How to Beat Anxiety
The freakout before the breakout.
I’ve always been a bit intense. It is not my favorite quality about myself.
I read Nietzsche too young. I listened to emo music until I was too old. At 21, most of my friends were in their 30s and from my Jiu-Jitsu gym. I was an old soul playing a child’s game. I’ve always felt like a walking contradiction and aimed to reconcile this via performance.
If you’re good enough, you can get away with more.
My intensity was a reflection of my actions. The effort into everything I did was a reflection of my intensity and the extreme seriousness that I took pride in.
I guess, in hindsight, I just wanted to be significant in some way.
I think most of us feel this way — we want to do something that matters, make an impact, and feel like our lives are important.
But there’s a dark side to responsibility. That dark side involves anxiety, pressure, fear, and much scarier things than that.
Today, we’re talking about navigating that dark side, dealing with anxiety, and how to deal with pressure.
If you struggle with anxiety about competing in Jiu-Jitsu or just in your daily life, this one is for you.