WHEN SUCCESS BRINGS PRESSURE
Have you ever experienced how your nervousness and the pressure heightened at the beginning of a new season — especially after a successful one?
Like suddenly, you're not just climbing… you're climbing to live up to what you’ve done before?
At the first Bouldering World Cup of the season in Keqiao, Oceania Mackenzie was asked in a post-qualifier interview how she’s dealing with the pressure and expectations after her incredible run last year. She didn’t deny the pressure — she said she felt it. But she also shared that she’s been working on it, and in the process, reconnected with the joy of climbing and her deeper why.
That answer stuck with us. Because it reflects a dynamic so many climbers go through — whether you’re competing at the top level or just coming off a season of personal bests. The moment we raise the bar, it feels like the weight of that bar lands squarely on our shoulders.
Photo credit: Nakajima Kazushige/IFSC
The psychological weight of past success
In psychology, this experience is captured by Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985). It explains that we perform — and feel — best when we’re driven by intrinsic motivation: joy, curiosity, mastery, connection. These are the reasons many of us started climbing in the first place.
But when our focus shifts to extrinsic motivators — results, rankings, comparison, approval — our relationship with the sport changes. The lightness we once felt becomes heavy. The joy fades. The pressure builds. It’s no longer about the process, it’s about proving. It becomes solely about the outcome.
This shift can show up in many ways:
Feeling like every climbing session has to be productive or perfect
Comparing yourself constantly — “Why can they do it and I can’t?”
Feeling anxious before sessions or comps, even dreading them
Losing patience with yourself, your coach or your climbing partner when things don’t go to plan
Not enjoying the process (anymore) — even though that’s what used to drive you
You feel like you “should” be better by now, and that not improving is a failure
You put intense pressure on yourself to meet expectations, even when no one else is
And when things don’t go to plan, the frustration hits harder
It can even spill over into relationships—snapping at your partner or coach, feeling disconnected, or blaming others in the heat of emotion. Not because you don’t care, but because it all suddenly feels like too much. Especially at the start of a new season, when expectations (your own or others') are highest, this shift can become loud and destabilizing.
So how can you deal with this shift?
If you’ve noticed any of this in your own climbing, here are some things you can try:
1. Reconnect with your 'why'
Ask yourself:
What made me fall in love with climbing?
What kind of moments bring me joy on the wall?
What do I want to feel when I climb – not just what I want to achieve?
2. Make space for intrinsic motivation
Even in performance settings, try to reconnect with the parts of climbing that feel fun, meaningful, or fulfilling. Play around on the wall. Make up silly boulders. Climb with people who bring out your laughter and lightness. Remember why you started climbing – or competing – in the first place.
Motivation doesn’t always have to be purely intrinsic – and at different points in life, performance or results may genuinely matter more. That’s okay. But research shows that long-term, motivation rooted in joy, curiosity, and personal growth tends to be more sustainable – and more resilient under pressure.
It’s not about avoiding external goals – it’s about not losing sight of why you started climbing in the first place.
3. Shift the focus from outcome to process
There’s nothing wrong with wanting to win or improve – but when results start to define your experience, take a step back. Remind yourself: you can be ambitious and connected to joy. It may help, instead of setting only results-based goals (e.g., “make semis,” “send 8b”), to set process-based goals: “climb with presence,” “trust my movement,” “commit to each go.” These goals build confidence and enjoyment.
4. Use pressure as a signal
If you feel a lot of pressure, instead of pushing it away, try to get curious. What’s it trying to protect? What fear is behind it? And what do you need to come back to yourself?
5, Normalize the nerves
Feeling nervous doesn’t mean something’s wrong. It means you care. The goal isn’t to eliminate pressure, but to create a mindset that can hold it without crumbling.
6. Talk about it
Pressure thrives in silence. Open up to your climbing partner, your coach, your journal or your sport psychologist. Naming it often makes it feel lighter.
In the end, motivation that’s rooted in joy is not just nicer – it’s more sustainable. And when the joy is present, you climb with more clarity, more flow, and more freedom.
So here’s a question to take with you:
What would your climbing look like if joy was back at the center?
And what might shift in your performance, your mindset – and your partnerships – if you made space for that again?
Want to work on your nerves?
Due to the competition season being in full swing and high demand, we’re currently prioritising competition climbers for 1:1 sessions. If you're a recreational climber and would like to explore working together, you can already sign up now for a free 30-minute call to secure your spot – free slots will open up again in July.
In the meantime, if you’re ready to get started, we recommend checking out Unblocd – The Climbing Gym for your Mind. Unblocd is an affordable and accessible online mental skills training platform and a Climbing Psychology spin-off. With a membership, you’ll get access to a growing library of interactive courses, including topics like Fear of Falling, Climbing Habits, and Projecting Mindset. A new course on Climbing Injury Recovery is coming soon, with more added regularly. And if you ever get stuck, you can join our monthly live Q&As for professional support and guidance. With the code CPFRIENDS, you will get a 50% discount.
We’d love to support your journey – wherever you are in it! 💙