Overcome Driving Anxiety
We all would like to overcome driving anxiety, and it is
much easier said than done. It can be frustrating to try many
different things, and then have a new anxiety attack the very
next day!
I have been in your shoes before and I know that it is
very frustrating. If you have tried everything that people have
recommended and you still are suffering, it is very
heartbreaking.
Here are some things that have helped me to overcome driving
anxiety and I believe that they can help you. And the most
important thing you can do is to try as many different things
as possible. Because in reality you only need just one thing to
work.
Identify the Causes
The first thing that you should do in order to overcome
driving anxiety is to try and figure out under which situation
is you have them the strongest. Some people experience the most
anxiety when they know they have to drive over certain bridges
or drive through areas that are under construction.
One of my main driving phobias is having to drive over long
bridges over water. Try to figure out the situations that cause
you the most stress and fear.
Also examine what time of day your attacks often happen. Are
they in the morning, the afternoon, or in the evening? Also do
they happen after you have drink caffeine or have eaten certain
types of foods?
Reduce Or Eliminate the Triggers
Once you have tried to figure out the causes, or triggers,
you job is to then reduce or try to eliminate them. For
example, if driving over certain bridges make you nervous,
could you take a ferry or an alternate route?
Also you could try a cutting out the caffeine before you
drive or try eating smaller or less spicy meals. One thing that
has helped many people overcome driving anxiety is to practice
driving on roads when there is little traffic.
This could be early in the mornings, especially on the
weekends. Sunday morning seems to be the best morning to try
and condition yourself to get used to driving on certain
stretches of road that you find stressful during the week.
More Tips
Another thing that has helped me overcome driving anxiety is
to eat healthier and to start exercising regularly. Although
you should do this anyways, regular exercise can really help to
reduce the amount of stress in your life and put things into
better mental perspective.
Also by eating more fruits and vegetables, and cutting out
saturated fats and empty carbohydrates, it can help regulate
your blood sugar better which may also become contributing to
your driving phobias.
Ultimately the best way to overcome driving anxiety is to
keep a journal. By writing down everything that happens during
the day and describing what kind of anxiety you are
experiencing you, you might be able to spot a pattern
developing. If you are able to spot a pattern, then that means
you're able to take steps to interrupt those patterns from
happening in the future.
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