7 Beyond-Easy Ways to Reduce Driving Anxiety // Anxiety Series Pt. 1

Do you stress out about driving new places, parking, and dealing with traffic? Does it even keep you from going places sometimes? 
It can add so much extra stress to your day, but I have found 7 beyond-easy ways to reduce driving anxiety.

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When I first moved to the U.S. I hadn't really driven in years. Living in Spain, Ireland, and Brazil I just walked everywhere or if it was really far I took the bus. That wasn't really possible here though, so I got my first car.

The lack of practice and the four lanes I had to navigate freaked me out. I'd navigated lanes maybe twice in my life and I was terrified driving and avoided it as much as possible.

When I found a job though I had to put on my big-girl panties and suck it up. And after a while it felt really okay, because I got used to it. But going new places still makes me very anxious (it doesn't help that I live in Virginia where people seem to be the worst drivers I've seen since Egypt). Driving somewhere I haven't been before really triggers my social anxiety because I don't know what to expect and I get performance anxiety. 

Driving anxiety is a real problem that adds a lot of extra stress to your day and can also keep you from going places altogether. When my parents visited two years ago we missed a culture festival we had planned to attend because my boyfriend got stuck at work and I was too freaked out to park in the parking garage on my own. It felt silly when I was feeling better, but at the time I just couldn't handle it.

Driving anxiety can vary a lot on your overall well-being, like for me. But as long as you get into the car I have worked out seven easy ways to ease driving anxiety and make it easier to handle, no matter what your anxiety levels are.

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1. Use and love your GPS

I don't like being unsure of where I'm going, whether I'm walking or driving. When I moved to the U.S. and got my own car I also had my first smartphone, which meant that the glorious world of Google Maps was mine. 

Unless it's somewhere I've been a bunch of times and know the way without a doubt, I always use my navigator. Driving is stressful enough without the added pressure of trying to navigate on my own, because I was not blessed with a good sense of direction. I blame my childhood in a village with only one road -- you went right or left. Not much guesswork there.

What I also love about it are the times something happens and you get off course (you couldn't get to the exit in time, construction hindered your way) and it automatically reroutes for you. Instead of thinking, "Sh*t, where on Earth am I going now?!?" you simply have to follow directions. 

2. Research the parking situation

Something I get very stressed about is parking, especially if I haven't been there or haven't had to park there myself before. Honestly I absolutely hate it, especially if there's a chance I have to parallel park! The horror!

So when I'm going to check out a new restaurant, go to a concert, or visit a friend's place for the first time, I try to find out as much as I can about the parking situation. Does the place have a parking lot? Is there parking allowed on the street? Is there a parking garage within walking distance? I'd rather walk five minutes than trying to parallel park in the middle of traffic.

In general it is good to scope out new places as much as you can so you know what to expect. Knowledge is power, as they say, and in this case I wholeheartedly agree. This is why I'm completely calm driving to my weekly blues dance because I know exactly how the drive will go, while going somewhere new will have me worrying for hours beforehand.

Depending on where you're going you can also save money by buying parking beforehand! When I went to D.C. for a dance weekend last year I found parking for only $10 for the whole weekend through Parking Panda close to my hostel, and it also gave me a destination to go to compared to driving around searching for a spot after a four-hour drive.

Photo by Matt Alaniz

3. Play calming music

Music is always a good distraction or calming agent, so having your favorite music ready for your drive is a great idea. I actually have this specific song that instantly calms me down -- even while being forced to drive next to a semi for miles in a construction area. Ironically I was on my way to my therapist, and I felt pretty claustrophobic being lodged between the enormous vehicle and a cement barrier.

My pulse was racing and I started to feel triggered by the whole experience, so as soon as I had an opportunity I put on the song The Summer. It's from Josh Pyke's album Live at the Sydney Opera House, and I don't know what it is about it but it instantly calms me down and makes me feel good again. I'm a big fan of the whole album for driving purposes, but that song just has something about it. Listen to it here on YouTube!

Songs with 50-60 beats per minute are optimal to reduce anxiety, the most famous one being Weightless by Marconi Union (listen to it here on YouTube). It is actually so relaxing you're not supposed to listen to it while driving! So don't do that. ;) But it can be a good way to relax after a stressful drive. If you want to put together a calming driving playlist this list from Mindcology has 46 songs just for that purpose. I discovered Sia's songs Breathe Me and Bird Set Free through that list and I'm slightly obsessed with them! (WARNING: possible triggers.)

4. Do a breathing exercise at red lights

Driving is the perfect time to do breathing exercises. It can be difficult to remember to do them so tying it to something else, like waiting for the tea kettle to boil or sitting at a red light, is a great way to make it into a habit. 

In my post The breathing exercise that helps me with my anxiety I explain how doing them before you're even anxious can help you prevent anxious periods. Since operating a vehicle definitely falls under Things That Can Be Super Stressful, I really recommend making it a habit while driving. It helps you stay on top of your anxiety and will also help you regain control of yourself if things get out of hand.

Photo by Roberto Junior 

5. Use lavender oil

I like to include as many senses as possible. I love lavender products to help with anxiety and insomnia, and I have a lava rock bracelet that I recently discovered is actually made for essential oils! I just had it because I liked it, haha, but lava stone is great to put a drop of essential oil on. I find it very helpful to drop some lavender oil on it in the morning so I carry the calming scent with me all day. It is also a calming gesture to lift my hand up to my face and breathe in the smell more deeply if I get anxious. I loved the effect it has on me so I ordered a set of six nicer bracelets in different colors and a pretty necklace, too, so I can always have some piece of jewelry that matches and helps me stay calm.

6. Chew gum

I use chewing gum a lot to keep me more awake when I drive at night. Studies have shown that chewing gum can make you more alert and help with daytime sleepiness, but it also seems to make me calmer while driving in stressful situations. It helps to have something to physically do, to be in control of, when traffic feels overwhelming. 

7. Practice, practice, practice

As with everything else, the more you do it the better you become. I'm usually an advocate for walking, biking, or taking the bus (how I miss Europe and its great transportation system), but in this case drive as much as possible. If you do it a lot it becomes a normal everyday thing that you don't have to worry about because you have already done it hundreds of times.

So if you're usually riding shotgun going somewhere with your partner, offer to drive once in a while. I know that it's more stressful with someone else in the car, but that makes it a double exercise. :)

Do you have some other tips and tricks? Please let us know in the comments! :)

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Related articles:

• Anxiety series pt. 2 -- 13 easy things you can do today to reduce morning anxiety
• Top 10 tips on how to travel with anxiety
• 1 easy trick when you're anxious & overwhelmed
• How to schedule your day when you're easily overwhelmed

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