Embracing Discomfort: How “The Comfort Crisis” Can Transform Your Jiu-Jitsu Journey at The MATS Academy
At The MATS Academy, true growth happens when we push beyond the boundaries of comfort. This philosophy echoes Michael Easter’s lessons in “The Comfort Crisis,” where he explores how our modern lives—marked by endless convenience and comfort—have made us less resilient, focused, and ultimately less fulfilled. Easter’s call to embrace discomfort aligns perfectly with the challenges and growth Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) offers. Here’s how the principles in “The Comfort Crisis” can deepen your jiu-jitsu training and daily life, creating resilience, adaptability, and clarity.
Seeking Discomfort to Build Resilience
In “The Comfort Crisis,” Easter explains that comfort keeps us from reaching our potential. Jiu-jitsu, by nature, challenges us physically and mentally in ways that modern life rarely does. When you step onto the mats at The MATS Academy, you’re stepping into a place where you’ll face physical exhaustion, the humility of losing, and the grind of mastering techniques that may take months or years to perfect.
Instead of avoiding these challenges, we encourage our members to lean into them. Whether rolling with a higher belt, drilling a difficult move repeatedly, or simply showing up when motivation is low, this pursuit of discomfort builds resilience. Each struggle on the mats teaches us to stay calm under pressure and see adversity as an opportunity to grow as martial artists and individuals.
Sharpening Focus and Adaptability
In jiu-jitsu, as in life, the ability to adapt quickly and think on your feet is essential. Easter warns that comfort can dull our mental edge, but training jiu-jitsu counters this effect. Every session at The MATS Academy places you in dynamic, high-pressure situations that demand rapid decision-making. From adjusting your game against different opponents to responding to unforeseen moves, BJJ training keeps your mind sharp, adaptable, and always learning.
At The MATS, we intentionally create an environment that fosters this adaptability. Training with various partners challenges you to adjust your approach, think creatively, and focus clearly amid intensity. This ability to adapt to the unknown translates to resilience beyond the mats, enhancing your capacity to face life’s daily challenges with confidence.
Reconnecting with Nature for Mental Clarity
Easter emphasizes reconnecting with nature to reset the mind and build resilience. In an age dominated by screens and indoor living, getting outside has undeniable benefits for our mental and physical health. While jiu-jitsu is typically practiced indoors, we encourage our members to step outside the academy for outdoor conditioning, hiking, or yoga to incorporate natural elements into their training.
When we take a class outdoors or add hiking as a conditioning exercise, we take lessons from “The Comfort Crisis.” The variety of terrain, the fresh air, and the elements force us to embrace discomfort in a new way, improving endurance and mental clarity. This is also a fantastic way to reset and reflect after intense training, creating balance in our training and life routines.
Overcoming the Fear of Failure and Embracing Losses
Easter underscores that embracing failure is essential for growth. The journey of BJJ is full of failures—whether tapping out, struggling to learn a technique, or being outperformed by a teammate. At The MATS Academy, we see losses as valuable learning experiences, each offering insight far more valuable than a win. This mindset shift allows us to let go of our ego and be open to growth.
Instead of focusing solely on winning each roll, we encourage our members to view training as a journey of continual improvement. We remind them that every tap, every frustration, and every tough roll is essential to growth. By shifting our perspective on failure, we learn to appreciate the lessons it brings, both in jiu-jitsu and beyond.
Pushing Physical Limits for Mental Strength
“The Comfort Crisis” shows us that pushing physical boundaries can unlock untapped mental potential. BJJ offers this challenge by demanding strength and endurance, often beyond what we think we can. At The MATS Academy, we push members to dig deep, whether through extended rounds, rolling with higher belts, or conditioning drills that test endurance.
In the moments when you’re tired, outmatched, or feel you can’t push any further, you discover a new level of grit and resilience. Training this way reinforces the idea that discomfort is temporary and that going through it builds inner strength that lasts. This mental toughness translates to better performance on the mats and a newfound resilience when facing everyday challenges.
Incorporating Health Disciplines for Enhanced Performance
Easter highlights the benefits of intermittent fasting and ancient health practices as ways to build discipline and reset our bodies. We support these principles at The MATS Academy, recognizing that what we put into our bodies—and when—affects our performance on the mat. Some members experiment with fasting, mindful eating, and other health disciplines to enhance their endurance, focus, and overall performance.
Through these practices, we can condition ourselves to perform optimally even under challenging conditions, building discipline in both mind and body. As Easter points out, these health disciplines help us break free from the constant comfort of modern life and reinforce our connection to our bodies and our goals.
Practicing Mindfulness and Staying Present
Being present is critical in jiu-jitsu, where each moment demands focus, awareness, and quick decision-making. Easter underscores the importance of mindfulness in dealing with discomfort, and at The MATS Academy, we emphasize presence and awareness in practice and life.
We often incorporate breathwork, meditation, or focused relaxation exercises into our training sessions to enhance focus and mental clarity. These techniques help us stay calm in high-pressure situations, manage stress, and build a strong mental foundation for intense training. Mindfulness, both on and off the mat, allows us to appreciate each moment fully and make intentional choices.
Embrace the Comfort Crisis Mindset
The principles from “The Comfort Crisis” fit naturally into the culture of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, offering valuable lessons in resilience, adaptability, and mindfulness. At The MATS Academy, we strive to bring these principles to life, helping each member embrace discomfort as a powerful tool for growth.
From pushing through tough rolls to trying new health practices and seeking growth through challenges, our approach at The MATS Academy reflects Easter’s message: stepping outside our comfort zones isn’t just beneficial—it’s essential. By embracing discomfort, we unlock a more resilient, adaptable, and fulfilled version of ourselves, both on the mat and in life.