MMA is as much a game of mental toughness as it is of the physical and Joe Rogan knows this. Doubt and anxiety are commonplace in this sport and even the toughest of fighters have admitted it.  This anxiety can potentially have adverse effects on their game plan. However, according to Joe Rogan, embracing this anxiety is essential for achieving victory.

Joe Rogan, in a recent conversation with journalist Abigail Shrier on ‘JRE’ #2109, has doubled down on his take on anxiety. Let’s understand what advice Rogan has for the UFC fighters.

Joe Rogan and Abigail Shrier have a piece of advice for UFC fighters

Joe Rogan advocates the importance of mental health as much as he advocates the importance of physical fitness. The podcaster recognizes that UFC fighters experience a tremendous amount of mental pressure leading up to their fights. In his latest conversation with Abigail Shrier, Rogan highlighted the importance of this anxiety for the UFC fighters.

“If you talk to, like, one of the best examples is UFC fighters. UFC fighters, before they [fight], they’re all nervous. They’re all scared, every one of them, terrified. And they don’t want to fight if they’re not. If you’re too calm and too relaxed, you actually have bad performances,” said Rogan.

Shrier interrupted Rogan to share something very important about depression. The journalist explained that depression can be cured through your own mental prowess even if you don’t take medications for it. “But if you have something bad happen to you, like going through a divorce or facing a difficult situation, that doesn’t mean you should never try using meds or therapy if you absolutely need it. But there can be good, and here’s what can be good.'”

Shrier further added, “Depression is adaptive. I learned this from talking to and interviewing a lot of evolutionary psychologists. One of the good things about depression is that it shuts us down so we don’t do anything rash, and we think about what change we might want to make in our life.”  Shrier’s assessment holds a bit of truth behind it considering the fact that she has studied how human mental health works.

Additionally, depression and anxiety are not all that Rogan has taken up for discussion. In another instance, the BJJ black belt opened up about his obsessive-compulsive disorder.

The time when Rogan opened up about his mental health

The 56-year-old podcaster rarely engages͏ in conversations about his mental state. ͏Although Rogan appears to be living his best life, even the best have their own set of issues that can be challenging to cope with. In Rogan’s case, he had to work on maintaining peace with his mental health.

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In a conversation with TV producer Howie Mandel, Rogan explained that he likes his mental issues. “When you are someone like me in particular, you have to know what you can get involved in. Because I get obsessed with things… That’s my mental illness,” said Rogan. The podcaster emphasized that his mental illness is very closely related to obsession.

He further added, “My mental illness is like extreme obsession. Whether it’s games or anything. I just get obsessed with comedy, I get obsessed with martial arts, I get obsessed with things. So, I have to manage my obsessions with the amount of time that I have. I get obsessed with archery. I get obsessed with things.”

From Rogan’s perspective, mental illness can have both positive and negative aspects. Surprisingly, his obsessive illness has proven to be extremely beneficial for him in finding success in his endeavors. Do you agree with Rogan’s assessments? Tell us about it in the comments below.

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