How to Gain Confidence Skiing - Without Just 'Thinking Positive'
- Sarah Gilbertson
- Jun 20
- 6 min read
Have you ever found yourself at the top of a run, skis pointing downhill, heart racing - and apologising to everyone for holding them up?
You’re not alone. Ski confidence doesn’t vanish because you forgot how to turn. It slips when your nervous system senses pressure - from the slope beneath you or even the people around you.
Building confidence in skiing isn’t just about “technique” or “thinking positive”. It’s about listening to your body, reading the environment, and choosing the herd that helps you feel safe.
Why Ski Confidence Feels So Elusive
Traditional advice goes heavy on mindset: commit fully, visualise success, don’t fear falling. But confidence doesn’t come from forcing yourself to be brave.
It comes when your body and brain feel safe enough to trust what’s around you. And that safety can shift quickly.
The environment: snow conditions, ice, light, weather.
The herd: are the people with you patient and encouraging, or rushing and pressuring?
Your state: fatigue, hormones, stress — all change how much capacity you’ve got on any given day.
That’s why you might ski a run smoothly one day, then freeze on the same piste the next — even though nothing “technical” has changed. True confidence isn’t just about skill. It’s about capacity,
shaped by the mountain, the herd, and what’s happening inside you.
👉 Read more: Why It’s Not About Ski Confidence, It’s About Ski Capacity™
How to Gain Confidence Skiing
1. Choose the Right Support
Not all instructors are the same. The good ones won’t rush to “fix” you or add well-meaning pressure just to crack on down the slope. They’ll ask what you need - a moment to breathe, some reassurance, or simply someone to stand alongside you while your nervous system settles.
Because once your body feels safe again, your head clears - and you can make choices for yourself, instead of having them made for you.
2. Build Fitness With Compassion
Yes, fitness helps. Stronger legs, better balance, and decent cardio all make skiing easier. But most women I work with aren’t living in training camps - they’re running households, jobs, and life.
So if you haven’t ticked off six weeks of leg blasters and HIIT, talk to yourself as you would to a child. Self-compassion is part of ski confidence.
Even one Pilates class a week can help you reconnect with your core, balance, and awareness. Tiny habits — standing differently, noticing your breath, taking the stairs - create the 1% shifts that build steadiness.
Think less “eat the whole elephant in one go” a month before the trip, more “weave in small practices that make your body trust itself again".
I love this pre-season workout from Chemmy Alcott: Ski Club of Great Britain – Ski Fitness Guide
3. Make Confidence About Choice
Many skiers type “how to gain confidence skiing” into Google looking for a quick fix, but the real answer isn’t drills or mindset tricks – it’s learning to listen to your body and build capacity step by step. Confidence doesn’t always mean staying on the greens. Sometimes you want to ski moguls, reds, or even a black - if you’ve got the technique. Other times, the boldest choice is a blue run and a hot chocolate.
Real confidence is the freedom to choose:
Who you ski with
What runs you do
How you respond when conditions change
📌You might also enjoy reading: From Fear to Flow: How to Rebuild Skiing Confidence on Your Terms
4. Progress Gradually
Confidence builds like fitness - through repetition, not rushing.
Ski an easy run until it feels boring
Step onto something a little harder
If it feels too much, step back
This isn’t failure. It’s your nervous system learning: I can handle this.
5. Trust the Turn (Not Force It)
Confidence comes when you let your body move with the slope instead of fighting against it.
One thing I sometimes do is build rhythm into my turns - exhaling as I make the turn, inhaling as I traverse or pause between them. That steady breath stops me holding tension and helps me feel more fluid.
And yes, I’ve also been known to hum or even sing my way down the mountain. There’s science behind why sound helps regulate your nervous system - and it’s part of what I teach. But more importantly, it works.
6. Work With Your Nervous System
Fear shows up physically before your head catches it: tight shoulders, shallow breath, apologies tumbling out.
