# Training Tips for Climbers: Positive Self-Talk

#### This is a term that you might have heard being thrown around at the crag, gym, or something a fellow climber may have mentioned to you. Particularly if you suffer from performance anxiety or fear of falling. However, it can be a hard strategy to implement if you do not know what it is or how to use it.

Self-talk can be broken down into two types; self-statements and thought content (the internal dialogue). These can come across positive (you can do this move), instructional (focus on your foot) or negative (that was a rubbish attempt). To achieve our best performances, we want positive self-statements and thought content. To encourage positive self-statements, it is worth writing down a list of self-statements that you can use before pulling onto a climb or performing an exercise. ![](https://latticetraining.com/app/uploads/2021/08/cropped--1024x622.png)**To help you create this list consider the following:****\#1. Positivity –** It is important that the statement is positive, or you will not be able to commit 100% to the situation. **\#2. The use of metaphors –** Metaphors are a powerful tool which we can use to symbolise a feeling or emotion. A couple of examples I use are: ‘Fingers of steel’ before each max hang attempt or ‘My legs are like elastic bands’ before I complete a dyno. ![](https://latticetraining.com/app/uploads/2021/08/Cam-1-1024x681.jpg)**\#3. Situation specific –** Make sure the self-statement is specific to the task. There is no point telling yourself you are as strong as an ox before pulling onto a delicate slab. Instead, you could use ‘I will climb this slab with the precision of a surgeon’. ![](https://latticetraining.com/app/uploads/2021/08/bishop.jpg)Finally, we can use thought stopping to convert negative thought content to positive thought content. Refer to the chart at the beginning of the article to find tips for changing self-talk and examples of changing self-talk