In the negative.

Ever had negative thoughts while skiing? Times when you're less than confident or when you beat yourself up for not skiing as well as you think you should?

You're not alone.

This was the subject of a thread on TheSkiDiva.com, and I thought I'd share a few of the ways our members have of dealing with this:

• Pump up the jams, baby: Listen to music. It'll distract you from feeling nervous or uneasy. If you don't have an iPod, sing! 
• Take a break, do something different: It might help you break the cycle.
• Reassess: Figure out what's causing the negativity.  If it's the cold, go in and warm up. If it's the people you're skiing with, head off by yourself for a while. In short, think of a positive way to change the situation.
• Remember that it's not a competition. You're not in the Olympics. You don't have to be the best one out there. Just be yourself.
• Repeat positive affirmations. Give yourself a pat on the back for the things you can do, rather than beat yourself up for the things you can't.
• Pack it in for the day. It's okay to quit. There's always another day.
• Take a lesson. Improving your skills is a good way to set yourself up for future success. And make it easy for yourself to learn. Don't try to learn to ski bumps when they're icy hard, or learn to ski crud when it's like a coral reef out there.
• Find a comfortable run and hang out there for a while. You don't have to ski the most challenging stuff all the time. It's okay to relax and back it down.
• Adjust your expectations: Realize you can't be an expert skier in a day or even a week. Set realistic goals for yourself, and work to achieve them.
• Visualize: Envision that you can do it, and picture how it should be done. Getting the right way set in your mind's eye can do wonders.
• Don't try to control the things that you can't: The weather is not up to you. Neither is the grooming or the light or a million other things. Accept what is and only change what you can.

Be sure to visit TheSkiDiva.com, an internet forum especially for women skiers, where women skiers can connect with one another to talk about everything and anything ski-related.