Posted on: October 26, 2017 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0
ID:11610146

Many people have a fear of driving. This may seem hard to believe, as this issue does not get talked about very much. However, many defensive driving courses will cover how anxiety about driving is very common. There are several things you can do to calm yourself of your anxiety problems while driving. This article will mention some of these tips and go into detail about how you can put them into practice when you’re driving. To learn more about avoiding anxiety while driving, read on.

Drive Only Short Distances

One of the best ways to avoid anxiety while driving is to drive short distances. If you need to get somewhere a long way away, try to take another method of transportation or have somebody else drive. It often causes people anxiety to know that they still must drive for many more hours. If you are only going a short distance, you may not have enough time to get stressed out or anxious. There are certain times when driving long distances may be unavoidable, but if you are able to think outside the box you should be able to avoid the majority of long drives.

Travel When There is Not Much Traffic

Most of anxiety and stress while driving for most people comes from heavy traffic. If you can figure out a way to avoid driving when there is a lot of traffic, this will undoubtedly help you calm down when you are driving. Most people have to deal with traffic when they are commuting to and from work. However, you may be able to change your schedule at work or find an alternate means of transportation. You should check and see if your workplace is within walking or cycling distance. Also, consider the public transportation in your city.

Have a Passenger Help You

Another fantastic way to avoid anxiety while driving is to take turns driving with a passenger. Not only will carpooling help reduce your anxiety, it’ll be better for the environment because you are taking one car instead of two. Also, your passenger can talk to you and help calm you down even if you continue to drive yourself. Just knowing that you do have a passenger to help you out could assist you in not having panic attacks.

Listen to Soothing Music

The power of music to affect mood has only begun to be discovered. It has been found in scientific studies that listening to aggressive music like metal can cause you to drive faster. Similarly, listen to soothing music such as classical music can help you stay calm. Many people also like to listen to ambient or electronica type music. Whatever music you listen to when you relax is an excellent choice for staying calm while driving. If you have a car that can play the music you’ve downloaded, this process will be very easy. However, you may have to go out and buy some CDs of soothing music if your stereo cannot play MP3s.

What to Do If These Tips Don’t Work for You

While these tips will help calm down the average driver significantly, they will not work for everybody. If you still find yourself having panic attacks while driving, you should stop driving until you can solve the problem. Keep in mind that you are a danger to both yourself and other people on the road if you are having a panic attack. You should contact a professional mental health therapist and meet with him on a regular basis. Many therapists specialize in stress, anxiety, and panic attacks, so they will certainly be able to help you.

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