First Skiing Holiday? How to Overcome Nerves and Ski with Confidence
Updated: Aug 30
Booking your first skiing holiday can be incredibly exciting. But once the trip is booked and the departure date gets closer, excitement can sometimes be joined by a very different feeling: What have I let myself in for?
Perhaps you're worried about falling. You may be imagining steep slopes, struggling to stop, getting on and off ski lifts or being left behind by more experienced friends. You might even be wondering whether booking a skiing holiday was a mistake.
If that sounds familiar, you're certainly not alone.
I'm Sharon Shinwell, a UK Clinical Hypnotherapist with more than 25 years' experience helping people with fears, phobias and anxiety. I'm also a skier myself, so I understand that skiing can feel very different when you're standing at the bottom of a mountain for the first time than it does when you're looking at beautiful ski photographs from home.
The good news is that your first skiing holiday doesn't have to be about keeping up with everyone else or proving how brave you are. With good instruction, sensible preparation and realistic expectations, you can give yourself the best possible chance of enjoying those first few days on the snow.
And if nerves are already beginning to overshadow your holiday, there are things you can do before you even leave home.
If you'd like some extra help preparing mentally, my Self-Hypnosis for Fear of Skiing MP3 and companion eBook have been created to help nervous skiers feel calmer and more confident before they reach the slopes.
Is It Normal to Be Nervous Before Your First Skiing Holiday?
Absolutely.
Skiing asks you to do several unfamiliar things at once. You're wearing equipment you've probably never worn before, moving across snow in a completely new way and learning how to control your speed and direction.
Add mountains, chairlifts and other skiers into the picture and it's hardly surprising that some first-timers feel apprehensive.
Being nervous doesn't mean you won't enjoy skiing or that you aren't suited to it.
Often, what you're frightened of isn't skiing itself. It's not knowing what to expect.
That's why preparation can make such a difference.
Don't Expect Yourself to Ski on Day One
One of the easiest ways to put unnecessary pressure on yourself is to imagine that you'll arrive at the resort, put on a pair of skis and somehow be expected to ski down a mountain.
That's not how a sensible first skiing holiday should begin.
Your first lessons are about learning the basics: getting comfortable with your equipment, balancing, moving around on skis, controlling your speed, changing direction and stopping safely.
You'll normally start on gentle beginner terrain rather than being taken straight onto difficult slopes.
Give yourself permission to be a beginner.
Nobody learns to ski perfectly in a few hours, and comparing yourself with someone who has been skiing for years will only make your first experience harder than it needs to be.
Book Ski Lessons – Even If Your Friends Can Ski
If you're going away with experienced skiers, you may be tempted to let one of them teach you.
For most nervous first-timers, professional lessons are a much better idea.
A qualified ski instructor understands how to teach beginners progressively. They know how to introduce new skills safely and how to spot problems before they become habits.
Just as importantly, an instructor isn't emotionally invested in how quickly you progress.
A well-meaning partner or friend may say, "You'll be fine, just follow me," and genuinely believe they're helping. But what feels like an easy slope to an experienced skier can look very different to somebody who has only been wearing skis for a few hours.
Group lessons can also be reassuring because you'll be surrounded by other people who are learning too.
Suddenly, you're not the only person wobbling, getting tangled up or trying to remember which way to move your skis.
That's all part of learning.
What If I'm Frightened of Falling?
Fear of falling is one of the most common worries for first-time skiers.
You probably will fall at some point. Most skiers do, particularly while they're learning.
But learning how to control your speed and stop is one of the first things your instructor will work on with you. You'll also be learning on terrain appropriate to your ability rather than tackling advanced runs.
A helmet is an important piece of safety equipment, and following your instructor's advice will help you develop your skills progressively.
The biggest mistake is allowing fear of falling to make your whole body rigid.
When you're frightened, it's natural to tense your shoulders, stiffen your legs and try to control every movement. Unfortunately, that tension can make skiing feel harder.
Instead of telling yourself "I mustn't fall," bring your attention back to what you're learning right now.
One turn. One stop. One instruction at a time.
Nervous About Ski Lifts?
Ski lifts can look intimidating before you've used them.
