Mental skills: Avoid Mental Burnout

Attitude, overthinking, and negative thoughts, can sometimes wear you out more than physical exertion, and may lead to an eventual mental burnout.

Mental burnout is seen as one of the major causes for mountaineers to abandon their goals. In recent studies on mental toughness, low levels were associated with reaching mental burnout too soon and abandoning goals too quickly.
In order to avoid mental burnout, we got you backed up with some mental strategies that will aid you on your next mountain adventure.

The little things
Large gloves and small tasks, tiny cramped tents, weird food, stinky boots, etc. All those little things make up the life during an expedition. When not familiar and even comfortable with all that, then you might be increasing the chance to accumulate daily discomfort. Prior to an expedition, something as simple as eating with those large mittens, or even practicing packing and unpacking every morning, will aid you in developing a habit and turning the uncomfortable into comfortable.
Break it down to daily tasks
Some expeditions can be long in duration where the summit might be weeks away. Instead of viewing your objective as a single push, break the journey down into smaller or even daily tasks. For example, you can try to solely focus on reaching camp 1, and then camp 2, etc, while trying to somehow block the thoughts about what’s beyond that. Focusing on the present and staying engaged will ease your mind from overthinking the weeks ahead.
A daily dose of motivation
Why do you like to climb? Why are you here? What drives your passion?
Write down some reflections on a small piece of paper and have it stored in your chest pocket. You might need it when things become a little bit difficult.

Statement of risk
Climbing is a risky sport that can result in injury or death. It’s your responsibility to be conscious and take the right decisions. Some studies have shown that there is an optimal level of mental toughness and beyond that optimal level, it just becomes recklessness.

For detailed information about our training theory and methodology,
Please do not hesitate to contact me.

Karim Ramadan
info@myperformancepsychologist.com
Greece +30 6946908864
MSc Sport & Exercise Psychology
University of Thessaly – Lab of Sports & Exercise Psychology