Last spring I was getting really burned out with taekwondo. I think it had less to do with the pressure I was under to test for bo dan (and later that year black belt) and more to do with crippling depression and anxiety that set in during a particularly nasty and icy February and lasted through…hmm…May. I also went through a very painful break up a week after I tested for bo dan, I was in a lull at work, and was becoming increasingly isolated at home.
Everything kinda sucked, and it followed me to the dojang. I was unmotivated, cranky, disappointed in my performance, and tired of dragging myself to class. I needed a break. I took a little time off, although I didn’t feel much better. Life in general started to improve in June, and by the time my black belt test rolled around in October, I was a much happier and more confident version of myself. I never told anyone how bad things were in the early part of last year. As I always do, I kept the worst parts to myself and dealt with my pain privately and independently. That’s how I prefer to handle things.
Continue reading “Proactive Laziness…Sometimes We Need Breaks From the Things We Love Most”
Have you ever felt like something was off in your martial arts practice? You find that it’s becoming harder to drag yourself to class, and if you make it there, you’re stealing glances at the clock the entire time. Or perhaps you do enjoy going to class and working out, but it feels like you’re going through the same old motions over and over. Maybe you don’t feel challenged enough, or you’ve hit a plateau and feel frustrated that you can’t get past it.
