Training for Climbing, 2nd: The Definitive Guide to Improving Your Performance (How To Climb Series)

emotional control already, I bet you can still improve your climbing by modulating your arousal level. Let’s explore this murky subject of emotions and discuss how you can make some immediate positive changes.

Evaluating Your Emotional State
     
    In evaluating your emotional state, the goal is to become aware of the “sign” of your emotions—positive or negative—and the magnitude of your arousal, high or low. Obviously, positive emotions have different effects on the mind and body than negative emotions. Similarly, the intensity of these emotions (the arousal level) plays a role in how you think and feel. To better understand this relationship, consider the Energy-Emotion Matrix (see figure 3.2).
    The Energy-Emotion Matrix has four quadrants: high energy, positive emotion (upper right); low energy, positive emotion (lower right); high energy, negative emotion (upper left); and low energy, negative emotion (lower left). The matrix represents a continuum of emotion and energy across these four quadrants. Therefore, you can evaluate your present location in the matrix by grading your current energy level on a scale from 0 to 10 (low to high) and scoring your current emotional state on a scale from -5 (extremely negative) to +5 (extremely positive). Knowing where you are in the matrix and having the ability to change this location if it’s not optimal in the current situation is fundamental to becoming a peak performer in any endeavor.

     
    Figure 3.2 The Energy-Emotion Matrix
     

    Obviously, your energy level and emotions fluctuate throughout the day and over the course of a climb, so your place in the matrix changes hour by hour and, maybe, minute to minute in extreme situations. I believe it’s valuable to study your place in the matrix in everyday, nonclimbing situations, since your most common daily state will heavily determine your disposition when climbing (it’s unlikely you can be a negative person at home and work, then become completely positive when you go climbing). Use the blank energy-emotion time line contained in appendix B to plot your changing energy-emotional state throughout the day, as shown in figure 3.3. Begin upon waking in the morning, and score your state every thirty minutes, or when some event causes your emotion or energy to change in an instant.

     
    Figure 3.3 Sample Chart of Energy-Emotion Levels
     

    After evaluating your emotional state for a few days, see if you can identify any patterns. What time(s) of the day is your energy high or low? What events seem to trigger you becoming more positive or negative? Recognizing these patterns (and effects) empowers you to make modifications, such as striving to avoid negative triggers. Likewise, you may be able to see what charges up your energy level (and when) and what type of things make it tank. If you can’t avoid negative triggers, it’s vital that you know how to turn your states around. Below we’ll discuss ways to modify your emotional state.
    It’s also beneficial to track how your state changes over the course of a day at the crags, and especially during an attempt of a hard boulder problem or route. While you certainly can’t write down your score while on a route, you can mentally score yourself by simply asking yourself, What quadrant am I in?
    Before you can change your state, you must first determine the optimal state for the present moment. Of course, beginning in a positive emotional state is always ideal, but the optimal magnitude of your arousal (energy level) will vary depending on the type of task you are involved in. For instance, a low-positive (Quadrant IV) state is ideal for taking a test or meeting with your boss, while a high-positive (Quadrant II) is best for working out at the gym or playing a high-intensity sport. In climbing, it’s almost always best to be in the low-energy, positive-emotion quadrant—creative thinking, learning, and fine motor skills all demand a relaxed, positive state. The exception would be when psyching up for a vicious boulder problem or a short, powerful sport route. In these cases, a high-energy, positive state is ideal.

Changing Your Emotional States
     
    You can rapidly change your emotional state by leveraging the known relationships among the mind, emotions, and body (see figure 3.1). Just as your emotions exert an influence over your mind and body, you can use your mind and body to influence your emotions. In negative people the process tends to be reactive and