A friend loaned me the book Superbetter by Jane McGonigal. I decided to write about how the ideas connect to jiu jitsu, so I’ll be writing this up as I’m going. The idea behind the book is that you can use the science of games to help yourself get stronger, happier, braver, and more resilient. Please feel free to read along with me. I’ll be quoting from the hardback book for ease of reference.
CHAPTER 1: YOU ARE STRONGER THAN YOU KNOW
This chapter’s tagline is: Unlock the ability to control what you think and feel, even during extreme stress or pain.
CONTROLLING ATTENTION PREVENTS ANXIETY, TRAUMA, PAIN, ETC
I remember discovering that when I was having period pain, it would entirely go away when I would do jiu jitsu. I could have monstrous lower back pain, hip pain, etc, yet as soon as I got on the mat, it’s like that pain disappeared. Now I know why.
Your brain can process and absorb only a limited amount of new information at any given moment. […] if you learn to control your attention spotlight, you can actually stop your brain from spending its limited processing resources on pain signals from your nerves. P. 31
Rather than be a reason to stay off the mats, this is a great reason to go. Sore muscles? Try jiu jitsu! Generalized pain? Try jiu jitsu! Bruised up legs? Try jiu jitsu!
PULL ATTENTION AWAY FROM NEGATIVE THOUGHTS/FEELINGS
This was a new and novel idea for me. I know that in general, when I am trying to stop my negative thoughts and feelings, I would just focus on breathing. Some dude is crushing my face on the mats or pissing me off, I just try to breathe and get through it. In reality, I stew. I marinate, and then I write blog posts about being pissed off and crying in the bathroom.
McGonigal suggests playing a word game. Pick two letters. Think of as many words that have both of those letters in any order within one minute. Interrupt your negative thoughts by preoccupying it. It is a tool for “blocking unwanted thoughts, feelings, or physical sensations” (page 35). Sure, focusing on breathing can help, but I’m definitely going to try this next time.
BZ: Brazilian, blaze, zebra, brazen, ballz…
DEALING WITH USELESS ANXIETY
Anxiety is something I hear about a lot in jiu jitsu and on this blog, and most of the time I’ve seen two kinds. One is the “useless” kind – nervous about going on the mats, nervous about interacting with people, etc. There is also the useful kind – reminding you “HEY YOU, YOUR TOURNAMENT IS COMING UP AND YOU’RE NOT READY. GET READY,” which then, in turn, helps you focus and learn.
In the case of the former, where all that anxiety is doing is making you sick to your stomach, McGonigal suggests distracting yourself – engaging your eyeballs and brain. Play Angry Birds, Tetris, or even Candy Crush before class, while waiting in your car. Instead of focusing on being nervous, engage your eyeballs and brain. Break your cycle of attention. She even mentioned that kids who were going into surgery who played video games beforehand felt virtually no anxiety before surgery, and experienced about half the amount afterward (page 42).
FLOW
This was one section that really resonated with jiu jitsu for me. “Flow is the state of being completely cognitively absorbed in an activity. It’s not mere distraction or engagement; it’s full engagement. It’s being totally immersed in, motivated by, and energized from the challenge at hand. In a state of flow, you not only lose track of time, you lose a sense of self-awareness.” (page 44).
Jiu jitsu absolutely falls under this category – your full attention on what your body is doing, what your partner is doing, engaging your brain, your body, on every detail. You get physically exhausted, and your body learns to react, you’re also constantly trying new things – something you just learned, trying to break bad habits, etc.
“If you can create flow for yourself, you’re not just blocking negative feelings like pain and anxiety. You’re also actively creating better psychological and physical health.” (page 45)
I remember when I started jiu jitsu, just feeling better all around. My outlook improved, I smiled more, and I was generally happier. When I’m not doing jiu jitsu, I’m just not as happy.
Jiu Jiu’s Question: Have you read this chapter of Superbetter? Which of these ideas resonated with you? How have you interrupted your negative feelings/thoughts/anxiety? Has jiu jitsu helped with your generalized pains? I’d love to hear your thoughts or reactions to any of these ideas, or to this chapter in general.
Coming up soon: Chapter 2: You are Surrounded by Potential Allies.
Wow! Brilliant! And so applicable! Thank you so much!
Thanks! Out of curiosity, which parts did you feel were especially applicable for you? I love using the comment section as a discussion forum. It’s the ESL teacher in me. 🙂
I’m sneaking this comment in real fast before my coworkers catch me slackin’. Thanks so much for bringing up this book. Your post plus the Amazon.com description make me confident this is a book worth reading.
