6 Mental Skills I would start practicing pronto
You spend hours training your jumps, spins, and skating skills, but how often do you train your mind?
Have you ever landed your jumps consistently in practice, only to struggle with those same jumps in competition? Maybe your legs feel like jelly, your heart starts racing, or you suddenly start overthinking everything.
As you progress through competitive figure skating, you'll find yourself competing against skaters with similar technical abilities. Being able to manage pressure, stay focused, and respond to challenges can make a big difference in your performance.
That's where sport psychology and mental skills training come in!
Here are six mental skills you can start practicing now to help you skate your best under pressure.
1. Cognitive Reappraisal
Cognitive reappraisal involves changing how you interpret a situation.
Instead of viewing competition as a threat, you can learn to view it as a challenge or opportunity.
For example, rather than thinking, "What if I mess up?" try shifting your perspective to "This is an opportunity to show what I've been working on."
The situation hasn't changed, but how you're interpreting it has.
TRY THIS: Before your next competition, identify three things you're looking forward to rather than focusing on everything that could go wrong.
2. Self-Talk
We all have that little voice inside our heads, and sometimes it isn't very helpful!
Learning to recognize unhelpful thinking patterns and develop more constructive self-talk can help you manage pressure.
But here's the thing: your self-talk doesn't always have to be super positive!
It should be realistic, believable, and helpful.
Instead of "I'm going to land every jump," try "I'm going to commit to each element and focus on my technique."
Sometimes neutral, action-based thinking is more effective than forcing positivity.
3. Visualization
Did you know you can mentally rehearse your skating without physically being on the ice?
Visualization, also known as mental imagery, involves imagining yourself performing a skill or experiencing a particular situation.
Mental imagery can activate some of the same neural networks involved in physical movement, making it a useful addition to your regular training.
Try imagining your Axel. What does the takeoff feel like? Can you hear your blades on the ice? What do you see as you prepare for the jump?
TRY THIS: Spend a few minutes visualizing a successful element or program. You can also imagine making a mistake and successfully recovering from it!
4. Breathing Techniques
When pressure rises, your body responds.
Your heart might race, your muscles tighten, and your breathing becomes faster.
These are normal responses to stress, but sometimes they can interfere with your performance.
Breathing techniques can help regulate your body's stress response.
TRY THIS: Take a gentle breath in for approximately 3–4 seconds, then slowly exhale for 5–6 seconds. Repeat a few times, keeping your breathing comfortable.
Remember, the goal isn't to eliminate nerves completely. It's to help your body manage them effectively.
5. Performance Routines
Competition can feel unpredictable, and having a consistent routine gives you something familiar to return to.
A pre-performance routine might include listening to music, completing your warm-up, practicing visualization, or using a helpful cue word.
You can also develop a reset routine for after a mistake.
For example, if you fall on a jump, your routine might be to acknowledge what happened, take a breath, and redirect your attention to your next element.
The goal is to avoid letting one mistake take over the rest of your performance.
6. Process Goals
You can't directly control your score, placement, or how your competitors perform.
But you can influence how you approach your own performance.
Instead of focusing entirely on outcome goals like "I need to skate clean" or "I have to place in the top three," try setting process goals.
These focus on specific actions within your control.
For example:
Commit to each element.
Stay present throughout your program.
Refocus after mistakes.
Focusing on the process rather than just the outcome can help keep your attention where it needs to be.
Mental Skills Are Trainable!
Just like your jumps, spins, and skating skills, mental skills improve with practice.
You don't need to wait until competition day to start working on them, and you certainly don't need to be struggling with performance anxiety to benefit from mental skills training.
The goal isn't to never feel nervous. It's to develop the skills to perform effectively even when those nerves show up.
So here's my challenge to you:
Choose ONE mental skill and start practicing it this week!
Want to take your mental performance training further?
Explore Practice to Podium, where competitive figure skaters learn practical strategies to manage competition nerves, build confidence, and perform under pressure.
