When you think about anxiety, you probably think about the situations which cause you anxiety personally. There are some which are very common like fear of speaking in public or fear of flying, but a lot of us don’t think of driving as something which can make people anxious.
It’s tempting to think that these are easy fears to overcome, but there are actually a lot of people out there who have a hard time even getting into a car, let alone driving and have severe anxiety or even panic in these situations.
We often begin breathing shallow when we’re anxious and this is actually one of the causes of the physical effects which tend to worsen anxiety and lead to panic attacks, such as lightheadedness and feeling faint.
Breathing deep is very helpful as a method of relaxation, especially for people who suffer from anxiety and panic. If you feel an anxiety attack coming on while driving, breathing deep can help you to calm down and get past the fear.
How does Deep Breathing Work?
Deep breathing helps bring about a calm, relaxed state. Some techniques involve taking long, deep breaths and continuing until you’ve become relaxed.
Other methods involve putting all of your focus on your breathing – and this is an especially good way to calm yourself. When you focus on your breathing, you put all other thoughts out of your mind, including the things which are causing your anxiety.
Does Deep Breathing Work When You’re in the Car?
If driving causes you anxiety, deep breathing can and does help you relax behind the wheel. If you suffer from relatively mild anxiety, then you can take deep breaths while you drive without taking your eyes off the road.
However, if driving tends to cause you major anxiety or panic attacks, you can still use deep breathing in the car, but you will need to pull off the road once you feel an anxiety or panic attack coming on, turn off the car and focus on breathing deeply until you feel yourself becoming calm once again. You can repeat this as necessary.
There are many people who assume that deep breathing alone simply won’t be enough to conquer their anxiety, but once you try it for yourself, you’ll see just how powerful it can be. If you become anxious while driving, deep breathing can help you to relax quickly and gain control of the situation.
Whether you use deep breathing while you’re still driving or if you pull onto the shoulder to breathe deeply and relax, there is nothing else which can help you to reduce your anxiety as quickly and easily as just taking a deep breath and repeating as needed.
Hello
Good tips. Deep breathing almost always helps. I would like to add some techniques to deep breathing. A good way to relax in the car is to practice hand exercises or look at beautiful surroundings. Another way to make your driving more pleasuring, is to add some natural scents to your vehicle– peppermint or lemon are some I would suggest.
And another good thing to do is to leave early. This way you can ensure that there will be no stress about being late.
All the best
Marica Mat