Have you ever felt like your arms were about to give way because you’ve been to the gym too often? Do you know that ‘I-don’t-like-people’ moment when too many people are jostling for a route with their elbows? Or have you ever got annoyed that, despite weeks of fingerboard training, the hold on that project is still just too tricky to hold onto?
Yes, they’re everywhere: things, people or circumstances that throw you off balance, physically or mentally – the motivation killers when it comes to climbing! Five tips on how to deal with them.
Those days when it’s better to stay at home are all part and parcel of climbing. And they’re a good thing – because often, after a spell of feeling unmotivated, we come back with five times the enthusiasm and energy. Even Wolfgang Güllich is said to have always taken a few weeks’ break from climbing after his climbing trips, and Ben Moon climbed Rain Shadow – his second 9a (25 years after his first) – after five years away from the sport. And why? Because both rediscovered their motivation to train, push themselves and stay focused. So: taking a break is fine, especially when those motivation-killers are smirking smugly at us.
However, problems arise when we are no longer able to decide freely whether we can go climbing. For example, when we are forced to take a break due to injury or periods of stress.
External factors that ‘deprive’ us of the freedom to decide whether to go climbing are the mortal enemies of motivation. This creates an effect that runs counter to the ‘principle of the optimal state of arousal’. In short: if we are neither over- nor under-challenged, we feel that our actions can make a difference. From this, we draw motivation and push ourselves (to potentially immeasurable heights) – we are optimally activated. The line between being over- and under-challenged varies from person to person; what drives one person on may hold another back, and vice versa.
In terms of the optimal state of arousal, it is generally assumed that people who are under- or over-challenged lose their enjoyment of the activity. Unfortunately, in climbing we encounter all sorts of situations in which conditions quickly become less than ideal: Stress or conflicts at work, at university or in relationships can lead to being overchallenged in what is already an extremely complex sport. When we’re injured, we’re initially underchallenged (as there’s nothing we can do), followed by a phase of being overchallenged (as we can no longer perform at the same level as before). If either of these states persists for a prolonged period, motivation continues to decline due to unrealistic expectations of oneself. Breaking this mental vicious circle – or, first and foremost, recognising it – often presents a challenge that should not be underestimated. Often, other motivation-killers come into play during such phases: because the likelihood of success is low, we doubt ourselves, whilst the fear of failure drives us into what is known as ‘escape’ or ‘avoidance’ behaviour. In short: the climber’s expectations are not being met. It is no wonder that, during such phases, motivation for climbing goes out the window.
But how can you learn to cope with such phases, or maintain your motivation in general? To do this, you need to clarify one fundamental point, because one of the main reasons why some climbers repeatedly struggle with their motivation is a lack of goals or setting the wrong ones. To formulate these clearly, you first need to work out why you actually go climbing, and then live up to those expectations:
If you’re held back by external factors, it helps to set yourself other goals during this time: working on your basic endurance and/or overcoming your fear of falling, or finally learning how to set mobile belays. This might mean your motivation curve isn’t quite as steep as before, but at least it’s still pointing upwards!
Basically, the way out of this rut and back to enjoying climbing more is simple:
That way, your motivation stays high and your performance will match your goals. Have fun!
Tips & Safety
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