In this episode I talk to Ben England, who is a Martial Arts Instructor and runs Apex Martial Arts Academy in Evesham.
Ben and I chatted about the strong dependence that physical health and mental health have on each other. He has seen children and adults from his club increase their confidence over time, which is fantastic for helping to feel more confident and positive in other areas of life too.
I found it so interesting to hear how children and adults often have differing goals from each other when it comes to taking part in martial arts. Ben says the adult club members often attend the martial arts club with fitness as the primary goal, and they "accidentally" improve their mental wellbeing as a result!
Apex celebrating International Women's Day
I asked Ben for his top tips to help boost mental health - and the first was that exercise works as a natural anti-depressant. He notices an increase in wellbeing from his students that participate in martial arts, which promotes positivity for life generally. When we feel good, our brains want to repeat that action, we feel more motivated. And if we have a good strategy for coping with stress, then we are able to avoid the unhealthy ones. This creates a good resilience for coping with life's challenges.
Ben advised that to get a different result, we need to step out of our comfort zone. We can't expect a different result by doing the same thing! We acknowledged that it is difficult to make a change when you feel depressed or anxious, or have low confidence; but having the knowledge that a *small* change can bring about positive results, can perhaps give you confidence to take a tiny first step.
His last tip was about trying different things, in effect "throwing enough stuff against the wall until it sticks." I love this approach, because it gives you a sense of adventure, and that we can give ourselves permission to keep going until we find an exercise that we really like, because we're far more likely to stick with it.
If you or someone you know is struggling with negative thoughts, and would like to learn how to become more positive, hypnotherapy may be worth a try. It can help dial down the stress response, help encourage a positive focus, and help you cope better by being more relaxed and having better quality sleep. Contact me if you'd like to find out more.
Click here to watch the interview with Ben: https://fb.watch/5vwIVJz-I4/
Apex's website is here: http://www.apexma.co.uk/