Don’t lose another wink of sleep! 

Being nervous for your driving lesson is normal, and believe us, everyone has had pre-lesson nerves at least once. What we don’t want is you dreading every single approaching lesson. 

We have our top five tips on how you can manage and overcome those overwhelming emotions! 

Talk. Be open with your instructor. If you are nervous or anxious about the whole process of learning to drive, then speaking about it openly will only help your instructor make things easier for you. The reality is that driving is a big deal and is scary at first, but these feelings are only normal, and believe us, everyone goes through the same thing! The more you practise and become comfortable with being behind the wheel, the more at ease you will feel.

Breathe! Sometimes in stressful scenarios our bodies go into stress-response mode and it affects our breathing. Before and during your lessons, be self aware; focus on the things that you can actually control. Regulating your breathing into a pattern makes us feel a lot calmer, as well as our posture. Don’t hunch over the wheel, sit up straight, head up high and inhale and exhale properly.

Get yourself familiar. We spoke with an instructor and she said she tells her more nervous drivers to spend some time in a car doing something they enjoy. Ask your parents if you can sit in their car (engine off of course) and do things like watching an episode of the series you’re bingeing at the moment, revising for your Theory Test, scrolling through TikTok or just simply chatting on the phone to your friends. Getting familiar with the car, associating it to something positive will help your approach towards driving. 

Set yourself goals. Work on this with your instructor in breaking the learning process down into more manageable and realistic goals. It’s not all about getting that certificate at the end, it’s about driving safely. Moving a car forwards and backwards, parking, taking a right turn at a roundabout. Setting manageable goals will show you how well you are moving. You don’t do all of those hours of lessons just for that one test, you need to gain experience and confidence for beyond that looming date. 

Learn from your mistakes. Don’t panic, everyone makes mistakes when learning to drive and they even happen after you pass! After each lesson, mind map how your lesson went. Whether you do this mentally or physically, write it down, it will allow you to explore potential causes and triggers. From knowing this, you can look at solutions. How do you move forward and improve? Keeping a reflective journal is good for both you and your instructor to keep a log of where you are and how you feel. 

Quick tips: 

• Should you wait till after your lesson for a coffee? You don’t want to add to your anxiety by being pumped up on caffeine.
• Always get a good night’s sleep before a lesson. Rethink that last minute pub invitation!
• Give yourself enough time in the morning before a lesson to have a good breakfast. Rushing around stressed is never productive.
• Don’t be afraid to ask to take a break. If on a lesson you’re feeling overwhelmed, communicate this to your instructor. Ask them to demonstrate some manoeuvres or roundabout rules whilst you regather yourself. 

Don’t lose another wink with The Complete Theory Test Kit App. Take our advice and nail your lessons with your head held high and oozing confidence! Enjoy every second. 

You can download The Complete Theory Test kit App for FREE and access ALL the CONTENT for FREE for THREE days, after this period you can continue to use the App for £4.99 a month or cancel before the subscription begins.  Visit the App store here.