Occasionally, we find ourselves worrying about things when we are driving. Sometimes, the worries cause us anxiety. Know this: Anxiety and anxiety disorder are two different things. Having anxiety is normal in our occasional lives. Nevertheless, anxiety disorder might get worse and sometimes does not go away.
It might be a problem when we have anxiety while driving. It could cause bad things to happen to us and other people as well. Therefore, Dr. Kamarul Ariffin on Twitter shares with us some tips to overcome or lessen your anxiety while driving.
1) Know your journey
- Sometimes, people will get anxious if they are going to places which they are not familiar with
- They are afraid they will take the wrong route and causes inconvenience to others
- Thus, refer to Global Positioning System (GPS) on your phone.
- Also, do not forget to refill your gas
2) Avoid driving when you are feeling overwhelmed
- It is best to wait for your anger, sadness, and anxiousness to go way before you start driving
- If you are driving, stop your car and wait for your body and mind to keep calm
3) Do the deep breathing exercise
- Take a deep breath, and hold it for 5 seconds
- Then, you may release it slowly
- This exercise is proven to help overcome anxiousness
4) Do the mindfulness exercise
- Name 3 things that you can see
- Name 3 things that you can hear
- Then, name parts of your body that you can touch
- This exercise will bring you back to reality so that you do not think about your anxiety further.
5) Avoid imagining hurdles
- Even though you might have hurdles in driving before, avoid them from consuming you
- Think about the current moment
6) Focus on your driving
- Do not do the things that might lose your focus while driving
- Avoid eating, texting, thinking about incomplete chores, and so on.
7) Give yourself an encouragement
- Encourage yourself to be confident
- Tell yourself that you can drive wisely and that you have done it before
8) Keep in mind that a car horn is a way to communicate
- Honking does not solely mean that people are mad at you
- Honking can mean that people are asking you to be careful, and so on
9) Do not mind what others think of you
- You know what you are doing
- Use everything that you know while driving (signal, horn, etc)
If you have tried all of these tips and still do not help…
10) Ask help from professionals if you find your anxiety gets worse
- Do not be afraid to ask for help from someone who is professional about this matter
Source: @dr_chaku (Twitter), National Institute Of Mental Health