The global onslaught of COVID has challenged the human spirit and impacted the human psyche. Our minds have been ravaged by stressors - the frustration of restrictions, the isolation of lockdowns and the devastation of loss. One of the few positive results of the pandemic has been to put a spotlight on the negative impact of stress. It has raised awareness of the importance of mental health and its essential role in a happy and successful life. Boxing effectively relieves stress. As women have fewer opportunities to actively relief stress than men, it is another reason why all women should box!
We are all on the hunt for a successful life.
It looks different for each of us, but ultimately a successful life means accomplishing our goals, achieving happiness and finding fulfilment.
In her book Grit, Angela Duckworth argues that the unifying characteristic of successful people is not talent or intelligence, it is Grit. She defines Grit as a personality trait combining perseverance, the ability to overcome setbacks, and passion to adhere to a goal over the long term. I believe the enabler of Grit is balance.
Balance is the product of a healthy mind, one that works in unity with your body to manage your stress, engage with others and make good choices. In essence, balance gives you clarity, it enables you to make thoughtful decisions about how and where to focus your Grit. In this way balance is the starting point for a successful life.
Stress is the enemy of balance.
Stress is a normal physical and emotional response to the pressures of daily life, but left unchecked it leaves us feeling overwhelmed, confused and tense. It disturbs our mental balance. In order to reset our balance and maintain it we need an outlet to release stress.
The nature of boxing makes it a highly effective form of stress release. The explosive movements of bag work, the repetition of skipping, the focus of shadow drills all encourage the release of pent up stress and encourage mental balance.
Boxing is a fantastic way for women to maintain balance.
For women there are few permissible opportunities to actively release our stress without judgement or condemnation. In the workplace we keep our frustrations tightly reined-in for fear of being labelled ‘emotional’ or worse. At home, whether as a mother or a life partner our natural role is to nurture, comfort and support. There are few opportunities for us to release our stress there!
Boxing offers women that opportunity. It fosters confidence, resilience, self-awareness and is a fantastic way of relieving stress. There is no judgement in the boxing gym on your focus or your aggression. The harder you hit and the louder to you shout, the more stress you release and the better you feel. A 45 minute session in the spa or doing yoga just can’t compete.
So get up and give boxing a go ladies! Go to the BXHR Community page to find a list of local Singapore boxing gyms vetted and recommended by the team here at BXHR.
Kommentare