Burn Out

[Suntail]

How do you prevent burn out? (When a person just loses the desire to go to class or train.) How do you stay motivated? And is burn out curable?

Thanks for any advice.

 

[MJS]

How do you prevent burn out? (When a person just loses the desire to go to class or train.) How do you stay motivated? And is burn out curable?

Thanks for any advice.

Adding in something different to a workout would be one way. We need to constantly challenge ourselves, and making a change is a good way to do it. Also, taking a break from training for a short time is another way. I'm not talking about a month off, but a few days or a week, will allow your mind and body to take a rest.

Mike

 

[bcbernam777]

I personally think that there are 5 factors that would prevent burn out:

1) Mentoring good leadership skills for your students.

2) working with the students to set measurable, challenging but achievable goals.

3) developing a relationship with each student.

4) gaining regular feedback from your student

5) Mixing it up (in terms of training)

As for a cure for burn out:

I think taking time with your student, exploring why they are feeling burnt out, in my experiance, burn out usually comes when the students has expectations that they are trying to meet but fail, they therefore psychologically dont see the point of continuing. Very often these expectations are unspoken (sub concious), and taking the time with the student can mean the difference between success or failure for them.

 

[Shirt Ripper]

How do you stay motivated?

I think of staying motivated and burnout as completely seperate issues. Burn-out is just your body becoming weary and "beat up" whereas motivation is your intrinsic desire or passion for whatever pursuit one chooses to take on. You run into this question a lot in the "weightroom" and other fitness/conditioning environments. "How can I stay motivated?" or "What advice can you give me to keep at it?" And the simple answer is I (or we) can't. If you do not have the passion in you to step into the gym or dojo or onto the track or mat everyday and lay your *** on the line then that is simply not you. Not a good or bad thing, just, perhaps, not the person you are. If someone comes to a personal trainer to get into shape and depends on them for motivation, chances are they ain't gonna get there.

Now everybody has times when they are "down and out" and sort of in a daze in their training, injuries make this worse, but if it is an issue of motivation rather than overtraining or other stressors in life than one need to step back and re-assess ones goals. But if it is, indeed, simply too much else going on the "real world" then you passion will shine through and you will undoubtedly thrive during those times and come through stronger than you were before.
:asian:

 

[Gemini]

How do you prevent burn out? (When a person just loses the desire to go to class or train.) How do you stay motivated? And is burn out curable?

Thanks for any advice.

This seems like you're asking the question in regards to yourself as opposed to others. Since they require two different answers, I'll focus on this one. If I misunderstand, I apologize.

Everyone I know who trains seriously has faced this and all have their own answer as to how to keep themselves going. For me, there is only one answer. I don't give myself the option of whether I feel like training or not. I know I'm the type of person that given an option, will sit in front of the TV. One night will turn into two, two to a week, a week then...I cannot afford to cut myself the slack, so I made a deal with myself when I started. No quitting for any length of time, for any reason. Kids, job, nothing. Within no more than a week or two, I get over it and am always glad I didn't take the time off. That's what works for me.
I do know several people that taking time off works for them. I would abuse it.

 

[Andrew Green]

Most sports don't run 12 months of the year, breaks are important to training, just tricky for paying the bills for the school owners.

But it is important for students to take breaks, a month or 2 off here and there can go a long way in preventing plateau's and retaining interest.

 

[Eternal Beginner]

How do you prevent burn out? (When a person just loses the desire to go to class or train.) How do you stay motivated? And is burn out curable?

Thanks for any advice.

Switching things up has worked for me. In a general sense, if you are someone who is always training geared toward tournaments - take a break and take some time off from competing. Sometimes developing other areas rather than ones that will "score" can refresh and invigorate you. Conversely, if you have never competed, find a competition and train for it. The idea of having a test after working toward something can motivate you.

I am lucky, I train three different styles and have so much to learn I don't stagnate easily. Went through a period like that where class was intensely boring and seemed pointless because we always did the exact same things with the exact same 3 or 4 people. Now I train in much larger clubs with varying experience levels and backgrounds so it is always new and exciting.

Adding competing into my practice has made all the difference in the world to the "freshness" of training. Since I have added training for tourneys into both my karate and BJJ I have never once felt 'burnt out' because there has always been a new challenge and new people to meet and train with. I don't compete to win, I compete to broaden my experience.

 

[chinto01]

I believe that most people will tell you that they have hit a point in their training where they have felt burned out or where they have plateaued. I believe that these may be the set backs that will keep us humble. It is these times that you work through that will develop your character. There is nothing wrong with taking a couple of days off here and there just do not let those days off become to frequent. As far as how to work through it I would suggest examining other applications to your katas. The best lessons are the ones sometimes learned on your own.

In the spirit of bushido!

Rob

 

[terryl965]

I just look deep inside of myself and ask one simple question why am I training, then I relize it is for the Love of the Art and my own personnal growth as a Ma'er and hidy hoo it offf to train I go.
Terry

 

[Shirt Ripper]

I just look deep inside of myself and ask one simple question why am I training, then I relize it is for the Love of the Art and my own personnal growth as a Ma'er and hidy hoo it offf to train I go.
Terry

Well said.

 

[DeLamar.J]

I think if someone iss feeling burned out with martial arts then they should take a few months off, then come back. Normally the urge will come back, from what I have seen.

 

[Bigshadow]

I would say take a day off if you have to... But not more than that.

Also, buy a training book or video

Buy a new training weapon

Also balance is important. Balancing training in the grander scheme of life. I think there can be too much training. I think it is the time between training classes that the body actually can assimilate what was learned in the class. What I find frustrating at the end of the night is often times not nearly as frustrating the next class.

Just some of my thoughts.

 

[arnisador]

Buying a new book/video/plaything isn't a bad idea. Adding some cross-training, if possible, can be even better! A change of pace does wonders.

Sometimes you just need some time off, though. That's OK.

 

[CrankyDragon]

Take 2 or 3 weeks off, dont even think about it. You would be surpised how much better you are when you go back... kinda 'renewed' if you will!!

 

[Jonathan Randall]

Also, buy a training book or video

I like that advice. Sometimes an even slightly different presentation of your art can reawaken the old interest and allow you to see layers and possibilities in the material that was boring you.

 

[MJS]

I
Also, buy a training book or video

I like that idea too!! I find that even when I'm taking a short break, I still can't fully get away! LOL! I find myself putting in a UFC fight into the machine, or doing something else MA related!

Mike

 

[Solidman82]

I had a point where I was training 0 days a week this year. I talked to one of my old instructors and he told me to get up and train at 5 AM. I did and felt awesome for the rest of the day.

After mustering up the will power to do that for a few weeks almost every day, training at a normal time is a cinch.

 

[jbclinic]

JUST PUT what you can aside to obtain samahdi then you will see how to attack,arrange and conquer, and you'll learn to just BREATH.