FIVE WAYS TO RELIEVE PERFORMANCE ANXIETY BEFORE TAKING YOUR DRIVING TEST
Mild performance anxiety can be unpleasant and sometimes disturbing. Extreme performance anxiety can be incredibly debilitating. If on the day of your driving test you’re feeling anxious and worried about your performance, consider these five ways to relieve performance anxiety. You don’t have to just suffer through it.
Drive Casually Around Your Neighborhood
On the day of your driving test if you’re feeling a bit nervous, ask a licensed driver to supervise you as you drive around your neighborhood or a familiar route. Sometimes, when we’re feeling particularly anxious we can easily forget how well qualified or skilled we may be for a particular challenge. Driving around for an hour or two before your test could be a great reminder that you got this!
Eat A Meal
When we’re hungry, we can feel our stress and anxiety even more intensely. If you’re suffering from some extreme performance anxiety on the day of your road test go eat something. Sometimes, it can really help a person’s anxiety to take control of what they can control. You may not be able to control whether you pass your driving test ultimately, but you can control how you feel as you take the test.
Practice Your Weak Spots
Nobody is a perfect driver. If you’ve been practicing regularly for road test then chances are you know your strengths and weaknesses better than anyone. If you’re anxious on the day of your road test, rest a minute, take three deep breaths and consider what parts of the driving test make you really nervous. Is it parallel parking? Is it rolling stops? Is it braking too hard? Whatever your weak spot in the hours before your driving test, practice correcting those driving weaknesses. Chances are if you’ve been practicing regularly with an instructor or supervised driver you know what you need to do to drive safely.
Write Out What’s The Worst That Can Happen
If you’re experiencing performance anxiety, try writing out all the possible outcomes that could occur if you fail. In most instances, failing the test means delaying your license but you will generally have another opportunity whether it be the next day, next week or the next month. Sometimes, reminding yourself that you can survive the least wanted/worst outcome can give you the courage to try your best and see what happens!
Talk To A Friend Or Loved One
Sometimes, all you need is a distraction and loved ones or friends are often really good at distracting you from your troubles. Rather than focus on your impending test, talk to a friend and get your mind off that test. On the day of your road test, there will be very little you can do to drastically improve your driving skills, which really means there’s no point in stressing. Believe in yourself. You’ll do well!