Do you ever feel a little nervous to get behind the wheel? Maybe your hands get clammy, your heart rate increases, or you just don’t want to get behind the wheel at all? Here are a few tips to help get over those fears:
1. Ignore Those Irritated Drivers Around You
It’s often our fear of being judged by other drivers on the road that makes us nervous. Forget them! Ignore them. You don’t need to feel intimidated by someone tailing you or honking at you to speed up. Go at your pace and keep your space.
2. Write It Down
Write down the fears you have about driving and why you want to overcome them. Sometimes reassuring ourselves of why we want to overcome these fears can help make them easier to cope with.
3. Relax
Sometimes doing activities such as meditating or deep breathing can help with any fears you feel on the road. These activities are super easy and take no more than 10 minutes of your time. There’s a huge variety of breathing techniques as well!
4. Stay Comfortable
Find ways to stay comfortable. Whether it be adding a cushion to your seat, or adding a cover to your steering wheel, you can find ways to stay comfy. You can also stay comfortable by taking shorter trips or staying in the right lane of traffic.
5. Positive Reinforcement
Repeating positive phrases to yourself can help alleviate your mind from stressful thoughts.
6. Take a Professional Driving Course
Licensed instructors are happy to give you private lessons behind the wheel. These services are offered in many states, including here in MI. All Star has their own program for this too. Just a little extra practice behind the wheel can help you overcome some of those fears and even provide opportunities to feel more confident.
Whatever your fear might be, there’s many ways out there to get the help you need. Find what works for you!
