As yet another lockdown starts to draw to an end in the UK, I am painfully aware that many of my students have not been driving very much at all. Back in December, we were forced to stop Driving Lessons completely, and for those of you lucky enough to have a car for private practice, your time behind the wheel will have been limited to essential journeys only.
Whilst I am sure we all appreciate that staying home is necessary to save lives, the prospect of returning to Driving Lessons may now be a mixed bag of emotions for many of you. These emotions may understandably include symptoms of driving anxiety…
So… what can we do to help you ease gently back into the task of driving feeling excited and confident?
1. Revise your Theory
Even if you have passed your driving theory test, take time to either read the highway code or go over some test questions on your app if you have one. This is a good habit to get in to even after you have passed your driving test, as it keeps you up to date with changes in the law. At this time it will also help you get back into the driving mindset and will give you more confidence as you remind yourself of the rules of the road.
2. Speak to Your Driving Instructor
If you are feeling nervous about restarting lessons, try to focus on exactly which aspects feel particularly scary to you (there are no right or wrong answers here…these are your feeling and they are very valid!) Then… speak to your driving instructor. Do this before the lesson, tell them how you are feeling and which areas are particularly of concern. Together you will then be able to come up with a lesson plan that you are comfortable with and which will address any issues you might have. With a plan in place in advance, you should feel more confident about your first lesson back. Should things go better than expected, then you can always agree to adapt the plan during the lesson as you regain your confidence!
3. Revise your lesson notes
I provide all my students with lesson notes whenever we learn a new topic. Lesson handouts help consolidate the practical skills which have been learned and enable you to go back over the content in your own time. If your instructor does this for you, now would be a good time to refresh your knowledge by going over your lesson handouts. This will leave you feeling less rusty.
4. Get some private practice (once lockdown has lifted)
If you have access to a car, try to go on a gentle car journey with your usual accompanying driver. This will help to settle you back into the practical skill of driving before your first lesson, and it will help you blow off a few cobwebs! Keep it close to home and simple, just do some basic junctions on roads you are familiar with. Keep the session short, no longer than 20 mins and afterwards you should feel a lot more confident having revisited the basics.
5. Positive Mental Attitude
Prepare yourself mentally before you have your first lesson back. Make sure you get plenty of rest the night before. To help reduce stress levels further, try to do whatever keeps you calm just before your lesson. This may include yoga, running or listening to music. Also ensure you eat to maintain your blood sugar levels, but it may be sensible to avoid caffeine before you drive as it can trigger anxiety in some people.
6. Thought Field Therapy (TFT)
Finally you could try some thought field therapy techniques (TFT). This can be very useful for overcoming test nerves and dealing with anxiety and stressful situations in general. You can read more about TFT here and next time I will give you some tips on how you can apply thought field therapy techniques to improve your driving confidence!
Julie Hazell Driver Education 