What to do in the face of fear of the practical driving test?

Feeling afraid at the prospect of taking a driver's license exam is much more common than it seems. This type of exam requires high concentration and a great ability to react and maneuver, as well as managing negative emotions that may arise. Therefore, it is normal for us to feel some anxiety when examining ourselves.

As in all situations where anxiety, fear and insecurities come into play, going to the psychologist can help us. Psychological therapy can help us to be more relaxed when facing this moment decisive, as well as to manage our emotions and enhance our ability to concentrate and coordination. Let's see how.

How to face the fear of the exam for the driver's license?

It is very easy to fall into a vicious cycle of fear and anxiety at the prospect of having to take the driving test. This type of challenge is linked to a new experience in which there is a lot at stake: not only the possibility of obtaining the card driving, but also your own safety or even that of others, since a vehicle of these proportions can be fatal, and

this idea tends to attract to itself all kinds of catastrophic and biased thoughts.

Below, we leave you a series of ideas and tips that you can apply if you feel overwhelmed by the idea of ​​taking the driver's license test.

1. Sign up for the driving school if you haven't already

As in all fears, you cannot face everything at once. It is best to work your way up gradually; In this case, the most pertinent action for this is to sign up for the driving school once and for all. If you do not take this first step, it will be difficult for you to overcome the anxiety of facing the exam.

Nobody is born taught. Attending the classes will help you to understand what it means to drive a vehicle, and you will gradually penetrate into that world that was so overwhelming for you weeks before. Think that when you take the exam you will have much more knowledge than you have now.

• Related article: "The fear of the unknown: how to avoid being paralyzed"

2. Disconnect and rest without obsessing

When preparing mentally for a driving test, less is often more. Thinking about the exam all day will not help you face it better. On the contrary; recurring thoughts are an extraordinary way to waste energy in a useless way and, in addition, they do not solve anything.

Instead, try to do activities that you find relaxing and pleasurable and disconnect. You will see how, after a few hours without that annoying thought in your head, you feel much more prepared to face the so "dreaded" exam.

Another very important factor is rest. Sleeping well makes us feel more energetic and in a better mood the next day, so plan your sleep schedules properly and stick to them.

• You may be interested in: "7 easy relaxation techniques to combat stress"

4. Do not try to reduce anxiety with substances

It is more than likely that it has not occurred to you to face the exam consuming alcohol or drugs; surely, you are very clear that this type of substance will make your memory and your ability to reflexes be diminished. All this will naturally not help you to pass the exam.

However, there are people who resort to substances that they judge to be harmless, such as tobacco. This is an error, since, although tobacco will not affect your ability to react, it will it will make you enter the vicious circle of anxiety due to withdrawal symptoms and the fear that you haven't had enough nicotine to "chill" you, and this won't help you relax at all.

Much better to use relaxation techniques that are easy to perform, such as diaphragmatic breathing or Jacobson's muscle relaxation.

• Related article: "The effects of tobacco on the brain"

5. don't be hard on yourself

Guilt will not help you at all when it comes to improving and preparing for the exam. Analyzing your mistakes is fine, as long as you are understanding with yourself and understand that any mistake can be the starting point for learning.

So don't be hard on yourself. We all mess up and make mistakes, and blaming yourself won't help you be more prepared to face the driver's license test; on the contrary, it can generate feelings of frustration that make you abandon the process.

6. Consult a specialist about the possibility of suffering from a phobia

It is always good to go to a therapist in situations of stress and anxiety. Even more so if you see that all relaxation techniques and methods do not work.

It is important to take into account the possibility of suffering a phobia, which is not at all the same as being afraid. Feeling fear in certain situations is something natural and functional; the phobia is something pathological that invariably requires professional help.

Phobias manifest with a feeling of loss of control over the stimulus that causes it, and is very similar to panic attack. Generally, they involve physical symptoms such as sweating, increased heart rate and dizziness, among others. If you feel any of these symptoms when you try to face the exam (or even when thinking about it), you should consult a specialist.

• You may be interested in: "The 10 benefits of going to psychological therapy"

Are you looking for professional psychological support?

If you need psychotherapeutic assistance to better manage your anxiety, contact us.

In UPAD Psychology and Coaching We can help you, and we have a lot of experience both in treating anxiety-type problems and in supporting people who are preparing for important exams.