If you’ve lost confidence driving, it’s a awful feeling. It’s painful. You feel anxious. Stuck. Hopeless. Perhaps you even feel humiliated. A loss of confidence in anything hurts. This is especially true in an area where you’re used to feelings of mastery and control.
Driving is a fundamental part of everyday life. Not being able to do it with confidence places a heavy burden on your day to day routine.
Let’s look at some common reasons why you may have lost confidence driving, and examine five powerful strategies to get your driving mojo back.
Reasons You’ve Lost Confidence Driving
- Car accident – This is easily the number one cause of lost driving confidence. Car accidents, even minor ones, cause anxiety and fear of driving for millions of people. Accidents often cause trauma and post-traumatic stress.
- Moving to a new area – We all get comfortable driving along familiar routes. Moving somewhere new eliminates our old familiar routes. Trying to navigate unfamiliar streets in a new locale can be very stressful.
- Stress – It’s possible your issues with driving have nothing to do with driving itself. Stress and fatigue in other areas of your life interfere with your concentration and driving ability.
- Can’t pass your driving test – Over half of everyone who takes their driving test fails the first time. We’re a society that’s obsessed with passing tests. Failing a test does a number on your confidence.
- Other anxiety triggers – Most people who struggle with driving anxiety also have other anxiety issues, like social anxiety or agoraphobia. Unresolved fear and stress negatively impact your driving.
5 Strategies to Get Your Driving Mojo Back
- Driving lessons – Feeling confident behind the wheel is partly based on your mastery of the mechanics of driving. Operating a vehicle is a series of physical maneuvers that don’t necessarily come easily to everyone. Driving lessons are always a good idea, even for adults.
- Hypnosis – Hypnosis for driving anxiety is a great way to regain driving confidence. Hypnotherapy is performed with a professional, or via self-help resources like Hypnosis Downloads.
- Therapy – I’d recommend therapy to anyone, but it’s very helpful for getting over your fear of driving. This is especially true if you’re suffering lingering trauma because of a car accident.
- Eliminate distractions – Driving requires more concentration from some people than from others. Excess noise, movement, and other distractions make driving more difficult and less safe. Remove any and all distractions from your driving environment in order to feel more confident.
- Practice – As the old saying goes, practice makes perfect. Driving is a skill, and like any skill, you get better at it the more you do it. Practice driving on residential roads and empty parking lots to improve your driving abilities.
You’re not alone if you’ve lost confidence driving. It’s very common for any number of reasons. Use the tips above to regain your driving mojo and take control behind the wheel again.
Namaste,