Chairlifts in particular can create anxiety because you're thinking not only about the journey upwards but also about getting on and off without making a mistake.
Tell your instructor that you're nervous.
They deal with first-time skiers every day and can explain exactly what will happen before you approach the lift.
You don't need to pretend you're confident when you aren't.
Some beginner areas use very simple surface lifts or moving carpets, which can help you become accustomed to being transported uphill before progressing to other types of lift.
The important thing is to learn gradually rather than rushing yourself.
Once you've used a particular lift successfully a few times, something that initially seemed frightening can quickly start to feel much more ordinary.
Choose a Beginner-Friendly Ski Resort
Not every ski resort is equally suited to beginners.
When you're choosing your first skiing holiday, don't simply select a resort because experienced friends say the skiing is fantastic.
Look specifically for:
good beginner areas;
plenty of gentle pistes;
a well-regarded ski school;
easy access to nursery slopes;
beginner-friendly lifts;
accommodation that doesn't make reaching the slopes unnecessarily difficult; and
enough non-skiing activities that the whole holiday doesn't depend on how many hours you spend skiing.
Read recent reviews from other beginners rather than relying entirely on experienced skiers.
A resort with challenging terrain may be wonderful for an expert but completely wrong for your first trip.
Understanding Ski Slope Colours
Slope grading helps skiers identify the general difficulty of a run, although grading systems vary between countries and resorts.
In much of Europe, you'll commonly see:
Green – where used, generally very easy beginner terrain.
Blue – easier pistes suitable for developing skiers.
Red – more difficult slopes requiring greater control and confidence.
Black – difficult terrain intended for experienced skiers.
Don't set yourself targets such as "I should be skiing reds by Thursday."
Your instructor is in a much better position to advise you about when you're ready to progress.
A successful first skiing holiday isn't measured by the colour of the pistes you've completed.
If you finish your holiday confidently skiing gentle slopes and wanting to come back next year, that's a success.
Try an Indoor Snow Centre Before You Go
If you're particularly nervous, spending some time on real snow before your holiday can remove a great deal of uncertainty.
The UK has several indoor snow centres where beginners can take lessons throughout the year.
This gives you an opportunity to experience ski boots, skis and snow without also dealing with the unfamiliar surroundings of a mountain resort.
You can learn some basic skills and, perhaps most importantly, discover that the reality of skiing isn't necessarily as frightening as the picture you've created in your mind.
Even one or two introductory sessions can mean that when you arrive on holiday, everything isn't completely new.
Should First-Time Skiers Hire or Buy Equipment?
For most first-time skiers, hiring skis, boots and poles makes sense.
Buying a complete set of equipment before you know whether you're going to continue skiing can be expensive.
Rental shops can provide equipment appropriate for your ability, and if you're unsure about anything, ask questions.
One thing worth taking time over is your boots.
Ski boots can feel strange when you first wear them, but they shouldn't cause severe pain. If something doesn't feel right, tell the rental staff rather than assuming you simply have to put up with it.
You can always think about buying your own equipment later if skiing becomes a regular part of your life.
What Should You Pack for Your First Skiing Holiday?
You don't need to buy everything in sight, but being warm and comfortable makes learning much easier.
Your essentials are likely to include:
waterproof ski jacket and trousers;
thermal base layers;
warm mid-layers;
ski socks;
waterproof gloves or mittens;
goggles;
sunglasses;
helmet;
neck warmer or snood;
high-factor sunscreen;
lip balm with sun protection; and
suitable footwear for walking around the resort.
If you're hiring skis and boots, check exactly what's included in your rental package before travelling.
And don't underestimate the mountain sun. Snow reflects sunlight, so sun protection matters even when the temperature is well below freezing.
Don't Let Other People Set Your Pace
This is particularly important if you're travelling with confident skiers.
You may hear:
"Come on, you'll be fine."
"This one's really easy."
"Just follow me."
Usually, people mean well.
But easy is relative.
Someone who has skied for 15 years may genuinely have forgotten what a particular slope looked like on their first holiday.
You are allowed to say no.
You are allowed to repeat an easier run.
You are allowed to finish early because you're tired.