I learned something following a car accident that put me in critical care and threw my life into a tailspin a few years ago. I wasn’t wise enough to think of it as a game (how I wish this book was out then), and I hadn’t yet started my bjj journey, but sometimes this tactic crosses my mind as I’m sitting on the mat thinking useless, swirling thoughts about how I wish this, how I wish that, and how I should’ve done x instead of y. I learned how to take the worry/ fear/ anxiety/ Uncomfortable Whatevers I was thinking about and sweep it aside. It feels almost physical; like I am physically taking the back of my right hand and sweeping whatever I’m worrying about aside. (Which is weird, if only because I’m left hand dominant). I don’t remember “learning” to do it, but it feels like a thing I trained myself to do over time without being aware of it as it was happening.
What “things” from the book have you tried out thus far in practice? I’ll buy the book and catch up.
Hey – I’m really glad it resonated with you! I had already turned things into a bit of a game – if I made it on the mats, I “won,” regardless of how I actually did. If I moved, I “won.” This meant I already had a “whatever happens, I’ve won” mentality, which meant that getting pummeled may have hurt my body, but not my heart. When I’d get smashed below someone, I’d focus on breathing – didn’t matter how I FELT, if air was coming in and out, there was zero need to actually panic. That panic feeling of getting smushed is so powerful.
I’ve not used the things in jiu jitsu yet, but I have used the breathe in 4 counts, breathe out 8 counts with me and my students (they’re between 6 and 8 years old, and I use it to calm them down). Some of these were just analyzing old mental patterns and realizing I’d naturally done some of these. 🙂 Have you bought the book yet?
This is one of my favorite books, and as a librarian, that carries some weight! A shameless plug for libraries…read along, get your copy from your library! 🙂
I think you got to the heart of each of these points. Jiu jitsu is a game…how often do we hear it compared to a game of chess?! I’ve found the pain issue to be a double edged sword. If I’m a generally achy (yes, definitely period type pain!) then jiu jitsu really helps. However, I also sometimes go home with a little more pain when I get into rolling and not paying attention to my body’s signals. Hello over-worked bruised knees and sore joints! There can be a fine line between moving through/overcoming the pain and being detrimentally oblivious to it.
Jiu jitsu contributes to the “post-ecstatic growth” mentioned in the introduction of the book (page 7). Basically, choosing to take on a stressful challenge/adventure creates just the right opportunities to grow and transform yourself into a better person. I just started my bjj journey 2 months ago, and I see the connections and the possibilities.
I look forward to following your posts as you read. Books and bjj?! Be still my bjj librarian heart!
Excellent! I’m so glad to hear it!
Side note: I love my library, and Overdrive pushed me over the edge. FREE AUDIOBOOKS BECAUSE I HAVE A LIBRARY CARD? YES PLEASE! I have listened to about 50 audiobooks this year, thanks to my library. Libraries rock. Also, high five to how hard Library Science degrees are. Mad props to you!
Yes, agree – general achy = do jiu jitsu. Sharp pain = stop. Actual back pain (as in my herniated disc) = STOP.
I’m so glad you joined us in our jiu jitsu journey! Hehe I feel like this is leading into the powerful allies chapter. 🙂
I love that there is a way to quantify some of the mental benefits jiu jitsu has, aside from the “well, I know it because reasons” anecdotes we all have. Obviously it has good health benefits, but now I can talk about how it helps the brain and emotions!
You have convinced me to get this book. The anxiety thing is something that I struggle with a lot. I have social anxiety on a good day. I am older, more overweight, and brand new to bjj so I have a mini panic attack every time that I think about going back after being out for three months.
I’m so glad to hear it! Go get it! There’s also apparently an app and a TED talk. I need to check them out.
For me, what was comforting, is knowing that no one gave a shit. That sounds counterintuitive, but everyone is so focused on their own journey, that other than a passing “Hey, where have you been” no one actually thinks “Boy, that person is so terrible” and instead thinks “Damn I’m terrible – I hope no one else notices.” 😀
But yes, I think this book might help you with some helpful tools for dealing with that anxiety.
Interesting concepts,kind of like a body in motion stays in motion.Years ago I figured out at the comps that it’s not important at all.Then noticed how stressed others were.It took a ton of pressure off.That being said always do your best and you’ll never fail yourself.We’re all on our own personal Jiu jitsu journey.
Nice thoughts! Oh man my first competition was crazy stressful. It was in Korea, and my Korean was subpar/non-existant. I was hyper aware the whole time because I kept listening to my name, afraid I would not hear them/understand them calling my name (ah the dangers of not recognizing your name spoken with a foreign accent), so I never had time to relax, and then I’d get surges of adrenaline. The next day I felt like I was hit with a truck.