Driving anxiety is a problem that affects both drivers and other people on the road. It can be caused by factors like panic attacks, accidents, or dangerous situations. The document provides tips to help reduce driving anxiety, including practicing driving to face the fear head on, starting in safe areas like empty parking lots, removing other anxiety-causing factors, and practicing mindfulness to better control emotions and anxiety. With these tips, drivers suffering from anxiety should find driving less stressful.

1. One of the first things that drivers go through whether they
are a new driver or someone who has been in their first
vehicle accident is the feeling of anxiety while driving.

2. This feeling is probably one of the worst feelings that
someone can experience.

3. Driving anxiety can be caused by a number of factors.

4. These factors include whether the driver has a panic attack
while driving, and/or if the driver is put into a dangerous
situation such as an accident.

5. Unfortunately, driving anxiety is a problem that affects not
just the driver and their passengers, but also other drivers
on the road.

6. For example, someone suffering from driving anxiety may
drive too fast due to wanting to get from behind the wheel
as soon as possible, and/or they may drive too slowly due
to the fear of getting in an accident.

7. However, there are some ways to hopefully reduce the
anxiety that drivers may feel, and I will share them with
you.

8. The first tip in overcoming the fear of driving is to actually
drive.

9. This being said by driving you can reduce your fear of the
action.

10. This tends to be true with most phobias.

11. By driving you are being forced to deal with your fear head
on.

12. This keeps you from running away from your phobia which
may actually cause it to become worse over time.

13. Once you have gained the courage to drive the next tip is to
drive someone slow and safe such as a parking lot of a
church or some open area.

14. This allows you to get the needed practice in without
adding any safety concerns to other drivers.

15. This action also reconfirms the thought that driving doesn’t
need to cause you so much anxiety.

16. Another tip to overcoming driving anxiety is to remove any
other factors that may cause you anxiety.

17. This will keep from multiple factors that may cause you fear
or discomfort from ganging up on you at one time, making
it more manageable to deal with your driving discomfort.

18. Tip Number four is to practice mindfulness.

19. The reason for this is that it allows you to take in all the
information around you.

20. By being more aware of your surroundings you can reduce
any driving anxiety that may come from worry of the
unknown.

21. Being mindful also helps you control your emotions and
thus your anxiety.

22. In conclusion with these tips drivers who suffer from driving
anxiety should be able to find the act of driving a lot less
stressful.