Why Climbing Psychology?

We believe that by applying the scientific principles of psychology to sport of climbing, we can help climbers, coaches and parents reach their mental potential.

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We help you leverage the power of mental strength to be the best athlete, coach or parent you can be. We work individually or in group settings. This can be done in person or online via video call, in German and English.

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Blog
GUEST BLOG BY NUTRITIONIST AMANDA WATTS: DOES BMI MATTER IN CLIMBING?
GUEST BLOG BY NUTRITIONIST AMANDA WATTS: DOES BMI MATTER IN CLIMBING?

There’s been some talk of implementing BMI cut-offs for competition climbers, as a way to keep climbers healthy and eating disorder free. Is BMI the right tool for the job are there better red flags to look for?

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WHAT THE ADULTS WORLDS & YOUTH WORLDS HAVE IN COMMON
WHAT THE ADULTS WORLDS & YOUTH WORLDS HAVE IN COMMON

Despite the physical and mental strain these competition cause, one thing both the Adults Worlds and the Youth Worlds have in common: falling and failing.

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THE MENTAL REQUIREMENTS OF EACH DISCIPLINE
THE MENTAL REQUIREMENTS OF EACH DISCIPLINE

Every discipline is exciting and challenging for its own reasons. Not only on a physical level, also on a mental level: every discipline requires different mental strengths and capabilities.

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HOW TO DEVELOP A HEALTHY BODY IMAGE
HOW TO DEVELOP A HEALTHY BODY IMAGE

How can we foster the development of a healthy body image? What’s rather unhelpful? Here are your ideas and suggestions.

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HOW COACHES IMPACT A FEMALE ATHLETE'S BODY IMAGE
HOW COACHES IMPACT A FEMALE ATHLETE'S BODY IMAGE

How does coaches’ communication influence female body image?

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THE TREND OF TEENAGERS IN THE LEAD CLIMBING ELITE
THE TREND OF TEENAGERS IN THE LEAD CLIMBING ELITE

The last lead World Cups have been pretty interesting to watch. Not least since really young, teenage female athletes are fighting their way up to the world elite. Is there a trend in climbing where teens will peak in their teens such as in other leanness-focused like gymnastics? What risks and benefits does this involve?

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THE FEMALE BODY IMAGE IN CLIMBING
THE FEMALE BODY IMAGE IN CLIMBING

As a climber, we are constantly torn between told how to look like by society and how to look in order to be strong and achieving our goals. This constant dissonance between our ideal social body image and ideal athletic body image can cause insecurity, disorientation and in turn, can have effects on our mental health.

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HOW MUSIC CAN REGULATE OUR EMOTIONS, INCL. PLAYLIST
HOW MUSIC CAN REGULATE OUR EMOTIONS, INCL. PLAYLIST

Being able to control our mood can be very helpful – especially in passion and emotion rich sports like climbing. Music can be one useful strategy to handle negative emotions like distress, nervousness, or anxiety.

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WHY EMOTIONS ARE IMPORTANT IN CLIMBING
WHY EMOTIONS ARE IMPORTANT IN CLIMBING

Emotions can influence a result, particularly in highly competitive situations. Emotions arise through our actions and are dependent on previous experiences we have made as well as on how we judge these situations

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LESSONS LEARNT #2: "WHY ARE YOU NERVOUS? HAVEN'T YOU HAD MENTAL TRAINING?"
LESSONS LEARNT #2: "WHY ARE YOU NERVOUS? HAVEN'T YOU HAD MENTAL TRAINING?"

You might have read my last blog post “Why are you nervous? Haven’t you had mental training?” This blog post is a follow up with LESSONS LEARNT #2 from the experience I’ve recently made at a youth comp – or rather, the observation & conclusion I have made.

