Stress and Recovery

Alternate between periods of stress and recovery for maximal growth.

Most of us have careers, responsibilities, and families outside of Jiu-Jitsu. Finding the proper balance can be difficult for a practitioner, and even more difficult for a competitor, or someone who wants to dedicate their life to training.

Just remember that overtraining is a real thing. Your body will eventually reach a point where you must rest. This can manifest in many ways, from injuries and sickness to fatigue and exhaustion. The best advice is that everyone is different, and you have to listen to your body. Training while injured isn't completely out of the question, but that may mean you can't train at full capacity, or that you need to play it safe for a while.

This doesn't mean you can't still improve! We all get burnt out once in a while. Take a night off here or there and let your body find gain in the rest. Spend time with your family and friends and recharge. Sometimes, you need to mentally recover and reset your hunger to be back on the mats. This is a totally natural process, and should not be ignored.

Days off can involve other ways of improvement, such as stretching, studying videos, running,  or swimming. The feeling of guilt from missing training is a real thing in the back of any serious practitioner's mind.

In the business world, just keep in mind that working all day and every day is not always the healthiest practice. Despite being financially beneficial to put in long hours and grind away, you have to allow your mind to relax and unwind.

On the podcast:

• Ep. 48: Stress and Recovery

Further study:

• Growth From Discomfort