Yes, this is an oldie but a goodie.
I still struggle with this sometimes, but it has gotten a lot better.

I learned a few things in the time that I first wrote this:

1. From a mountain biking journal with a tip on "weighting" your front pedals... not exactly getting off of your seat but moving forward enough for gravity on the pedals to count. Well, during a very very hilly 75 miler this weekend (okay, we'll just say that for NE CT and NW RI it was downright mountainous) I thought of this advice and it somehow came out in my head as loading the pedals. When a hill would come, my mind would say, "load those pedals" reminding me to scootch forward, relax, and put some weight on the pedals. I think psychologically that was a huge help and it probably didn't hurt physically, either.

2. Don't be afraid to use my grannies. That's why they're there.

3. Counting, or the alpahabet: I count to a hundred, every other breath or every other pedal stroke. Or, I do the ABC's. Usually, the top is by 100 or the 2nd or third way through the ABC's. I have ploughed up many a hill signing away like a muppet. My DH recently told me that I powered up a hill going 9/10 mph - a very long "double hundred" hill. So this is a nice trick.

I did stop recently on a very steep climb, on my way home from work. I was tired. I'd had a long day. I was cranky.
I am glad that I tried this to see what happens. This is what happens: You get off your bike, try to walk, and it's harder to walk than to bike.

So, that last ride with DH on Sunday, when we came to a particularly snarky hill, I reminded myself, "you know Indi, it's harder to walk up."