Need advice

Lilmiss82

I just need to get a bit of advice/help here. I started my driving lessons again for maybe the 5th time since I was 17 (I always have a few but then give up) I'm 35 now and at the stage where I really need to be driving for my own independence. I've had all the required lessons now and I'm waiting for my test. The thing is I'm suffering awful anxiety whenever I go in the car. I get a huge ball in my throat and feel like i'm going to get sick. I need to remind myself to breathe sometimes and get shaky! It's ridiculous that I'm still feeling like this! Please tell me I'm not on my own here. If anyone else has felt like this in the past or still does please can you give me some advice coz I'm only going to put myself off yet again if this keeps up! I'm well able to drive so I don't know what the problem is!! :(:o:o

Alanstrainor

I don't think your feelings of anxiety are unique! Plenty of people get stressed about driving and the driving test. My advice would be to drive as much as you possibly can, the more practise the easier this will get. You say you've done quite a few lessons over the years and regularly stop after a couple, but since you have a test booked I would just go full steam ahead into this. Do as many lessons as you can, and get as many hours driving outside of lessons with an accompanying driver under your belt too.

Lilmiss82

Alanstrainor wrote: »

I don't think your feelings of anxiety are unique! Plenty of people get stressed about driving and the driving test. My advice would be to drive as much as you possibly can, the more practise the easier this will get. You say you've done quite a few lessons over the years and regularly stop after a couple, but since you have a test booked I would just go full steam ahead into this. Do as many lessons as you can, and get as many hours driving outside of lessons with an accompanying driver under your belt too.

Thanks for that. Yeah you're right. This is the closest I've got to the test anyway. I need to stop letting the self doubt creep in really. I'm already saying I've failed the test :rolleyes: I find I take one step forward and ten steps back. Like I'll have a brilliant lesson and then the following week I make so many feck ups! It's ridiculous! glad I'm not the only one that gets stressed about driving

Alanstrainor

Lilmiss82 wrote: »

Thanks for that. Yeah you're right. This is the closest I've got to the test anyway. I need to stop letting the self doubt creep in really. I'm already saying I've failed the test :rolleyes: I find I take one step forward and ten steps back. Like I'll have a brilliant lesson and then the following week I make so many feck ups! It's ridiculous! glad I'm not the only one that gets stressed about driving

Ah I remember the one step forward ten steps back feelings when learning to drive. But it goes away with practise. Some people need more practise than others so I wouldn't worry about the number of lessons/hours, just get on with it.

If you go in saying you'll fail then it doesn't bode well for you passing now does it? That goes for most things in life. Do as much prep as you can and go in positive and without a bit of doubt that you'll pass. Follow Conor McGregor's lead in over the top confidence I'd say!

But really it's all about practise. Learn the signs and pre-test checks off, and look at them regularly. This will set you up well for the driving part of the test. Then when you sit into the car to drive, one deep breath in and out and then get ready to start the car and do your thing.

neonsofa

Alanstrainor wrote: »

Ah I remember the one step forward ten steps back feelings when learning to drive. But it goes away with practise. Some people need more practise than others so I wouldn't worry about the number of lessons/hours, just get on with it.

If you go in saying you'll fail then it doesn't bode well for you passing now does it? That goes for most things in life. Do as much prep as you can and go in positive and without a bit of doubt that you'll pass. Follow Conor McGregor's lead in over the top confidence I'd say!

But really it's all about practise. Learn the signs and pre-test checks off, and look at them regularly. This will set you up well for the driving part of the test. Then when you sit into the car to drive, one deep breath in and out and then get ready to start the car and do your thing.

On one hand I'd agree with this about being confident but there is also no harm in going in thinking "it'd be nice to pass but if i fail then so what. I get a practice run and it makes no difference really".

I had fully accepted i was going to fail but i used the test (booked it purely to get my provisional, had in the past just cancelled and lost the fee- shows how many 3rd provisionals ive had!) as a practice go- do the test,get over the first time nerves and it gives me an idea of what to expect for next time round- i almost had a calm acceptance of failing it which helped me to not be psyched up. I passed with just two grade 2s.

Lilmiss82

Alanstrainor wrote: »

Ah I remember the one step forward ten steps back feelings when learning to drive. But it goes away with practise. Some people need more practise than others so I wouldn't worry about the number of lessons/hours, just get on with it.

If you go in saying you'll fail then it doesn't bode well for you passing now does it? That goes for most things in life. Do as much prep as you can and go in positive and without a bit of doubt that you'll pass. Follow Conor McGregor's lead in over the top confidence I'd say!

But really it's all about practise. Learn the signs and pre-test checks off, and look at them regularly. This will set you up well for the driving part of the test. Then when you sit into the car to drive, one deep breath in and out and then get ready to start the car and do your thing.

Thanks for all that advice. You've already made me feel heaps better already! I'll definitely try follow The conor McGregor advice!! If only we all had his confidence!! I've only just booked my test and have been told it may take up to 12 weeks, so this will give me plenty of time for practice.
My Learner permit is out in February so I set myself the challenge of passing before my learner permit is out, I think the pressure of this is weighing on me and giving me these self doubts too!
Another problem is I've left it so long to get my ass on the road that I don't have the same confidence as when I was only a young 17 year old! If only I did it back then
But thanks for all your advice. It's really helped

Lilmiss82

neonsofa wrote: »

On one hand I'd agree with this about being confident but there is also no harm in going in thinking "it'd be nice to pass but if i fail then so what. I get a practice run and it makes no difference really".

I had fully accepted i was going to fail but i used the test (booked it purely to get my provisional, had in the past just cancelled and lost the fee- shows how many 3rd provisionals ive had!) as a practice go- do the test,get over the first time nerves and it gives me an idea of what to expect for next time round- i almost had a calm acceptance of failing it which helped me to not be psyched up. I passed with just two grade 2s.

That's a really good way of looking at it... and well done on passing!! I've just given myself a little pep talk then whilst thinking about it all and told myself "If I've gone 35 years without driving, then what's the rush" i'm going to keep taking baby steps and practice practice practice. I'm also going to take your advice on doing my test in 12 whatever weeks just for the experience. It really isn't the end of the world if I fail and I will just know what to be more aware of when I take retake my test.
Thanks so much for the advice. I really appreciate it

Lilmiss82

I thought I would update on this post for anyone that may come across it with the same problem..... I had my test in February - and past first time! All those feelings of anxiety and panic have completely gone now! I'm flying around now and absolutely LOVE driving

Alanstrainor

Lilmiss82 wrote: »

I thought I would update on this post for anyone that may come across it with the same problem..... I had my test in February - and past first time! All those feelings of anxiety and panic have completely gone now! I'm flying around now and absolutely LOVE driving

Well done! And thanks for the update, great for others to read.

bannerman2005

Lilmiss82 wrote: »

I thought I would update on this post for anyone that may come across it with the same problem..... I had my test in February - and past first time! All those feelings of anxiety and panic have completely gone now! I'm flying around now and absolutely LOVE driving

Well done. Once the test is passed you wonder why its built up to be such a big thing.

Lilmiss82

bannerman2005 wrote: »

Well done. Once the test is passed you wonder why its built up to be such a big thing.

Thanks! I know! I was reading my post from November and thinking 'what a sap I once was'!!