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I believe one of the most important things in life is to know what you can and what you can't do, what your field of expertise is and what's not, where you have to ask for help and what you can do yourself. . For this same reason, I love working interdisciplinarily: I might be an expert in psychology but tbh I have no clue about nutrition (except for knowing that too much chocolate might not be that healthy for me 😜). . When I started the discussions about healthy body image in climbing, I was focusing very much on the psychology of it. However, many of you raised questions that weren't in my expertise anymore - such as about girls in comp climbing not having their period anymore, how the BMI can be used as a tool to measure whether someone's healthy or not - or whether that's bullshit, etc. For this reason, I had asked @a.mandawatts - one of the best nutritionists and dietitians I know, plus a super strong climber herself - whether she'd be interested in writing an article about this topic from her perspective. And she said yes! ✨🙏🏻 . If you haven't read her blog post yet, make sure you do. You find the link in my bio! If you have any questions for her, send her a message! . Thanks for all your discussions, inputs & shares! You're great - that's exactly how we can increase the discussions about this important topic and create more awareness! 💙 . 📷 @a.mandawatts . --------------------------------------------- #climbingpsychology #climbing #klettern #nature #mountains #bouldern #bouldering #grimper #escalade #escalar #climbing_is_my_passion #climbing_pictures_of_instagram #womensbouldering #bloc #bouldering #climbinglife #rockclimbing #outdoors #neverstopexploring
Over the past month, we have had a big discussion about how to develop or have a healthy body image in climbing. To approach this topic interdisciplinarily, I have asked Australian nutritionist @a.mandawatts from @thrive_nutritiondietetics to give us an insight on this topic from a dietitian's perspective: . Is BMI the right tool for the job or are there better red flags to look for? . There is a new blog post up on the homepage. You can find the link in my bio. . @a.mandawatts is a nutritionist and dietitian from the Blue Mountains in Australia. When she's not working, you find her climbing in the Blueys. But most importantly: she's an absolute legend! I am super proud and grateful to have her sharing her wisdom with us on this platform. If you have any questions for her, don't hesitate writing to her directly. 🌟 . --------------------------------------------- #climbingpsychology #climbing #klettern #nature #mountains #bouldern #bouldering #grimper #escalade #escalar #climbing_is_my_passion #climbing_pictures_of_instagram #womensbouldering #bloc #bouldering #climbinglife #rockclimbing #outdoors #neverstopexploring #healthbodyimage #bodyimage #thrivenutritiondietetics #nutrition #bmi
"Competitions seem where it's at in climbing right now. But being an explorer is exciting too." . You're right - the past month I posted a lot about competitions. But wouldn't it be boring if the psychology in climbing was just reduced to competition climbing and competition stress? Well, I believe so. As exciting competitions are, there's so much more to climbing and the psychology behind it than competition stress and mental requirements etc. . This is why I will switch back to another topic: I promised you quite a while ago when we talked about a healthy body image to get an expert to write about the BMI as a good indicator to measure whether someone's healthy or not. . Can't wait to tell you more about this! 🤩 So stay tuned! . P.S. Don't forget to still sign up for the newsletter (or send me a PM with your email address)! The attached & exclusive worksheet about how to reflect competitions will be both in German and English. 💌 . 📷 @sytsevansloten --------------------------------------------- #climbingpsychology #climbing #klettern #nature #mountains #bouldern #bouldering #grimper #escalade #escalar #climbing_is_my_passion #climbing_pictures_of_instagram #womensbouldering #bloc #bouldering #climbinglife #rockclimbing #outdoors #neverstopexploring #ipreview via @preview.app
And with the blink of an eye, this year's Youth Worlds are over. Since it's not too far from home, I drove down to watch parts of the competition. I mean what else do you need than lots of ice cream, pizza, climbing sessions in Massone, an exciting climbing comp to watch and, last but not least, meeting up with good old friends! . The more professional climbing gets and the higher the level of the athletes is, the more important mental strength and confidence becomes. Instead of letting yourself get dragged down by setbacks, it's more important than ever to learn as much as possible from every competition. We cannot only learn from competitions when it has gone well, but also - or even more so - when we didn't do as well. Reflecting our actions regularly and thoughtfully is essential to become mentally stronger climber, to understand what to change in the future and what to work on. . In the September newsletter (which will be sent next week once I'm back from the training camp in Frankenjura) I will attach an exclusive worksheet for athletes to better reflect competitions to learn the most of every situation. If you haven't signed up you, do so today! You can find the link at the bottom of each page (link in bio!) or send me a PM with your email address. If you have any questions, let me know! 💌 . 📷 @sytsevansloten --------------------------------------------- #climbingpsychology #climbing #klettern #nature #mountains #bouldern #bouldering #grimper #escalade #escalar #climbing_is_my_passion #climbing_pictures_of_instagram #womensbouldering #bloc #bouldering #climbinglife #rockclimbing #outdoors #neverstopexploring #ipreview via @preview.app
