April is Stress Awareness Month. A way to combat stress is by developing resilience. For more resources on managing stress, visit the American Psychological Association’s resource page on resilience.
John Coyle, Olympic medalist, author, and public speaker, has presented to leaders in my organization over the last year as part of a leadership development program for executives. Last fall he discussed resilience, a subject that almost lost its meaning into the Buzzword Abyss during the 2020 pandemic. I work in healthcare, so while resilience is a valid discussion topic, it can feel forced to the point of being moot.
Throughout 2020 and 2021, it seemed society was telling us, “Just be resilient,” as if it were a switch we could turn on and off. It also felt like code for, “Stop complaining about how terrible things are and keep pushing yourself without caring for your needs.”
I liked Coyle’s simple approach:
“Increased performance under increasing stress = resilience.
To build resilience:
1. Reduce stress – quit things / spend time on strengths
2. Recover
3. Reframe your relationship with your stressor.”
It sounds so simple. Why do we have such a hard time doing it? And how can we incorporate it into our martial arts practice?
How do we reduce stress in our martial arts practice if we don’t know what it stressing us out to begin with? Martial arts can have healthy stress: fast-paced commands, (safe) physical strain, and competition. I was a little stressed in my black belt class last week because the warmup was so physically demanding. That doesn’t mean it was bad stress or anything I need to “reduce.” In fact, I’m looking forward to the challenge in my next class.
What are those harmful stressors? In my Stress Awareness Month 2022 article, I suggested that martial arts themselves can be stressful from performance anxiety to making mistakes. Many marital artists are also perfectionists who suffer from imposter syndrome and suffer from self-induced stress. Sometimes there are things that are difficult, boring, not fun, painful, irritating, and just…well…stressful.
Think about what is a challenge versus what is truly stressful in your martial arts practice.
Coyle spoke at the recent kickoff of this spring’s leadership program cohort at my work, and while he didn’t talk about resilience, he did briefly mention the power of quitting. In the sports world, including martial arts, quitting is taboo, even something less dramatic like slowing down or temporarily pausing something…but why does it have to be? More importantly, who cares if you slow down or pause if that means saving your physical or mental health? No one is going to take away your belt rank. As someone who has recovered from a major injury, I care a lot less what people think of me than I used to if I go slower sometimes or modify my movements.
Coyle also mentioned working on our strengths, which is similar to the advice I gave about finding what excites us. Sure, you may still have to do those things you don’t like or aren’t very good at, but the more time you spend on what you love to do, you’ll build collective confidence that can bolster you in more difficult times. Over time, that leads to resilience.
How do we “recover,” and how long does it take to recover?
It depends on the stressor and what we need to do to recover, whether it’s physically, mentally, or both. Like confidence, that recovery response can be honed, hardwired, and quickened over time. When we’re stimulated by stress, we’ve conditioned ourselves to respond in a way that keeps us mentally safe.
What about reframing our relationship with our stressor?
As I’ve said in past articles, if you’re in an unsafe situation, please remove yourself from it as best you can. If the stressor is not inherently dangerous, we can gain our power back by looking at it in different ways: it’s a form of feedback about our performance or how we’re feeling; it’s a message that we need to change our approach; it’s a challenge that is difficult but not insurmountable; it’s a tricky situation that inspires us to be creative and resourceful.
Resilience is not a tenet normally associated with martial arts, but perseverance is. Combining perseverance with stress-reducing techniques like what Coyle suggests can develop resilience over time and help us keep doing what we love to do.
Melanie has worked in the healthcare industry since 2004 and lives in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.
- Spotlight on Men’s Mental Health - July 2, 2023
- Building Resilience When You’re Feeling Stressed - March 29, 2023
- Seeking Authenticity? Look to Martial Arts - February 9, 2023
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