How to fight the Itty Bitty Shitty Committee

An amateur racer, pro anxiety spiraler’s advice on how to get out of your brain and refocus on the road (gravel) ahead.

Words: Mérida Miller/ @mercatmiller as part of her series Mental Mechanics

We all have them. For some, they're just louder. The self-sabotaging chitterchatter that creeps in exactly when you're least ready for it.  

The little but loud voices that lurk in your head at the least convenient time to tell you that you’re not good enough? The ones that DEMAND you pay attention to them right now so they can make you feel like 💩?

My friend Sai once dubbed these voices as “The Itty Bitty Shitty Committee,” and since I can remember, I’ve been fighting them. They used to come up a lot with work and friendships, but having them show up now in my racing/ on bike aka my safe space, was something I wasn’t prepared for.

I’ve had the IBSC derail races, bring me down mid-social ride, and even creep in while creating this post. If any of this sounds all too familiar, keep reading. After years of experience and in-field R&D, I’ve put together a little list of ways to fight the IBSC and get over a mid-ride spiral! 

#1 - Thoughts are not facts, but facts are facts... 

 Whoever said “Worrying is a waste” was right. 

Your brain primarily runs on carbs, and as we know, when racing/ training, we need to those carbs in our legs. 

Therefore, one could reason that a mid-race doom spiral is actually a big waste of energy/ fuel - which, if you’re like me, you desperately need in that moment to keep your bike upright. 

 So save your fuel for your legs and remember, you will have plenty of time to doomspiral after the race when carbs aren’t as precious 

(or as expensive as a gel). 

P.S. Not only is it a waste of fuel, listening to/believing the IBSC impairs neocortical functioning (the smartest, most recently evolved part of the brain just behind your forehead), which you definitely need in a competition!

#2 - Emotional Support Stickers

The simplest and possibly least embarrassing of the list. Write some hype-up words on medical tape or a Post-it Note and cover it with clear tape. Put them on your cockpit or wherever you have space. Doesn’t have to be big, 2-3 words that remind you why you’re doing this (and who the F you are)- a lil’ somethin’ that will bring a smile to your face during a spiral moment on course. 

Or ask a friend/ loved one to write you a little note, as a reminder of who else is cheering you on. 

OR!!! x2

 I can send you a Hype Crew Proud of You sticker. Shoot me a DM.

#3 - Power Pose (Animal)

Having a power pose like grounding your feet, opening your chest, and putting your hands on your hips can actually make you feel more confident and collected during nervous moments.

On bike though, you don’t really have time (and I don’t have the skills) to recreate this, so I’ve created my own on-bike version of a power pose:

 I put my head down, square my shoulders, and...

 pretend I’m a rhino charging ahead, yes, a rhino. 

Ain’t no one stopping a rhino. Not even the IBSC! 

My advice:  Pick your power pose creature and practice it during intervals so that on race day it feels “natural”? 😅   It helps, I swear. 

#4 - Reset like an Animal*

Dogs do a full-body shake. Horses push air through their lips. Elephants shake their heads and flap their ears. All to help them relax and reset after moments of stress or overstimulation.

I've tested these methods mid-race more times than I can count, and can confirm: they work.  Horse girl at heart, my favorite is the lip flutter, followed by a quick shake of my hands and head. Kinda like I'm shaking the IBSC voices out.

*Remember: Humans are animals too.

#5 - Growl it out

This one’s a bit embarrassing, but if you’ve already done the horse lips thing- what else do you have to lose? 

When the IBSC shows up mid-race to tell me how embarrassingly bad I am, I’ve found that helps is to growl out loud at the IBSC: 

“That's enough!”, “Not today!”, or  

“We will Aabsof*ckingnot be going there- Refocus!”

Try it. Maybe you’ll be so embarrassed by what you’ve just done that it will make you laugh… or not, but at least you got it out of your brain.

pssst... studies show that cursing helps reduce stress in the moment and increases your pain tolerance. 💅🏻

P.S. Don’t worry about others judging you- they have their own IBSC to listen to.

It can be exhausting to constantly hype yourself up. The good news?

#6- You don’t always have to be your own cheerleader. 

Sometimes when the IBSC pops up and tells me I’m a waste of space, I think of a friend whom I admire. And do some mid-spiral reasoning:

 “I think Rhian is pretty cool; she’s smart, kind, and I trust her judgment- I mean she is a lawyer.  And she thinks I’m an okay human!

So, I’m going to trust Rhian on this: 

If she thinks Im an okay human, I must be an okay human.”

This takes the pressure off having to reassure yourself and is a nice reminder that you don't have to fight the IBSC alone.

Don’t have a Rhian in your life? Keep reading...

I’m really good at it, I promise!

We all need someone in our corner, someone who believes in us when we just can’t seem to ourselves. Someone who will cheer pompom* their way into your subconscious when the IBSC is lurking around the corner. 

Share your goals, your races, your current IBSC spirals, and let’s normalize sending support to strangers. 

Maybe we can even race together?! I’m always keen to meet new people at the start line.  Share your calendar and let’s high-five. 

*This isn’t a sales pitch; I have nothing to sell. I just like high fives 🥹

I fully recognize some of this list seems absolutely delulu, but just choose what works for you and put it into action.

Get out there, enjoy the ride.

Let others hype you up when you need it.

Save your food for your legs and tell me which power animal you choose 🫶🏻

Hugs & high fives,

Mérida

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Mental Mechanicals is a series Mérida started to help digest and process the moments a CO₂ cartridge can’t fix — the internal breakdowns, breakthroughs, and everything in between.

Read the previous Mental Mechanical story.

Socials: @mercatmiller

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Merida on the Connections Podcast