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5 Ways to Overcome Your Driving Anxiety

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5 Ways to Overcome Your Driving Anxiety
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If you’re anything like most drivers, there’s a chance you can relate to the following statement: Driving can be stressful. The pace of modern life leaves many feeling as if they’ve been exiled to a car-crazed island and that they are its only inhabitant. We spend more time in our cars than we do at home and, consequently, they have gradually become our virtual homes. This means that when we step into one its negative side effects can be particularly pronounced.

Having just one person in a car with the windows closed can make us feel claustrophobic. Putting two or more of them inside together often makes us feel trapped and suffocated. And, as anyone who has ever been trapped or trapped out knows, bad vibes are not limited to high-stress situations like exams or job interviews.

Everyone experiences driving differently and this is why some people find it so stressful. However, there are ways you can overcome your anxiety so that you no longer feel as if every time you get behind the wheel is an emotional rollercoaster. Here are five steps you can take to make driving easier on yourself:

Define what makes you anxious

The first step to overcoming anxiety in your driving is to fully understand why you’re feeling stressed in the first place. The most important question you need to ask yourself is: What is it about driving that makes my palms sweat, my heart race, my mouth dry and my palms feel clammy? This will help you identify the specific elements of driving that you find most stressful.

For example, if you feel anxious when you’re behind the wheel because you feel that you’re not in control, you can begin to identify the ways in which you can regain control. However, be mindful of how you go about this. Don’t make the mistake of trying to control the whole driving experience. Instead, focus on what you can control: the way you drive, the way you communicate with other drivers, and the way you treat other road users.

Next, be mindful of the decisions you make behind the wheel. Try to take a step back and ask yourself if you’re making every decision for a good reason and in a way that will help you feel more in control.

Take a mindfulness course

Mindfulness is a practice that can be applied to just about anything. It involves taking a moment to be more mindful of what is going on around you. When you’re driving, mindfulness can help you to set your mind free from the anxieties and stresses that are holding you back from taking full advantage of your vehicle. It can help you to relax and to become more present and aware of what is happening right now. When you’re driving with mindfulness, you’ll be better able to take your eyes off the road and to enjoy the sights and sounds of your surroundings.

Mindfulness will help you to slow down, to notice the things that are going on around you, and to remember that what is happening in the now is far more significant than what is happening hours, days, or even weeks from now. If you don’t have time to take a mindfulness course, you can begin to implement mindfulness in your driving by practicing mindfulness exercises while you’re sitting in your car. Get something that can hold a pen, such as a book or a magazine, and place it on your dashboard so that you have something to concentrate on while you’re driving.

While you’re sitting in your car, take a moment to become mindful of the color of the pen you’ve chosen to focus on. What color is it? What sounds are going on around you? What are you feeling in your body as you sit in your car? Once you’ve started to implement mindfulness in your driving, you can take it even further by turning off the radio and actively trying to switch your attention to things around you.

Celebrate small wins

Driving is a very challenging task. It is easy to get lost in one’s own worries and fears, to become paralyzed by them, and to feel as if one is moving forward but in reality, actually moving backward. It’s important to remember that each day, no matter how small, is a step forward.

Each time you get behind the wheel, take a moment to celebrate the small progress that you are making. This can be as simple as smiling to yourself as you look in the rearview mirror, nodding your head in approval at something your passenger says, or taking a moment to enjoy the fact that you have a moment to yourself while you’re on the road.

Set up your ride for success

The easiest way to overcome anxiety in your driving is to make sure that you are prepared to face any challenges that might come your way. This can mean making sure that you have enough water in the car, that you have a source of music or a podcast that you can listen to, that you have snacks and/or drinks that you can eat while you’re driving, and/or that you have a book or something to read to pass the time.

It can also mean making sure that you have a list of places you need to get to and that you have a way of keeping track of which route you’ve taken to get there. Having a route in mind and knowing where you’ve been will help you to feel more in control than if you have no idea where you’re going.

5 Ways to Overcome Your Driving Anxiety

Know your limits

It’s important to remember that driving is a very challenging task. It is easy to get caught up in our anxieties and fears, to become paralyzed by them, and to feel as if we are moving forward but in reality, actually moving backward. It’s important to remember that each day, no matter how small, is a step forward. It’s important to remember that anxiety in driving will only get you so far.

When you feel anxious in your driving, try to remember that you are not the only person on the road. This means that you’ll almost always be able to find another driver to pass you. If you find that you’re driving very anxiously and that you’re making too many mistakes, you can take a break from driving, or you can try to drive in a less stressful situation, such as driving to work during off-peak hours.

Conclusion

Driving is a very challenging task. It is easy to get caught up in our anxieties and fears and to become paralyzed by them, and to feel as if we are moving forward but in reality, actually moving backward. It’s important to remember that each day, no matter how small, is a step forward. It’s important to remember that anxiety in driving will only get you so far.

When you feel anxious in your driving, try to remember that you are not the only person on the road. This means that you’ll almost always be able to find another driver to pass you. If you find that you’re driving very anxiously and that you’re making too many mistakes, you can take a break from driving, or you can try to drive in a less stressful situation, such as driving to work during off-peak hours.

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