In HEMA, as in other sports, most of our training is physical. We spend our money on gear, we focus on martial techniques and fitness, we go on diets. We aim to become faster, stronger, more accurate. Mental fortitude is also expected, but almost no resources are given to athletes to help them meet that expectation. Yet a mental meltdown on tournament day can negate all our physical hard work, leading us to perform as if we never trained at all.

Why do we have those mental meltdowns, anyway? Everyone has fears, but so what? Fear is just an emotion, and emotions are just one step in the process I call ETA: Emotions → Thoughts → Actions

Emotions are natural and necessary, but if we get stuck on the first step, we will never move on to insightful thoughts and productive actions. The next steps are where we master our minds so that our bodies can rise to the occasion and do what we trained for.

Emotions: To deal with fears, first name them. What are you afraid of? Make a list.

Thoughts: Next, sort through and process your fears like a minimalist would declutter. Give yourself 3 bins: Trash, Donate, and Keep. In the “trash” bin, put all the items that you know are lies your brain made up. In the “donate” bin, put all the items that are true but out of your control. In the “keep” bin, put all the items that are true and within your control.

Actions: Each bin demands a different set of actions. Trash needs to be eliminated. Donation bin should be given to someone else to do something with, so delegate or ask for help. Keep bin is the stuff you have to take ownership of and really set to work on!

For detailed discussion and guided exercises, take my 1-hour interactive workshop called “Shut Up and Fence!”

–Marie Meservy, physician, psychologist, and “mom” of the Noble Science Academy.