The Slippery Slopes of Self-Sabotage
“So there is more to skiing than learning parallel turns. For the skier who recognizes the further possibilities his sport offers for learning how to learn, for overcoming fears and self-doubt, for gaining concentration and appreciation for nature, skiing becomes re-creation in the original sense of the word: an opportunity to discover something important about oneself and to learn skills that improve not only one’s skiing but the quality of one’s life.”
You’re halfway down your first black run, quads aflame, goggles fogged. Your instructor leans on her poles atop the rollover ahead, shouting, “You got this!” But you don’t, at least, you tell yourself that. The giant pizza of your earliest ski days returns to haunt your parallel turns, and all you can think is, “Why the fuck did I do this?”
Welcome to the psychological terrain park of your mind.
Skiing might seem like a physical endeavor, but the real bumps often lie in your head. It’s where perfectionism, fear of failure, and sneaky little cognitive distortions that are often managed in the mental background hitch a blatant ride on your chairlift. So let’s call them out—here’s a crash course in pop psychology’s greatest hits…all dressed in ski gear.
1. Catastrophizing: "I'm Gonna Die Here"
This classic distortion escalates a perceived minor setback into a full-blown emergency. One icy patch throws you back into a death wedge, and suddenly your brain’s playing out a Final Destination montage.
How to deal: Catch yourself in the spiral, which is really just fear. Stop. Close your eyes. Replace “I’m gonna die” with “I’ve fallen before, and I got up. I can manage this.” Go one turn at a time until you feel safe on the snow beneath your feet once again. Then, look back at the trail you just accomplished and pat yourself on the back.
2. Imposter Syndrome: "Everyone Else Belongs Here—Except Me"
You’re on the lift with people who skied out of the womb switch. Meanwhile, you're googling “what’s a DIN setting” under your glove. Especially for groups who are traditionally underpresented in ski culture, the feeling of imposition can be pervasive.
How to deal: Remember: the mountain doesn’t care how hard you can send it. Everyone starts somewhere. Acknowledge the skill gap without shaming yourself. You paid for your lift ticket and gear same as everyone else. You do belong—because you’re out here, trying.
3. All-or-Nothing Thinking: "I Fell, So I Suck Forevermore"
All is hot chocolate and marshmallows until you catch an edge, go down, and boom—your inner critic starts screaming. Suddenly you’re a total failure because you didn’t nail the whole day perfectly.
How to deal: Reframe the flop. Skiing is made of small wins and graceful recoveries (not just runs where you stay upright). One fall ≠ failure. One fall = learning. Taking deep, calm breaths helps, too—especially at altitude, oxygen is the underrated hero of both skiing and sanity.
4. Perfectionism: "I Should Be Better Than This"
Your expectations are higher than the gondola. You’re not just skiing—you’re auditioning for the Winter Olympics. Anything less than flawless feels unacceptable.
How to deal: “Should” is a red flag word. Try “I’d like to improve” instead of “I should be better.” Even Mikaela Shiffrin has off days. Maybe you didn’t sleep well. Maybe you had a blow-up with your partner. If you’re feeling really shitty, it seeps into your skiing. Take the intensity down a notch, go to a place where you know you can ski well, and soak it in for a few runs. Progress over perfection keeps you on the mountain—and out of the shame vortex.
5. Projection: "Everyone's Watching Me Ride The Struggle Bus"
You misread a bump on the showboaty mogul run under the chair and go flying, sans skis. Cheers ring out from above, “Yardsale!” Your cheeks catch fire beneath your gaiter. Suddenly, you hate everyone, including yourself.
How to deal: This is the spotlight effect in action—we assume people notice us way more than they actually do. Ski culture brings out the middle schooler in many, for better or for worse. Take the heckling as a badge of honor and ski like nobody’s watching. (Because… mostly, they aren’t.)
6. The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
You stand at the top of a high alpine bowl, your eyes magnetized to rocks. “I’m going to fuck this up,” you tell yourself. And guess what? Your entire body tenses up as you drop in stiff as a FIS downhill ski. And—yep—wipe out.
How to deal: Harness your inner coach for a reality check. Even just whispering “I’m doing my best” changes your body language and confidence. What you believe subtly shapes how you behave.
The Self-Help Takeaway
Skiing is an excellent metaphor for life: slippery, unpredictable, humbling, but also incredibly fun—if you learn to get out of your own way.
Self-sabotage happens, both on the slopes and off. The genius of the sport is that it brings these tendencies born of insecurity immediately to the fore. How you show up on the slopes tends to mirror how you show up to life in general. The trick is learning to recognize your inner saboteur (spoiler: it usually sounds like your crankiest, hangriest self) and offering it a little compassion...before sending it off on a long lift ride to nowhere.