What a Mount Everest Climber Taught Me About Mental Health
I recently interviewed Safrina Latheef on my podcast Cold Chai, and I can honestly say it was one of the most interesting conversations I’ve ever had. You have to listen, your jaw will be on the floor! Safrina is the first woman from Kerala to summit Mount Everest, yet what makes her story truly extraordinary is that she never saw herself as an athlete or the kind of person destined for something so monumental.
Safrina has climbed four of the seven Summits (including Mount Kilimanjaro), the highest mountains on each continent, placing her among a rare group of mountaineers pursuing one of the world’s toughest endurance challenges. She summited Everest in May 2025 after years of preparation. Before mountaineering, her life looked very different. She is a gold-medalist graduate of Qatar University with a master’s degree, worked in finance and research, and was an internationally recognized, award-winning cake and sugar artist. Everest was not the obvious next chapter. It was a bold choice.
Mount Everest sits at 29,032 feet (basically the cruising altitude of airplanes). It is one of the most physically and mentally demanding environments on Earth. Climbers face extreme cold, brutal winds, avalanches, and dangerously low oxygen levels in the “death zone,” where the body slowly begins to shut down. Even with modern gear and guided expeditions, the mountain allows no shortcuts. Reaching the summit requires years of preparation, mental strength, and a deep respect for nature’s limits.
From Safrina’s journey, five powerful mental health lessons stand out:
1. Give Yourself Permission to Dream Bigger
Safrina’s climb began long before she reached the mountain. It started with a quiet decision to step outside routine and comfort. With no background in extreme sports, she chose Everest because it felt impossible. Often, the greatest barrier to growth isn’t ability, it’s permission. Mental strength begins when we allow ourselves to imagine a life beyond our current identity.
2. Train the Mind as Seriously as the Body
Everest demanded intense physical preparation, but Safrina quickly learned that mental training was just as critical. Fear, anxiety, and self-doubt didn’t disappear. She learned to work with them rather than against them. She even had a panic attack on the mountain. Mental health isn’t about eliminating discomfort. It’s about building the tools to move through it with awareness and compassion.
3. Focus on the Next Step, Not the Entire Mountain
In dangerous sections like the Khumbu Icefall and the death zone, thinking too far ahead can be paralyzing. Safrina focused on the next step, the next breath. This lesson translates directly to everyday life. When things feel overwhelming, narrow your focus. You don’t have to solve everything today. Progress happens one small step at a time.
4. Let Purpose Be Your Anchor
The climb came with sobering reminders of risk, including seeing climbers who didn’t survive. What carried Safrina forward was not ego or external validation, but a deep inner belief in why she was there. Mental strength often looks quiet. It’s the steady commitment to keep going, even when fear is loud.
5. Treat Mental Health as Essential, Not Optional
Safrina speaks openly about anxiety and mental health, and she does not separate them from achievement. Everest taught her that ignoring mental health is dangerous, while caring for it is an act of strength. Seeking support (like she did from her husband,daughter, and guides), acknowledging fear, and tending to the mind are survival skills, not weaknesses.
Safrina Latheef’s Everest journey is more than an adventure story. It’s a reminder that resilience is built from within, and that no dream is too big when we’re willing to do the inner work alongside the outer climb.
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Until next time, take care of yourself!
<3 Massoma