This might sound pretty bad, but if you think about it: you see a lot of failing in competitions. But actually, I don't think it's that bad at all. It's just what we've learnt by society. But in fact, it is a normal part of developing, of climbing and competitions - and of life in general. It's what teaches us what to do differently next time and what we can improve. Yet, failing isn't easy and often connected with negative emotions. To not let it drag you down, this new blog post is about how to better deal with failure. You can find the link in the bio! . How have you dealt with failure in the past? What did you find helpful, what not? . P.S. Talking about it with someone can help, too. Leave us a message if you feel like this is something you can improve. . --------------------------------------------- #climbingpsychology #climbing #klettern #nature #mountains #bouldern #bouldering #grimper #escalade #escalar #climbing_is_my_passion #climbing_pictures_of_instagram #womensbouldering #bloc #bouldering #climbinglife #rockclimbing #outdoors #neverstopexploring
And the lead competition of the Youth Worlds are already over. Time for speed & bouldering! Congratulations to everyone who made the podium! 🏅 . What mental skills do you need to have for lead climbing? . Compared to bouldering, you only have one try for each route. While in speed climbing it’s always the same, it’s always different in lead climbing. This definitely changes the mental approach: you have to give it all in this one try. Since the lead routes have more and more open movements, jumps or other risky moves in there, the willingness to take risks, no hesitating and not being afraid of failure becomes more and more important in lead climbing, too. However, lead climbing still seems less arbitrary than bouldering and the lead finalists are generally very consistent in their performance. No route setters or spectators would want to see everyone falling at the start or because certain movements are impossible. For this reason such “risky” moves are still at lot less “risky” compared to bouldering. So how can lead climbers prepare for this “one try only” or to risky moves in routes? . There's a new blog post online answering this question. You can find the link in the bio. . Leave me a message if you want to train your mental skills or inform yourself how you can get started 💪🏼🧠🏅🧗🏻‍♀️ . 📷 @thecircuitclimbing --------------------------------------------- #climbingpsychology #climbing #klettern #nature #mountains #bouldern #bouldering #grimper #escalade #escalar #climbing_is_my_passion #climbing_pictures_of_instagram #womensbouldering #bloc #bouldering #climbinglife #rockclimbing #outdoors #neverstopexploring
The adults Word Championships are just over, and the Youth World Championships in Arco just begun. What a marathon of competitions this is! 🙈 . What were your highlights of the adults competition? Are what are you most looking forward to in the youth worlds? . One thing that I found most impressive in the adults category was surely how well they seemed to deal with physical strain (I mean 10 days of competing - what?!) as well as dealing with the mental stress. Both the preparation all year long and then executing on day X to be among the first climbers ever to qualify for Tokyo 2020 was undoubtedly incredibly stressful and mentally exhausting (no wonder). . 📷 @thecircuitclimbing --------------------------------------------- #climbingpsychology #climbing #klettern #nature #mountains #bouldern #bouldering #grimper #escalade #escalar #climbing_is_my_passion #climbing_pictures_of_instagram #womensbouldering #bloc #bouldering #climbinglife #rockclimbing #outdoors #neverstopexploring #ipreview via @preview.app
For the past week, I've been pretty occupied watching the Climbing World Champs in Hachioji. I thought they very interesting to watch: every discipline is exciting and challenging for its own reasons. Not only on a physical level, also on a mental level. Every discipline requires different mental strengths and capabilities for which reason I decided to write down these different mental challenges and requirements from a psychological perspective. . Leave a comment if you want to share your own experience or if you think that I have forgotten any mental requirements. . 📷 @thecircuitclimbing of @futaba_ito in Hachioji --------------------------------------------- #climbingpsychology #climbing #klettern #nature #mountains #bouldern #bouldering #grimper #escalade #escalar #climbing_is_my_passion #climbing_pictures_of_instagram #womensbouldering #bloc #bouldering #climbinglife #rockclimbing #outdoors #neverstopexploring