#busshism

[jessemachado777]

[zenmister]

A series of talks by Zen Master Matthew Sullivan on how to use meditation and mindfulness to deal with stress and anxiety.

This is a video by my Dharma brother, Matthew Sullivan explaining how to meditate and meditating. If you mediate along with this video everyday it will change your life.

[clarke-russo-blog]

There are many, many Christians who practice Buddhism, and they become better and better Christians all the time.

Thich Nhat Hanh

[buddhismuniverse-blog]

Buddha

Doubt Everything, Find Your Own Light

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[lucidblackout]

Ani Semchi 

[bqordie-blog]

Burnout: Athletes And Life.

Ever feel the stress and pain of burnout?  You don't have to be an athlete to feel it but it does play a very big role in athletic performance.

Right around this time (4 weeks in) every time I prepare for a race, or a fight,  I get this overwhelming feeling that every little task in life is taking up that much more time or that everything is becoming more urgent.  It actually isn't.

I've found that as my training time, distance and intensity increase my desire to push harder also increases.  This could be one of the first plateaus in my training.  I tend to see them every 3 to 4 weeks. 

The problem lies in time management.  While I'm not training or while I'm resting my thoughts are now more focused on the next session and less on other life tasks.  I spend more time on training and less on the rest of life.

This is hard on me personally in a number of ways.  Firstly,  my focus on work seems to drop and my desire shifts from performing at work to performing during training.  Secondly, my relationships suffer.  Whether it is with my girlfriend, family or friends, they all seem to take a back seat when it comes to dividing my time between them or training.  Lastly,  all the activities and hobbies that take my mind off training seem to drop off the radar.  Just this week along I have slacked a bit with my blog, music, Taekwon - Do  and more. 

In a way this is a natural progression.  It means that as an athlete you are becoming more focused and determined in your training.  It is good.  In no way do I intentionally try to perform badly at work, be a poor friend or spouse, and drop every other interest I have.  These are side affect I don't even realize are occurring until the bad part has already takes place.

The bad part it that you run the risk of burning out.  Burnout is:

“psychological syndrome of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment that can occur among individuals. A syndrome of physical/emotional exhaustion, sport devaluation, and reduced athletic accomplishment”

-Thomas Raedeke

All of these things mentioned above cause immense stress on athletes.  I often push my self to this point in hopes of achieving greater physical skills and abilities.  Being through it many times I know that there are red flags that go up long before suffering full out from burnout.

If you notice any of the above mentioned symptoms or observations taking place in your life I would suggest the following:

Make a change in your training.  Either decrease the work load slightly or mix in some cross training.  Change your training location.  If you train mostly on a track, hit the road or a trail.  If your in a gym train outside. 

Make training social.  If you normally run alone, invite someone on your long slow distance runs or maybe for a quick speed workout.  This can make training fun and if that person is around your skill level it could add a new and exciting challenge to your training.

Take time away.  Maybe you need a day off, 3 days off or a week to get you back into it.  Assess your schedule and see what you can allow to refresh your mind and body.

Personally I have found many coping skills through running but if running is now not just a way to release and vent you may need to explore.  I have found my way though meditation and Buddhism.  Obviously this is just a lead.  Maybe just someone close to talk to and share your feelings or frustrations can help immensely with avoiding burnout.

There are many ways to avoid burnout.  Each method will work differently for each person.  If you have any questions or want to know how to incorporate any of these suggestions into your training just shoot me a question or message.

Good Luck,

S