On-slope resets:
Exhale fully before pushing off
Name your choice: “I’m skiing steady,” “I’m taking this line”
Pause mid-run if your body needs to calm
These micro-moments tell your nervous system: you’re safe enough to continue.
7. Orientate Towards Safety
When you hit ice, crowds, or poor light, don’t override your fear. Orientate.
Look around: where’s the smoother snow, the better line?
Ask your herd: “I need a moment” or “Can we stop here for a breath”?
Co-regulate: stand with a calm partner, breathe out together, reset
Confidence isn’t bulldozing through discomfort. It’s knowing you can find safety cues — inside and outside - that bring you back into balance.
8. Ski With the Right People
The herd matters. Skiing with people who pressure you to “just keep up” drains confidence fast.
Choose companions who listen, wait, and respect your choices. On a mixed trip, it’s fine to split off and meet later. You’ll ski better, enjoy yourself more, and actually build confidence instead of chipping away at it.
9. Use Visualisation Wisely
Visualisation isn’t about faking fearlessness. It’s about rehearsing calm, steady skiing.
Picture yourself on a run you know, making smooth, round turns. That’s enough to prime your nervous system to repeat it in reality.
For a deeper dive into how athletes use imagery on snow, see Dr Jim Taylor on mental imagery for skiing
10. Give Yourself Permission to Pause
Confidence isn’t a straight line. Some days you’ll feel great. Others, wobbly or tired. That’s normal.
The real skill is knowing when to pause - whether for a hot chocolate, a reset, or even the gondola down.
Confidence is following your own line, not the one others expect you to take.
Questions Skiers Often Ask Me
How do I overcome fear when skiing?
Fear isn’t weakness – it’s your body doing its job. We often rush to push those feelings aside, but part of building confidence is learning to sit with them just long enough for your nervous system to settle. That doesn’t mean letting them overwhelm you into freeze or shutdown – it means pausing, breathing, and noticing what would feel safer right now. A different line to ski. A quieter part of the slope without ice. A moment to regroup and not feel rushed by your group. Once your body calms, your brain can think again – and with that comes choice.
How long does it take to get confident skiing?
There isn’t a set timeline – it depends on your body, your history, and the load your nervous system is already managing. Confidence builds through repetition and support: every time you have a positive, safe experience on snow, your nervous system learns it can trust itself a little more. That’s neuroplasticity in action – gradually widening your window of capacity so skiing feels less like survival and more like choice.
How do I stop being afraid of going fast?
That “yikes” feeling you get with speed isn’t always bad – it’s your nervous system firing up. Sometimes it’s a “yes, I’m ready”, and other times it’s a clear “heck no”. The trick is not to ignore it, but to work with it. Practice sliding, stopping, and recovering until your body trusts it can pause whenever it needs to. Once your nervous system knows it has brakes, speed stops being the enemy – and becomes another choice.
How do I build stamina for skiing?
Confidence drains when you’re exhausted. Fitness helps, but so does pacing yourself and noticing when your body needs rest. Instead of pushing fatigue aside, allow it to signal a pause – whether that’s a hot chocolate break, a gentler run, or calling it a day. Stamina isn’t about proving anything – it’s about skiing in a way that leaves you steady, safe, and smiling.
Final Thoughts
Confidence on skis isn’t about being fearless. It’s about listening to your body, orientating to safety, and expanding your capacity step by step - with the right herd around you.
If skiing has started to feel more about pressure than pleasure, it might be time to stop chasing confidence - and start building Ski Capacity™.
About Sarah
Sarah Gilbertson is a Therapeutic Coach, BASI qualified ski instructor, and founder of FlourishWell Coaching. She helps women rebuild confidence on the slopes by combining ski technique with nervous system literacy – so they can ski on their own terms, not just “push through".
With over 8 years in the European ski industry – from ski guiding and running a chalet to managing operations in Chamonix – Sarah knows how group dynamics, pressure, and fear can affect skiing. Her approach is grounded, body-aware, and designed to bring ease back to the mountains.
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