As an offering to Hermes, I figured I’d do something fun and do “driving tips for anxious drivers from someone who is one and went from hating driving to loving it”…not all of these are explicitly helpol related but shhh
Note that im in the US so idk how much of this will be applicable to some of you but I tried to keep it pretty general
1. Find a place (preferably nearby your house) where the roads are typically not busy/empty and just drive around in circles to get a feel for your car. Notice how long it takes your car to break, how hard you have to push the gas pedal to reach a certain speed….the more familiar you are with your vehicle the more comfortable you’ll feel driving it
2. Get your tunes/podcast/media prepped! Driving is a much more enjoyable experience when you’re in control of the music. Make yourself a playlist of all your favorite songs and sing your heart out while you’re driving!
3. Say a prayer to Hermes, or whatever entity you believe in for safe travels before you set off
4. Be a defensive driver! Take classes/look up videos on how to do defensive driving on YouTube. You can’t always account for other people on the road, but you CAN account for how you react to it
5. BE PREPARED!!!! Pack emergency supplies in your car in case of an emergency, prepare yourself on what to do if you’re ever in an accident. Knowledge is power, the more you know the less room your anxiety has to make things up
6. Be kind to yourself. You’re gonna mess up sometimes, people are gonna honk at you because you’re going too slow, or too fast, or whatever perceived wrongdoing however real. Try not to let it get to you. Remember that you’d rather be a safe driver than a dead driver.
BONUS ROUND OF HIGHWAY SPECIFIC TIPS!
1. When in doubt, stay in the slow lane
2. Get into your exit lane VERY EARLY. If it says your exit is 5 miles away, start preparing to merge so you have ample time
3. If you’re in the US, there will be mile markers on the right side of the road, you can use those to help figure out how close you are to your exit!
