Inner dialogue when trad leading

Mantras help… I do it less these days. I like throwing out a sharma scream while holding still just before a move. Seriously, if the move is mental but isn’t the limit of your pulling ability the math still applies. Screaming causes you to breathe and releases tension.

Also, facing the fall and welcoming that outcome can help you over come it. Sometimes, I will tell myself I want to fall, and try to visualize how rad it might be, and how I might survive. I do this VERY infrequently and realize it’s better to lie to myself than die.

If you find yourself this desperate you should have backed off already.

Other more frequent Mantras include “climb hard , think hard” and just singing the ABCs! Or expletives

Let the inner dialog slide by with every move. This might lead to a splitting of your psyche but, at least you'll be on your way to the top.

Don't know who to credit, but it's : Slow is smooth, smooth is fast. 

In particular when on a hard (for me) slab, I am always filled with doubt my shoes will stick, palm will slide off etc... Just go slowwwww. Rock over that foot and stand up! Who cares you are looking at a 50 footer...my wife always is amazed I climbed it that fast. The route I have in mind was solid gold in JTree. 

As I progressed into harder grades early on, and especially as I began seeking out and pushing myself on bolder and bolder routes. I eventually stumbled on a state of mind which would allow me to climb with laser  focus and virtually zero fear. I would even use it from everything from free solos to Boulder problems in the gym.  Years later I discovered there is a word that perfectly describes what I was doing.

It’s called Mushin. And basically means; Without conscious thought. 

Inner angel: "you've got this; it's only <5.x>!"

Inner devil whispers: "... but you could be off route"

It's climbing, and it's climbers. If there is any dialogue, it comes from Love Boat reruns. 

I’m usually good at silencing inner dialogue if I’m gripped. Sometimes I think about getting into a terrible accident if I’m on easy terrain, but whenever I go for a potentially life-changing move on an r-rated climb, my mind is silent 

I’ll give my hips a little shake, my fears being swept away, like leaves in a breeze, by the soothing sound of hexes banging against one another

I tend to just think of the snack or sandwich at the next belay ledge or back down in the pack... gets me through the cruxes

I whistle/hum Bobby Mcferrins', "Don't worry, be happy".

Singing out loud is actually a good option when if you are feeling sketched. My go to is "Get on Up" James Brown BTW;)

Years ago a friend got in a serious car accident and was having panic attacks every time she got behind the wheel.  Her shrink recommended she put on her favorite music and sing out loud while driving.  It totally worked.  Singing can help override the full panic switch going off in your brain. .

Maidy Vasquezwrote:

 Singing can help override the full panic switch going off in your brain. .

Yup, this totally works for me when I'm gripped and looking at a long ride

Josh Rappoportwrote:

just get to the next placement/ledge/anchor...

This. Staying task focused and deep, slow breaths.

Maidy Vasquezwrote:

Singing out loud is actually a good option when if you are feeling sketched. My go to is "Get on Up" James Brown BTW

JB is also my guru

Get up, get on up! Shake your arm, then use your form.  Got to get on the good foot! Oooooow!

“God fucking damn it”

I usually have a mantra, the past few years it's been "watch your tulips"... loud, whispered, in my head; over and over and over. 

I'm with Salamanizer - when on top of my game and up in the business, there's no dialogue whatsoever. But I've certainly had tunes stuck in my head like most everyone else it seems. :) I never berate myself because this sort of thinking can lead to a dark place - "why do I continue to do this?" I stopped a certain form of climbing entirely after asking myself this question one too many times.

"You got this. You got this. You got this you got this you got this yougotthis yougotthis yougotthisyougotthisyougotthis aggghhhhhh"

Cherokee Nunes wrote:

Exact reason I don't aid climb anymore. Standing in aiders wondering if that hook below your feet will hold a fall....not a place I want to be emotionally.

J Cwrote:

If I'm in panic mode or approaching it, I already failed.

This is huge as I found out recently when I got slightly offroute in the alpine.  I had a bit of a heady move ahead of me and was starting to run out of gear so was looking for an anchor quickly.  Last piece was at my feet and the smeary move started getting in my head to where I floundered for 10 minutes.  Finally found a higher gear placement and made the move but I think it crashed my blood sugar a bit and I got foggy brained and farted around for way too long on the anchor and on top of that was just slow taking up slack for my second which annoyed her.  Thankfully by my next lead I was good to go and managed to do the super awkward slot final pitch with little problems.