It’s normal to feel nervous during your driving test.

7 active strategies to address negative driving test emotions.

IIt’s normal to feel nervous, anxious or stressed during a driving test. Using these active strategies to address the negative emotions can help.

1.       Use a deep breathing technique to calm the nerves.

When nervous, we generally tend to take short, shallow and fast breaths which inhibits oxygen from transferring into the blood system. To calm the nerves, breath in deep, long and slow expanding the chest and then exhale out deep and long as well. Inhale in for about 5 seconds and then exhale out for about 5 seconds. Do this about 5 to 10 times to get more oxygen into your blood.

2.       Acknowledge your emotions.

Feeling nervous in a high-pressure situation is perfectly normal and something that we all experience. Whether it’s a job interview, public speaking or sitting a driving test, the feeling of being observed and judged by others causes all of us to feel nervous. Acknowledging these emotions can help reduce the anxiety. It’s perfectly normal to feel nervous and it’s something that we all experience. It’s something that your peers will be experiencing, and even Testing Officers can feel nervous.

3.       Emotion intensity changes

It’s important to remember that it’ll generally be the first stage of the test where your emotions will be most heightened. The first five to 10 minutes of any new situation are when the fight or flight responses kick in. During this initial time, it’s important to give your mind time to process the situation. This can be achieved by practicing slow deep breathing and slowing down the driving just a tiny bit. By actively not rushing the drive for the first few minutes, the mind will have that extra bit of time needed to absorb what is going on, process the information and make better decisions.

4.       Visualisation

Visualisation is a technique used to train the brain to focus on a type of behaviour or outcome. Rather than focusing on things that could go wrong, practice visualising yourself attending the appointment, beginning and going through the various skills assessed during the test, returning and being given that congratulatory statement by the Testing Officer and being handed your temporary new license. Imagine the joy and excitement as you go home to tell your friends and family that you have passed your test.

5.       Simulation

Simulation is the exercise of replicating the scenario or experience prior so that when the actual situation arises you are well prepared. Simulating the driving test can be done through sitting through a mock driving test with a driving instructor. A mock test will allow you to gauge your readiness for the driving test and identify any problem areas. If possible, you may even choose to complete a mock test with more than one driving instructor and in more than one test area.

6.       Anxiety NZ

If you would like some extra support dealing with Anxiety you can also contact Anxiety New Zealand Trust on the 24/7 free helpline on 0800 269 4389.

7.       Being prepared

The practical driving tests assess drivers on two components: skills and knowledge. Skills are demonstrated through the different maneuvers and performance such as vehicle and speed control. Knowledge is demonstrated through your understanding of the road rules. In addition to completing a mock driving test, you can also help yourself be better prepared by familiarizing yourself with the requirements and standards expected during the test. There are many resources available online both free and paid, however, one resource we have put together to help drivers understand those requirements are The Driving Instructor Guides to the Driving Test. These guides attempt to explain what to expect from the driving tests in simple language and imagery.