“Jiu Jitsu saved my life”–this testimonial is repeated throughout face-to-face conversations, grappling forums, and even emblazoned across jiu jitsu apparel. It’s fair to assume that the world of martial arts would be attractive to survivors of trauma, grief, mental illness, and addiction: the philosophy and history of various grappling sports are interwoven with themes of balance, discipline, self-improvement, and perseverance. No matter the hardship you face in your personal life, jiu jitsu can serve as a medium for focusing your efforts on an outlet that will impact you positively; in a physical sense as well as mental and emotional.

While I firmly believe that jiu jitsu is a source of healing and growth for me; I also feel that certain aspects of BJJ result in negative stress and trigger my emotions in upsetting or discouraging ways. I don’t feel alone in this–I commiserate with plenty other grapplers who admit to leaving the mats in tears, or getting that anxious pit in their stomach on the commute to practice. We all witness the revolving door of students hanging up their belts for good (even after years of training). 

The fact is that even though many of us see BJJ as an essential part of our lives, in practical terms it is rare that we can truly make it our highest priority. Even athletes competing professionally or coaching in their own studios often have additional careers to sustain themselves financially. BJJ practitioners balance families, academics, and work while hoping to get in that precious mat time–for individuals such as myself who suffer from mental health conditions, the most rewarding part of our week is sacrificed when the daily responsibilities of being an adult become too much to bear.

I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder when I was 21 and have been practicing the art of ‘just getting through’ for years. Thanks to some pretty handy tricks, I’ve even been able to upgrade to ‘killing it’ or ‘living my best life’ most days. Here are my grumpy-girl-tested-and-approved tips to get yourself to the mats when you’re feeling your worst.

Pack your gear bag in advance

When you give yourself the opportunity to roll out of bed and head straight to the gym, you reduce the amount of time spent mulling over the decision & giving yourself obstacles to training. Have a fresh gi at the ready and keep your gear bag out where you can easily grab it & go. Even if you have to leave in 5 minutes to make it to class on time.

Book it in your calendar

Always plan ahead for your training sessions and give it precedence when thinking about the day ahead. Instead of seeing training sessions as an option for the day, look at it as your regularly scheduled activity. E.g., every Monday at 6:15PM, I have BJJ class. It’s on my phone calendar so it’s no surprise each time it comes up. So I’m not planning for a nap, watching TV, or online shopping during that time–I don’t give way to activities that are less important to me.

Create a pre-training ritual

Turn on the lights in your room, play some upbeat music. Whatever you choose to do prior to training, create an atmosphere that gets you motivated to go to class–not anxious. If you’re always running around last-minute running errands or glued to your screen binging your favorite show, it will be more challenging to refocus toward your training session. I like to take at least 30 minutes of decompression time before getting in the car to drive to practice–I’ll play a pump-up playlist and use the time to braid my hair, hydrate, and disconnect from my work emails & instant messages.

Create a post-training ritual: stretching exercises, cup of tea, long bath

I often come home late in the evening, aching all over, sweaty, and disheveled from practice. I recently found that taking the time for self-care after training has made BJJ feel less like an exhausting chore & more like a beneficial part of my life. Post-training stretching exercises have been so important for my recovery & ability to practice daily without injury.

My absolute favorite thing to do is shower after training (of course), but follow it with running a warm bath to soak in–away from devices, chores, and distractions. Some tea (or hot cocoa in winter) before bed makes for the ideal transition from intense training to restorative sleep.

Attend class even if you’re not training

This is something I have done when I have been severely depressed to the point of becoming lethargic. Hardly able to roll out of bed and change out of sweats. Just show up to the gym & observe class. Keep that routine of going to training sessions instead of skipping entirely.

The trick is to bring your gear with you… in case you want to jump in anyway. Sometimes all it takes is me walking through the academy doors to realize that I do want to work through drills after all. And even if you feel like sitting out of the tough rolling sessions, you can always make that decision later. After working techniques for an hour, I often get inspired over time to push myself through the sparring time as well. I could be dreading those rolls earlier in the day, but find myself warming up to it all because I gave myself the option to by coming to class.

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Do you struggle with depression? What strategies do you use to stay consistent with training?