Wasn't sure what forum to put this in, hopefully this works. For what it's worth the context for this is that I'm mostly bouldering indoors, twice a week.

I'm finding that each time I go to the climbing wall it takes me a substantial bit of time (like, 30-45 minutes) to get in the right headspace to climb confidently. I'll do a couple of easy climbs just to get going, then try harder stuff. It's a small gym so there's rarely any completely new routes to try, it's all ones I have previously failed to finish.

Usually what's holding me back at this point is fear - not wanting to jump for holds I can't reach, feeling like I'm about to fall even though I'm really not, everything just looking soooo far away, etc. If I get stuck on something I pretty much climb straight back down because after a few seconds of stuckness my hands are sweating from nerves and I'm starting to feel even less able to stay on, let alone keep going. (Seriously that is the most frustrating response to feeling scared ever). It just feels like 'nope, no possible way I can reach that' even though I KNOW there's most probably a way I could.

I do keep trying though obviously and there's almost always a moment when it clicks into place. Woohoo, I'm moving confidently, I'm willing to try precarious feeling things, I manage stuff that felt impossible 10 minutes ago as though it's easy, and I don't feel at all wibbly. Brilliant. BUT I only get to enjoy that for a few climbs max before everything gets hard again because now I'm getting too physically tired. I do keep going for a bit but it's diminishing returns at that point.

I feel like the sweet spot between being in the right headspace and yet not being exhausted is just annoyingly small, and I'm not sure what to do about it. Is this just how it works? Hopefully my stamina will build up with time. I've been climbing for about a year and didn't start out particularly fit so I have some catching up to do there. But the mental aspect seems like it's something I should be able to 'just do' with willpower somehow. I see some people climbing at my level just walking in and trying stuff that clearly scares them from the get go. Is there anything you do to get into the right frame of mind and climb confidently?

I wonder if going more often than twice a week would help, so it's a bit less like starting from scratch each time. Unfortunately outside of holidays I just don't have the time

Your "mental muscle" can be trained, just like the rest of your muscles. It is nice that you are so self-aware and you can identify these feelings. That's a first step towards training the right way-- identifying your weaknesses.

You know you need to warm up, both physically and mentally. So take your time on the easier climbs. Do more than couple. Do then a few times over.

Figure what gets you into the "zone" -- breathing, mental self-peptalk, encouragement from others, competitiveness with a fellow climber working the same route, etc.-- and then capitalize on it and keep working on making it more internal and self-sufficient, instead of relying on external factors.

And yes, as your stamina improves, you will get a larger window of trying to work hard problems, and will get better at clearing your mind, too.

In doing so, took an unexpected fall with a less than perfect landing and hurt my ankle :/

Thanks for the interest and sympathy, I'm feeling pretty sorry for/annoyed with myself right now! It's not too serious though, luckily, really just an annoyance. For which I'm thankful, believe me.

Details: I was bouldering indoors, doing a route that is a grade higher than my usual. Got one hand on the final hold, really wanted to match it to properly finish the route. Stayed up there trying, gave up, started to come down, then realised my grip was completely gone and I was going to come off the wall like it or not, so jumped off intentionally. Landed on both feet and bent my knees (*phew*), but then fell over my left side, and twisted my left ankle a bit under me, inwards.

I got up and walked away just wincing a bit, but about half an hour after that it got really painful to walk on and I had to bus home. I did all the RICE stuff by the book for the next week, although the week after that I couldn't (climbing outdoors was totally worth it though, wow). Right now, three weeks on, I have full range of movement and no pain so it's looking good, but the stability isn't quite there yet and it does get a bit achey after about 1 mile of continuous walking. At this rate of improvement it should be back to normal soon enough though.

Honestly the previous time I'd climed there was no way I would still have been up there trying to get my second hand up - it's completely unlike me, I normally climb down at the slightest feeling of uncertainty. I was just SO DETERMINED that time, partly because I'd decided fear of falling was something I needed to push past more, I'd JUST practiced jumping five minutes before and it had gone fine, etc. And also because I knew I was tired and it was my last climb of the day, and that the wall was going to get rerouted that weekend, so it was my VERY LAST CHANCE to get it. Blar blar. Obviously a few practice goes is not enough to make me good at falling safely, unlike some of the people I climb with who seem to be naturals at it, the buggers.