Various driving situations can cause anxiety and the fear that something bad may happen. Moreover, you may experience rapid breathing or panic attacks. This is why confronting your fear of driving is important.
<div class='code-block code-block-1' style='margin: 8px auto; text-align: center; display: block; clear: both;'>In this post, I will be sharing with you 5 tips that I have used to overcome my fear of driving and finally get back behind the wheel.
Because did you know that I have experienced three major and minor road accidents? That I couldn’t drive for 6 months without shaking in fear.
However, I do believe that everything happens for a reason. These accidents have taught me to be extra careful on the road and be a smart driver.
Now that I have reached different places by driving, I truly believe that practice is the most effective method for driving safely and confidently.
1. Relaxation Techniques
Stress management can be greatly aided by relaxation techniques. As it is a method that lessens the negative effects of stress on your body and mind.
Meditation and deep breathing are relaxation techniques that are proven to be quite successful. These methods can help you unwind and maintain concentration.
2. Ask someone to help you.
The first step in learning to drive is enrolling in driving classes. Choose a patient and compassionate driving instructor who will walk you through the process.
They will teach you the basics, and don’t forget to ask for some driving tips, as they have a lot of knowledge and experience.
Plus, knowing that a knowledgeable person is sitting beside you will help you feel more at ease.
You can also ask your family or friends that know how to drive to teach you when you’re driving, or at least to stay beside you to help relieve your anxiety.
3. Exposure Therapy
To conquer your fear of driving, exposure therapy involves facing it one step at a time.
For example, you may start by sitting in the driver’s seat and using your hands to feel the steering wheel. You can do this every day until you feel at ease.
After that, you can now start the engine, and every time you feel comfortable, you can keep increasing the difficulty or complexity of the job in exposure therapy.
You’ll eventually be shocked to find that you can already drive with ease. Exposure therapy is a great way to help with the management of driving phobia if it’s still too tough.
And if you are not ready to drive on a public highway, you can start by driving inside your village or on a road that is not usually busy.
4. Practice Alone
It’s time to get in the driver’s seat and begin driving conservatively and cautiously. Your abilities will advance as the days go on, and your worries will disappear.
Just take your time, exercise caution, and avoid feeling rushed by other drivers on the road. Have confidence in yourself to try it. Everybody once learned how to drive!
At first, I didn’t have the confidence to drive alone. I was scared, and for the longest time, I told myself I couldn’t do it.
One day, I had to drive myself alone to school because no one was available to guide me. I must admit, driving alone was nerve-wracking, but if I didn’t choose to drive alone, I wouldn’t improve.
From that day on, as I drove alone, I noticed that my confidence had improved and my fears had gradually disappeared.
5. Practice makes perfect.
Driving is no different from anything else in that you become more comfortable the more you practice it.
You may not have control over reckless drivers, but by practicing, you are developing defensive driving skills that can help you reduce the dangers associated with driving.
Practicing could also help you deal with difficult driving scenarios such as merging into oncoming traffic that doesn’t yield or changing lanes with little space.
No matter what occurs, you must continue getting back in the driver’s seat to ensure that you will be able to handle it.
Remember that all drivers have been rookie drivers at some point, and if they have conquered their fears, then you can too!
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