Jujitsu, also known as the martial art of flexibility, can also be applied to our mental universe to help us defend ourselves from negative internal dialogue and to attack thoughts that undermine the foundations of self-esteem and well-being.
Written and verified by the psychologist GetPersonalGrowth.
Last update: 15 November 2021
Mental Jujitsu is a reflection exercise aimed at deactivating negative and useless thoughts. This is a simple strategy that we should all apply for one simple reason: Most of us struggle with an exhausting inner dialogue, which seeks to limit our potential. These mind wars could be greatly reduced if we committed to fighting with this tool.
Mark Twain, with his characteristic humor, said that the mind must certainly be prodigious, because he himself was in the habit of fighting very hard battles with it, so that it would stop being its enemy. There is great truth in this reasoning. We are eternal prisoners of those mental castles which, for the most disparate reasons, do not always play in our favor.
These secret rooms are full of 'can't', 'must', 'what other people will think if I say or if I do ”… It is not easy to deactivate or tear these thoughts from our personal ground as if they were weeds and the reason is very simple: they have been there with us for a very long time. Negative internal dialogue is like an uncomfortable traveling companion to which we have given too much land. However, it is still possible to get rid of it. Mental Jujitsu will help us achieve this goal.
“You can be poor; you may even have broken shoes, but your mind will always be a castle. "
–Frank McCourt-
3 strategies of mental Jujitsu to deactivate negative internal dialogue
Jujitsu is a Japanese martial art that uses a wide variety of attack and defense strategies, with the ultimate goal of not using weapons. These techniques were used in the past by Japanese warriors to fight against samurai, who were armed and wore armor.
It is said to be one of the most effective martial arts. The goal is to surrender the opponent, but without using excessive or extreme violence. For this reason, jujitsu is also known as the martial art of delicacy or flexibility.
The approach of this martial art is very useful to face our inner dialogue negative, for this reason it is particularly interesting to know what mental Jujitsu consists of.
1. More peace of mind, less self-sabotage
When we regularly engage in a sport or practice activity, such as meditation or jujitsu, we often notice a "secondary" effect: negative emotions are reduced and we feel calmer and more balanced.
- This is one of the goals of mental jujitsu: reach an inner equilibrium in which the aggressions towards ourselves are reduced, which result in sabotage, criticism or the classic 'I can't' or 'it's not for me'.
- There is another aspect that needs to be considered. As illustrated in a study by Dr. Jason Moser of the University of Michigan, when we face and deactivate negative internal dialogue, we must use the third person singular. In negative mental universes it is normal to always speak to oneself in the first person. Using the third person, on the other hand, we give an authoritative voice to change and, in a certain sense, we manage to impose ourselves on ourselves.
An example would be the following 'now you have to calm down, look for balance. I forbid you to question and criticize yourself. Listen to me carefully: you have to start giving value to the things you do ”.
2. Mental Jujitsu: the art of immobilizing useless thoughts
Sometimes, in the art of fighting, the goal is not to damage or defeat the opponent. What we need is to simply immobilize and prevent that person from continuing to act in a negative way. In our daily mental jujitsu practice, we will have to apply the same strategy (or psychological kata).
First, we must identify useless thoughts at that particular moment. Sometimes, for example, we are too self-critical. Even if obviously self-criticism is necessary, for example when we have to become aware of having done something wrong in order to improve. However, there are times when the voice of criticism is constant and almost obsessive.
In these cases, it is necessary to apply this mental martial art to immobilize self-criticism, grasp it firmly and stop its activity. We will turn to her and say that this is not the time: 'You are exaggerating, you cannot continually question me and despise me. Stop criticizing me, do it only when it is necessary and useful. The only criticism I will listen to will be the constructive one, which will allow me to grow and learn ”.
3. Defeat harmful thoughts to achieve well-being
The third and final strategy of the art of mental jujitsu requires a little more firmness on our part. The goal is clear: to defeat useless reasoning. Dropping the ideas that immobilize us is as necessary as getting rid of everything that hurts us and that it holds back our ability to be happy, free and emotionally mature. Now that we know this, what must we do to defeat negative thoughts? Here are the steps to follow.
- Identify negative thoughts, which undermine your well-being.
- Face them with your head held high⇔ "Don't show up for that interview because you're not up to it, they'll never hire you, it's not worth it" ⇒ Do I have any real evidence that they won't hire me? What can happen to me if I try? Is it worse to try or stay home, blocked by my fears and insecurities?
- Discard, defeat and replace ⇔The idea that I am not worth introducing myself to the interview is not helpful, so I stop reinforcing it and prevent it from coming back in my mind again. In its place, I replace it with another one «I will go to the interview, I will give my best, I will feel at ease and I will count on my skills. In this way, I will be proud of myself ».
Mental jujitsu can be really helpful if we work on these strategies every day. Investing time and effort in cultivating healthier, more confident thinking and free from the chains of irrationality will allow us to gain in terms of happiness and health.
