How to Get Over Driving Anxiety
People tend to have fears about a variety of things; and while you may think some of them are unfounded or just plain silly, there are often valid reasons for those fears. Some fear birds, others fear closed spaces, and many more others fear cars.
Yes, cars. Riding in cars or driving them, there are many people who experience anxiety while doing so. Reasons for this anxiety may include an accident or a harrowing experience related to cars in the past, or just stress.
How to Get Over Driving Anxiety
There’s nothing abnormal about anxiety while driving, and if you are one of the people who gets freaked out by the idea of driving, read on to find out how to get over driving anxiety:
- Don’t Contribute to Your Fear. You might feel that driving is made stressful by the other drivers on the road, but it is quite possible that you are contributing to your own anxiety. Don’t drive dangerously; stay below the speed limit, follow traffic signals, use your indicators and check your blind spots at regular intervals. If you drive safely, you’re doing nothing wrong, and that creates a certain degree of assurance.
- Be Mindful. Know when you are freaking out.
What is mindfulness? Mindfulness is when you can identify exactly when you are stressed out and then working to eliminate that stress.
For example: if you feel your leg on the gas or the brakes get tense, you can try to relax it a bit. If you feel yourself clenching on your steering wheel, or trembling and shaking while driving, then try to breathe calmly and relax your mind. Mindfulness is a great technique to reduce stress and toughen your mind.
- Get Behind the Wheel. The first two tips are applicable after you are already in the driver’s seat and driving. If you have driving anxiety, you probably refrain from any opportunity to drive a car.
Face your fears. Get behind the wheel even if you don’t want to, or even if you don’t need to. Volunteer to drive even if there are other people to do it. This way, you can try to get over your driving anxiety and drive stress-free.
Like all other types of anxieties, driving anxiety can also be cured through therapy and traditional medication. But if you follow these simple tips, you can see the difference without having to seek professional help.
