Convenience is destroying our mental well-being: Could this sport be the answer?

We seem to live in a world of increasing convenience. Businesses have worked out that people will, in general, take the route of least resistance - as long as the outcome is close to satisfactory.

Oh, and it also needs to be cheap enough, because working more/harder to pay for it is also inconvenient.

Just look at AI. We all use it because it's super easy. Who cares that its outputs are inaccurate/low quality/stolen? As long as it's close enough to what we were looking for. We work from home. We get everything delivered by Amazon and Tesco, so it comes straight to our door. Our food is pre-prepared (I'm looking forward to it being pre-digested).

We do all this under the excuse that we don't have time because we are doing more than ever before.

More what?

Work? More scrolling on our phones?

It's not our fault

I'm not preaching here - I do all the same things - fall for all the same traps. It is actually becoming difficult not to pick convenience now.

Don't get me wrong, it has its place.

Do I want to go back to traipsing around a busy supermarket to grab a few essentials? Nope. I certainly don't want to go back to sitting in rush-hour traffic every day or having to prebook a taxi to get me to and from somewhere I need to be.

But my fear is that removing all inconveniences, however small, is not good for us.

Why choose hardship?

In my opinion, as humans, we fight a daily internal battle. Do we pick comfort and convenience? Where we stay safe, but we stay still. Or do we pick the harder path? Where we grow and flourish. Of course, in reality, it is all about balancing the two. Nobody benefits from living in a chronic state of hardship and stress. But equally, nobody can feel truly fulfilled when they live a life of pure comfort. Mental health issues have exploded in recent years, especially amongst the youngest. In my opinion, a large part of this is due to a lack of balance in this regard.

(Tip: Read The Anxious Generation by Jonathon Haidt if you want some insight into just how bad things are getting for our youngsters - especially how young boys are lacking a sense of purpose in modern society)

How BJJ can help

I think there are several sports and hobbies that can help restore this balance. Everything from running to playing chess offers some difficulties to overcome. But in my (admittedly slightly biased) opinion, nothing does it as well as BJJ. BJJ is hard. Like really hard.

Turning up in all weathers. Being consistent. Dealing with injuries. Overcoming consistent failure.

There is little money to be made in it.

Honestly, you sometimes look at it and wonder why the hell anyone does it at all, let alone falls totally in love with it (which happens a lot). I think the answer is in how it helps restore balance in our lives. It offers hardship, but in a controlled environment.

Getting started with BJJ

I don't want to turn this article in to a big promotion for Borderlands Grappling, but I do want to encourage you to give BJJ a go. Whether that is with us or at a school closer to your home.

If you do want to train with us, you can grab a free trail class to see what it's all about. Alternatively, if you are located in Shropshire, we have created a guide to the best BJJ gyms in Shropshire.