8 top tips for nervous skiers

8 key tips to manage ski anxiety

1. Focus on nurturing your skiing

A lot of pressure can come with the annual skiing holiday, as everyone has different expectations of the long awaited week.

The start of the holiday is a great time to ask what everyone would like to achieve. This gives you an opportunity to share that your focus will be on nurturing your skiing and you’ll be taking it easy with plenty of blues and coffee. This ensures no one makes any assumptions about your skiing and gives others an opportunity to join you.

2. Ski with a buddy

Skiing with a friend who loves skiing at a similar level to you creates great shared experiences and can provide a much-needed psychological buffer.

3. Be kind to yourself

Remember it’s a holiday and the skiing is one part of it. Acknowledge your courage to join the holiday and focus on what you love about it - those team experiences, stunning scenery and fun après.

4. Focus on the path ahead rather than the barriers

Shift your focus from the barriers that create anxiety to the pathway ahead. If you come across a part of a run that creates anxiety, focus on how you are going to manage it rather than the anxiety it creates.

5. Stop, pause, reflect and reset

When you feel your stress levels rising take a moment. Pull over to the side of the piste to stop, pause, reflect and reset. Check in with how you are feeling, notice what is creating the anxiety, take some deep breathes to calm your mind, reassure yourself that you are fine, look ahead and create a plan to manage the situation.

6. Set small, achievable goals

Breaking down a ski run into smaller, manageable goals can reduce that overwhelming feeling. Instead of thinking about the entire slope or worrying about what is ahead, take it a few turns at a time.

7. Ski mindfully

When you are skiing, focus on the present moment, what can you feel, hear and see. Listen to the snow under your skis, feel the cool mountain air, breathe in the alpine freshness and notice the beautiful view. If you keep your mind in the present by focusing on your senses, it helps to manage your anxiety.

8. Visualise success

Visualisation is a powerful tool to manage anxiety. Before each run mentally rehearse your skiing, imagining yourself executing it with calmness and joy. The more you visualise yourself succeeding, the more your brain will be prepared to handle real-life situations feeling relaxed and in control.

Louise’s ski coaching has a made a huge difference to the anxious skiers who take her courses. We asked her a little more about her own skiing and how she came to be a ski coach.

What made you first set up your Ski with Confidence coaching sessions?

When I appreciated there were so many people out there who were also silently struggling with their skiing anxiety.

My background as an Executive Coach, with a lived experience of overcoming anxiety on the slopes, gave me a unique perspective and skill set to enable others to switch their mindset.

I decided to start sharing the strategies I used and it has grown from there.

What was the impact of reframing your thinking on your own skiing?

The impact was huge!  I had starting skiing in my twenties with arthritic hips and went onto have them replaced in my thirties so I had good reason to have some anxiety.

A combination of factors built my anxiety and then I had a skiing accident and was on crutches for 4 months. That was my sliding doors moment – do I stay behind and not have any of those future shared experiences or do I overcome my anxiety?

This took me down the route of becoming a Master Practitioner in Neuro Linguistic Programming and that was my game changer. Within a month, I had shifted my perspective and was much more relaxed and happy when skiing - it was so liberating.

The fact that I am now a leading UK Coach for Anxious Skiers is testament to the power of coaching! Whilst the focus was on the skiing, the strategies have made me so much more confident across my life.

What typically do clients hope to get out of your course?

To be able to feel relaxed on the mountain, look forward to their skiing and love it.

Why do you think that women in particular often find themselves in the position of needing your support?

Many of the women I have coached did not ski as children but learnt in their 20’s onwards. Often their partners have skied from a young age and their children learn quickly.

The women often feel isolated on the holiday because their skill level and confidence doesn’t match the rest of the family.

Do you have any transformational stories you can share?

Every client is a transformational story! I work with such inspirational women who are ready to let their anxiety go and feel empowered on the slopes.

One of my client’s, Nia, took my online Ski Coaching Programme in February 2024, this was how it impacted on her in her own words: ‘The impact of Louise’s Ski coaching programme leading up to our family holiday more than surpassed my expectations.

I had a massively different experience and loved our skiing holiday. I didn’t feel overwhelmed this time and instead felt curious and approached challenges with ‘let’s see how we do this’.

It made me so much more adventurous on the slopes. I particularly loved the anchoring, visualisation and music techniques we explored.

It is such a great feeling to have finally overcome my anxiety and I can’t wait for our next trip!’

What does your perfect ski day look like?

Blue skies and soft snow on the slopes with the family, loving every moment! Finishing on the last lift so we can all ski down together, with the shadows drawing across the mountain as we head for some après ski!

What’s your favourite resort in the French Alps and why?

It has to be Chatel – so many happy memories. It was our go to resort for years and the children all learnt to ski there. Our favourite last run is the Chaux des Roses in Chatel, which is so beautiful.

You can find out more about Louise's ski confidence courses over on the ProAbility website.