psychological performance prevention

Came across an interesting article here . Although it talks about running, I think there are interesting parallels in terms of climbers. A lot of people I work with tend to get 'frozen' or stuck with their climbing, imagining EVERYONE to be better than them, less scared (or even not scared at all), and dread being watched or seen to climb 'badly'. This is an excruciating kind of performance anxiety, where people stop climbing for themselves, and their worries about the judgements of other climbers become more important. This is the equivalent of being left behind in a race, where a runner who was ahead or looked strong suddenly crumbles as they are passed by others.

The article says something both simple and profound - run your own race - which I think we can apply to climbing. Climb for yourself. Try to acknowledge those thoughts about other people and comparisons, but then let them pass by acknowledging that they are only thoughts. Other people applauding you probably wasnt the reason you went into climbing. Try to remember what it is YOU love about it. Climbing can sometimes feel like the most competitive individual sport there is, and yet that is only the case if you allow it to be so. Go your own way - isnt that what attracted you to climbing in the first place :)