Driving anxiety is a very real phenomenon, and for some, it can be incredibly crippling. A study conducted in 2018 found that 39% of people feel anxious behind the wheel. Whether it’s a fear of motorways, parking or generally being behind the wheel, you can take comfort in knowing that you are not alone in this. There are a number of programs, courses, self-help books, and advice online that can help reduce and manage your driving anxiety.
Why do we experience driving anxiety?
While we can sometimes feel like our fears are irrational, those fears exist for a reason, and often out of evolutionary reasons. If you have ever had a bad experience with driving, no matter how big or small, your brain will create a pathway that your mind will come back to the next time you are in that situation. Consequently, you need to rewrite these pathways in order to overcome your driving anxiety. This is no small task, and it can seem daunting, however finding that level of comfort and calmness while driving can really help improve your overall mental wellbeing.
Different types of driving anxiety
Driving anxiety as an umbrella term can be broken down into much more specific fears and anxieties. Studies on driving anxiety have found a number of triggers, these include; parallel/reverse parking, bad weather conditions, motorways, driving with children in the back, driving in the dark and many more. Those examples were cited as some of the more common triggers.
How can I overcome my driving anxiety?
Understanding your triggers is the first point of call in overcoming your fears. For example, if your fear is specific to driving in the dark, then you can start with driving at night on very quiet roads. Practising that again and again, until you can move onto a slightly busier road and so on. The key is to take your time with progressing to those busier roads. There is no point in rushing your journey. You are better off taking your time to avoid unnecessary setbacks.
The saying, ‘practice makes perfect’ can be irritating to hear, but it really is apt in this situation. The more we do something, the easier it becomes. We can rewire our brain pathways, but it can take time. So it is important to be patient in your journey to overcome your anxiety.
What help is available to me?
There are a number of courses, self help books and general advice online available to help you tackle your driving anxiety. It is worth doing some research and finding something that is most relevant to you. The experts at Driving Peace have developed a program that they claim is a user friendly program, that uses very simple techniques to end driving anxiety. It was created by Greg Weber, who was also once an anxiety sufferer when it came to driving.
Alternatively, refresher driving lessons or online courses have also been known to help people reduce their fear.
Setting realistic goals and expectations
When starting your journey to overcome your anxiety, you have to have realistic expectations and achievable goals. Otherwise, when you realise you can’t meet that unattainable goal, you will feel as though you have failed which will only reinforce your anxieties. Write down your goals, and enjoy those small wins! It is far better to have lots of achievable steps, as opposed to one giant leap that you may very well miss.
Unfortunately, there is no magic switch that can turn off our anxiety. The key is patience, it might take time, and accepting that will work in your favour. Also, be kind to yourself, don’t punish yourself for feeling anxious. Imagine you are advising a friend who suffers with driving anxiety, you wouldn’t talk to your friend horribly, so don’t do it to yourself either!
IMAGE SOURCE:
A short summary
Hopefully you can take comfort in knowing that you are not alone in experiencing driving anxiety! There is no shame in how we feel. Although if you are feeling restricted by your anxiety then it may be beneficial to consider doing something to help you address it. Granted, it may never go away, but there are ways out there that can help you reduce and manage it. Programs such as Driving Peace, provide guidance on managing your anxiety as well as the feelings of shame and embarrassment that often come with it.
You don’t have to put up with driving anxiety forever! Things can get better if you help yourself to rewrite those pesky brain pathways into having a healthier, more relaxed relationship with driving.