High-pressure situations often come with lots of distracting emotions. Focusing on a climb doesn’t necessarily mean that there are no other thoughts in your head. Much like mindfulness, it’s more about being gently aware of our emotions than “forcing” or “pushing” them away.
The goal of this practice is just to become familiar with the sensations that may be in your body and mind before you climb. We need to coexist with fear, anxiety, doubt, and excitement, without letting them dominate our thoughts.
This is the drill:
1. Before climbing, close your eyes and take a deep breath.
2. Ask yourself what you are feeling. Say the word or phrase to yourself, like “I am nervous” or “I am feeling fear.” Follow this up by saying “that’s OK.” If you feel nothing in particular, that’s fine too.
3. Take another breath and return your attention to the climb.
Over time, pay attention to what emotions come up frequently. Record these in your journal. Do certain emotions connect to certain people, places, or types of climbing? For instance, you might feel more uncertainty with slab climbing, or you might feel more fear if a certain person isn’t around to spot/belay you.