle life’s responsibilities and familial duties without contemplating a triple homicide. I tend to live a pretty high stress lifestyle, (largely in part to me unduly causing my own unnecessary stress) and getting it all out in the gym helps tremendously. If I am too worn out from mat time, I take to baking all the things like I’m freaking Betty Crocker up in here trying to seduce the Pilsbury Dough Boy. And then I’ll start getting my Mary Poppins on and begin cleaning the house from top to bottom. But undeniably absolutely nothing beats the sultry noises of a large man gurgling and sputtering for air as he struggles to grasp for some oxygen as you choke the last breath from out of his soul.
They say Jiu Jitsu people are a little bit crazy, and I guess we kind of have to be in order to enjoy the daily abuse. Call it masochism, torture, or just gluttons for punishment. Either way you spin it, we are a bit nuttier than squirrel poo. At least in this field, we can inflict some revenge on our lovely little training partners and then show up to the office the next day bright-eyed and busy-tailed. I wonder how many moms out there have personally used training as a method to help keep them from losing their absolute shit on the kids. When you are so worn out from training, you are less inclined to scream until your throat is hoarse about the 512th sock you have found haphazardly strewn across the living room. Or the guy who gets scolded at work for seemingly everything whether it falls to him or not and has been able to raise his spirits ever so subtly by slipping into his gi that evening. Thank you to all my training partners who have let me release myself all over you (yeah I thought about changing this sentence but chose not to because guess what? I also use humor to cope. Sue me).
I hope everyone out there can find a healthy, fun, and safe outlet that helps to bring them back to the center whenever they are feeling on edge. Sometimes people need the additional help of a mental health professional or prescription medication and that’s alright too. There is no definitive or blanket way to treat anyone who needs an appropriate means of coping. Personally, I love to be able to throw on some gloves and do the fisticuffs with some willing participants. I know others who enjoy adult coloring books and others who love to indulge in some Netflix binge watching. Whatever helps you destress that isn’t detrimental to your health or society should be mercifully lauded and celebrated. Not to mention I’ve also established great relationships of friendships and camaraderie and even found my forever family all because I decided I wanted to fight and never looked back. Doing all of this has made me realize I am more capable than I ever realized and the passionate commitment has allowed me to reach unfathomable depths and exceed beyond my wildest expectations. I highly doubt cocaine has ever provided the same levels of satisfaction but then again I wouldn’t know. Guess I should ask Tyrone Biggums about that (if you don’t understand this reference, we can’t be friends).
Basically, what I’m saying is do whatever feels right when it comes to handling life’s daily stressors (within the scope of legality and positivity of course). Crack a joke, open a book, soak in a bubble bath, take a pottery class, or punch a face-that has signed a waiver of course. It’s important to find refuge in even the most minute of tasks, and to refill your heart with the love and solace as a reprieve from the chaos and turmoil bombarding your mind. For me, the dojo just makes everything better. A bad day on the mats is still a thousand times better than a normal day in the office or on the couch and I am so grateful and thankful to embark on this ever competitive journey. I’m sure those who come in contact with me are thankful I have found ways to release some stress as I’m an absolute terror on the rare occasions my frustrations aren’t grappled right out of me. I look forward to facing these challenges head on with the promise of rolling in my near future day in and day out. I’ve got 99 problems but I am off to Jiu Jitsu so they can wait.
