Please help! How do I calm down?

Question

I just finished my in class driver's ed and my instructor told my dad that I need to drive in town so that I don't flunk my first test with the road tester. I have only driven 30 km/h- 40 km/h on federal property. I have never driven in town before. How did you calm down before you went out for your first drive in town? Please help, if I panic behind the wheel, it could cause some problems! (Rude answers will be ignored).

Answer 1

just relax you will do fine

Answer 2

I was phobic of driving for a long time. I didn't have my first driver's license till I was 26 for this same reason as you.

I'm so proud of you facing your fear in a sensible way.

First, lay off any stimulants that will phyically stress you out, like caffeine or sugar...I would say a whole 24 hours or so before you actually go out driving. Then at least your nervous system won't be jacked up.

Second, do some calming down exercises before you go out there. You can pray, think calming positive thoughts, try to focus on your breathing, all that. Get your mind calmed down. Try to imagine your fears and worries as something light, like a feather or a bubble. Then when they start to creep in on you, you can just imagine yourself blowing them away. The blowing, you can do physically too. It will help you with that exercise, plus it is a reminder of your breathing.

Then if you can pick and choose where you go with your instructor, pick a quieter area without much traffic. See if you can drive around in the parking lot for a while, to bring your confidence up. Then just think to yourself, "if I can do it in the parking lot, I can do it on the road." When you are ready, pull out of the parking lot and get on the road.

If you know your stuff, you will do fine. Make sure you know your hand positions on the wheel, I think they are teaching 9 and 3 o'clock now, instead of 10 and 2 like they did me, and keep both hands on the wheel at all times. Pay attn to your mirrors and your guages and watch carefully what other people are doing at intersections. Don't try to be fancy and change lanes, pass people, etc etc. and let other people pass you if they want.

It all starts to be easier after a while. If it encourages you at all, I still have some anxiety about driving and my phobia isn't completely over. I have had to step into things easily. From driving in parking lots, to driving in small small towns, to driving on the highway, all the way up to the suburbs outside of bigger cities. I still don't drive in the city or on really busy freeways. But I do get around in places I never would have thought I could 10 years ago. I was a nanny for instance, and got used to driving in NJ and they are freaking crazy!

Oh and I have a car now...doing great, loving being able to get around! It is liberating. Pretty soon, the fear will be more of an exhiliration feeling and you will calm down.

Answer 3

Oh, honey listen-- being nervous is so much a part of life. You're going to have to eventually do it. One day, it will be so much a part of you that you'll be one place and not remember getting there. It is soooo OK to be nervous. Be worried if you're not! I would say take deep breaths, and concentrate on one point at a time, and what the other drivers are doing (brake lights, signals,etc.).Don't expect to be perfect. This is a very important thing that you are learning. Trust me, I didn't want to do it either, But it's better to go ahead and get all the practice you can, and more importantly or just as important--to have a good attitude about it. When I took my actual road test, like a million years ago, the man that got in my aunt's car with me looked like he was 7 feet tall. I was scared. He intructed me to go, and I knew the speed limit was 35 so I didn't want him to know I was scared so I went too fast. Honey I ended up going right through the busiest intersection in town and stopping ( if you can call it that ) right in the middle of it. Whew! I thought I'd die! So, needless to say I failed, but the stata trooper told my grandfather, who saw everything, that I was just nervous. So, practice is a good thing: I never had much at all.
Think of me and laugh-
You are going to do just great!

Answer 4

I'm not sure what you mean by federal property.Try to travel on back roads so you will feel more comfortable.You will have some traffic but not too much. You will get experience straight driving, turning and using your signal lights.When you feel more comfortable you can try to drive in an area in town that is not too busy.The only thing that will help you is experience.Practice, practice practice.You could practice your parking in a mall parking lot ( after hours).Everyone feels nervous at first.Don't worry, you will be fine. Good luck.

Answer 5

First of all honey, you need to find some way to calm down. Try breathing or something; it's a little dangerous to go behind the wheel when you're freaked out because your mind will not react properly if there is an emergency.

I remember my first time going behind the wheel; it was scary when I got in the car, but once I turned out of my driveway and pressed down the gas, I realized that my main fear was how the car was going to react.

Try to think of it this way: YOU are in control of the vehicle, YOU do everything that you're supposed to. If you do everything that you're supposed to do, the vehicle will react the way you want it to. If you're freaked out, you'll shake a lot which can cause the gas to go a little shaky which can freak you out more.

DON'T PANIC BEHIND THE WHEEL! Learn about how your car will react first, if you don't like it, then change the car. Keep trying out different cars until you find one that suits you.

And, remember this, it's TOTALLY NORMAL for you to be a little nervous at first. It's okay to be nervous, but try not to freak out. Just relax and enjoy your trip. Remember everything from driver's ed, and you will be FINE.

Hope this helps!

Answer 6

I have a niece that used to freak out whenever we got on the interstate. I would just tell her that she isn't up against all the cars on the road at the same time. You need to acknowledge the cars to your left, right, and behind you and concentrate on at least 2 cars ahead of you. It sounds tough, but it will become really easy to do with practice. Leave plenty of room in between cars. Something else I would do is have my dad take me out to a deserted parking lot and practice slamming on the brakes and defensive maneuvers. If you know what the car is going to do in an emergency, then you can react with confidence. If you have snow there...even better!!! Go drive with confidence!

Answer 7

You might just need more practice. I would suggest to ask your instructor if they have a course where you can actually drive. That way you get to drive their car which usually has dual brakes, one for you of course and one for the instructor. That way the instructor can always correct you if you make a mistake, like trying to take a turn to fast etc. While driving with the instructor you might just have the extra comfort you need in the beginning to overcome your initial anxiety.

Answer 8

chew gum. Don't have the radio on till you feel comfortable.Don't smoke. Etc... You just gotta get out there and practice. Don't go during the "busy" times like Friday night or rush hour. You'll get it and truthfully, even the most seasoned drivers still get spooked once in a while. I hate fog, snow and tractor trailers.

Answer 9

Well, realise that you are passing a driving test, so if you are scared about some simple stuff, you are going to be a public danger when you get a car.

Chill it and smoke some good grass.

Answer 10

don't trip. evrybody is nervous when they first start driving in town. you just do it. it's not as hard as it seems. listen to the radio not real loud so that it distracts you. but it calmed me down alot. in fact when i was in drivers ed my teacher wouldn't let me drive without the radio on-lol then after you get used to it the nervousness goes away. remember you can't listen to the radio while taking your drivers test. best of luck

Answer 11

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