And you are allowed to spend another morning in ski school while your friends disappear off to more difficult terrain.
Confidence develops much more easily when you're stretching yourself gradually rather than frightening yourself repeatedly.
What If Everyone Else Learns Faster Than Me?
This can be particularly difficult in group lessons.
Someone who started at exactly the same time as you may appear to progress much faster.
That doesn't mean you're failing.
People arrive with different levels of fitness, balance, previous sporting experience and confidence. Some have skated or snowboarded. Others may simply be less cautious.
Your progress is your progress.
Concentrate on what feels easier today than it did yesterday.
Perhaps you got on the lift without worrying.
Maybe your turns felt smoother.
Perhaps you stopped exactly where you intended.
Those small improvements are how skiing confidence develops.
How to Calm Skiing Nerves Before Your Holiday
If you're already imagining everything that could go wrong weeks before you travel, it's worth addressing those thoughts now.
Notice the difference between preparing and worrying.
Preparing is booking lessons, choosing suitable clothing, learning about the resort and perhaps visiting an indoor snow centre.
Worrying is repeatedly imagining yourself falling, losing control or being stranded halfway up a mountain.
Those mental rehearsals can make an unfamiliar situation feel frightening before you've even experienced it.
Instead, begin deliberately picturing manageable situations.
Imagine putting on your skis.
Picture yourself listening to your instructor.
Imagine moving slowly across a gentle beginner slope.
See yourself stopping safely.
Picture yourself finishing a lesson and realising that you've done something you were genuinely nervous about.
You don't need to imagine yourself becoming an expert skier.
Imagine yourself coping.
That's a far more believable and useful starting point.
Can Self-Hypnosis Help With Fear of Skiing?
When skiing nerves are being driven by anxious thoughts and frightening mental pictures, relaxation and mental rehearsal can be useful ways of preparing before your holiday.
Self-hypnosis can help you become deeply relaxed while focusing your attention on calmer, more confident ways of thinking about skiing.
Rather than repeatedly rehearsing everything that might go wrong, you can begin mentally rehearsing yourself staying composed, learning gradually and responding calmly to situations on the slopes.
This is particularly relevant for first-time skiers because so much of the anxiety happens before the holiday begins.
You have no skiing experience yet, so your mind fills in the gaps.
Unfortunately, an anxious mind tends to fill those gaps with worst-case scenarios.
Self-hypnosis can provide a calmer alternative.
It doesn't teach you how to ski and it isn't a substitute for professional instruction. But it can help you work on the mental side of your skiing nerves while your instructor takes care of the practical skills.
Self-Hypnosis for Fear of Skiing MP3 and Companion eBook
I've created my Self-Hypnosis for Fear of Skiing MP3 and companion eBook for people who want to enjoy skiing but find that fear, anxiety or loss of confidence keeps getting in the way.
Because I'm both a clinical hypnotherapist and a skier, I understand that simply telling somebody to "relax and enjoy it" isn't particularly helpful when their mind is already imagining falls, steep slopes and loss of control.
The hypnosis session is designed to help you relax deeply, reduce some of that anticipatory anxiety and mentally rehearse approaching skiing in a calmer and more confident way.
The companion eBook provides additional information and practical support you can use alongside the recording.
You can listen in the weeks leading up to your holiday and continue using it while you're away.
Important: Never listen to the hypnosis recording while skiing, driving or doing anything that requires your full attention.
Your First Skiing Holiday Doesn't Have to Be Perfect
You don't need to become a brilliant skier on your first trip.
You don't need to ski the same runs as your friends.
And you certainly don't need to prove anything.
Your first holiday can simply be about discovering what skiing feels like, learning some new skills and giving yourself the opportunity to enjoy an experience that may eventually become something you love.
Take lessons.
Choose terrain appropriate to your ability.
Listen to your instructor.
Rest when you're tired.
Notice your progress.
And give yourself time.
That first nervous morning on the nursery slope could eventually become the beginning of many years of skiing holidays.
If anxiety is currently making you wonder whether you'll enjoy the holiday at all, you can find out more about my Self-Hypnosis for Fear of Skiing MP3 and companion eBook HERE
Sharon ShinwellUK Clinical Hypnotherapist
