Thanks to conversations with my boss and a counselor about my severe burnout, several days off here and there for rest and rejuvenation, hormones starting to regulate so my suspected peri-menopausal symptoms aren’t as bad, and more days of actual honest to God decent sleep…I’m feeling better than I was when I wrote my last post.
But I’m not out of the woods yet.
I’ve been wanting to write an article for a while about burnout. The irony isn’t lost on me that it’s taken me over a month to get thoughts to screen because I’ve been “too busy.”
The first time the thought for the article crossed my mind I was at home, having taken Good Friday, April 18, off after a very busy week of work and two full days of being in a training program. I’d also been dealing with severe insomnia, which I attributed to peri-menopausal weirdness but realize in hindsight was exacerbated by stress and burnout. I’d hoped to spend that Friday doing something fun or spending time on one or more of my hobbies, but because I was so exhausted, I spent the day napping on the couch while I waited for the HVAC guy to show up to install a part and do the biannual check-up since that was the only free time I’d had all month.
I was too burned out to write an article about burnout.
Continue reading “If You’re Happy but You’re Burned Out, Clap Your Hands”
Something I started in 2024 and am carrying into 2025 is lessening the time I spend staring at and doomscrolling on my can’t-live-with-it/can’t-live-without-it phone. Real life is happening all around us, and it’s sadly easy to miss with the access we have to screens in our daily lives. Sometimes it’s necessary for things like work and school, but there are things we can do to turn screen time into quality time with our loved ones. In this guest post, Hamza Abbasi from Carlson Gracie RafaSantos Lakeland, offers tips for swapping screen time with quality family time through martial arts.
If you would like to submit a guest article for Little Black Belt, please review the guidelines here.
In today’s world, many families spend their time on the screen without physical exercise. Adults and kids mostly use their gadgets, which can lead to poor physical activity that can negatively impact health as well as the bonding of families. Martial arts allows families to stay active, build relationships, and promote healthy lifestyles while having fun or enjoyment. Here’s how martial arts can improve your family fitness, including impacts and other tips for staying active with family.
Continue reading “Guest Writer: How Martial Arts Can Boost Family Fitness and Bonding”
The holidays are over, and we’re back in full swing! Busy schedules, yaaaaayy! Part of being a well-rounded martial artist is caring for one’s mental health and well-being. Emma Grace Brown has contributed several articles on wellness and self-care to this blog. In this article she shares several tips for balancing a busy life with effective stress-reducing actions.
If you would like to write a guest article for Little Black Belt, see guest writer guidelines here. ~Melanie
Continue reading “Guest Writer: Cultivating Calm: Effective Ways to Tackle Daily Stress”
I’ve explored imposter syndrome a few times on this blog, once during a period of depression and loneliness and more recently when I was offered the opportunity to do something new at work.
I’m happy to report that (1) I’m no longer depressed and lonely and (2) I’ve gotten a pretty good handle on that new thing at work.
Continue reading “When the Flames of Imposter Syndrome Loom Large”
While this blog is primarily focused on martial arts, I also devote quite a bit of time to something that is inextricably intertwined with martial arts practice: mental health and well-being. Emma Grace Brown has contributed several articles on wellness and self-care in the past, and she has written another great article about how to care for yourself and your family. It’s tempting to get caught up in the bustle of Q4 work deliverables and holiday planning, but it’s most important for you to make sure you and the people you love are healthy and happy.
If you would like to write a guest article for Little Black Belt, see guest writer guidelines here. ~Melanie
Continue reading “Guest Writer: Take These Steps to Build a Healthier Home Life”
Remember that time I wrote a blog post about wondering why I spent my days doing corporate training and nights yelling at people in the dojang? Yeah, I still wonder about that, and I still TREASURE my quiet time by myself. That’s why I was delighted when Emma Grace Brown, writer and frequent contributor to Little Black Belt, pitched a self-care guides for introverts. Just in time for hibernation season! If you would like to write a guest post for Little Black Belt, please see guest post guidelines here.
Even though I’ve been writing this blog for a decade and published a memoir about how practicing martial arts changed my life for the better, I’m still surprised sometimes at the moments of clarity I have when I’m on the mat.
The most recent moment was this past week when I was working with my master on side kicks.
In 2022 I wrote an article for the online web magazine Martial Journal about being in a martial arts cult. It was something I was reluctant to talk about but felt it was important to say. Since then I’ve had a steady stream of messages from people who could relate. Obviously this is something that needs to be talked about openly.
Martial arts can be wonderful and beneficial influences in our lives, but anything taken to an extreme can have a dark side, especially if the person or people in power take advantage of those who just wanted to do something they enjoyed.
S [identity protected for privacy], a fellow martial artist, bravely shares her story of the pain of realizing she was in a bad situation and the joy of freedom.
If you would like to contribute a martial arts-related article to Little Black Belt, please follow the guest post guidelines here.
Continue reading “Guest Writer: Leaving My Martial Arts Cult”
My blog is TEN years old! Can you believe it? I began this project as a quiet way to document the life-changing insights I was having about a year into my taekwondo journey. I didn’t tell anyone about it for a few months. Since then it has grown to be a documentation of my journey to black belt and beyond, the inspiration for my 2021 book Kicking and Screaming: a Memoir of Madness and Martial Arts, and home to many guest articles from the larger martial arts world. The blog and the book have pushed me into talking openly about mental illness in the public space, which I’ve done on podcasts, in articles, and even in my workplace.
Thank you to everyone who took the time to read my thoughts and to the other writers and martial artists who have contributed richness and diversity to the blog.