Fear of Driving – How Do You Get Over It?

Have you ever tried to explain to someone why you have a fear of driving?  Whether you have or not, the chances are that the reaction you receive won’t be the one you’re looking for.  Instead of a sympathetic ear, you will often get a response telling you to forget about it or to just get over it.

But it is not that easy to turn off your fears like a tap.  Fears are ingrained in our conscious and subconscious mind. 

Coping with a fear like driving doesn’t necessarily mean it will ever be totally erased from your mind, but you can find ways of relieving the panic and anxiety you feel when faced by your fears.

Confronting fears is clearly a very difficult thing to do, because the natural instinct is to avoid those things that worry us or that we fear will do us harm in some way, either physically or emotionally.

The first thing you have to do is examine the fear of driving to see if it is credible or irrational.  Even if it is deemed irrational, you will still need to find a way to deal with it.  But examining it realistically will aid in finding a solution to your anxieties.

For example, you might fear that you will get lost and have to stop for directions.  When studying the evidence, you discover that there have been previous times when you have got lost. This is a valid fear that would be overcome by taking the action of ensuring the availability of a map, mobile or GPS system.

An example of an irrational fear might be having a panic attack every time you drive more than 10 miles from home.  When examining this fear, you discover that the act of driving is the same wherever you may be, and the fear is therefore not justified.

Either way, you will need to deal with your fear in a responsible manner. For irrational fears, you will need to find a way of reducing stress levels, calming yourself and not allowing panic to take over. 

Some options to achieve this may include using breathing techniques, self-hypnosis, or prescribed anti-anxiety medications. 

You do not have to let your fear of driving take over and rule your life. Just remember , YOU have the power within you to take control and eliminate the effect it can have over you and your life.

You may find this FREE report, Your Anxious Brain, will provide some useful hints and advice.

You Can Download Your FREE Copy Here


**********

Overcoming Fear Of Flying

Overcoming fear of flying is not that easy for many people. The origins of this fear differ greatly from person to person. They could range from personal experiences to watching some form of news broadcast. Examples of these bad episodes could be weather driven turbulence or mechanical problems with the aircraft concerned. Too much exposure to tragic air accidents obviously will not help in preventing or overcoming fear of flying.

However, there are a few tips to follow that will greatly help in the prevention and elimination of the fear of flying.

Extensive Research
Gain more knowledge about the fundamentals of flight, aircraft, and air travel. As with anything, the more educated you can become about aviation technicalities, the more evident it becomes that many of the anxieties and fears are unfounded and irrational.

Relaxation
Perform relaxation techniques both before and during flights to clear the mind of any negative thoughts. These could be breathing exercises, reading or listening to music.

Desensitization
Gradual exposure to the problems that cause the fear of flying in the first place. The theory here is that being able to face your fears on a regular basis will eventually lead to overcoming fear of flying. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy ( CBT), is the traditional vehicle used to achieve these results.

Professional Assistance

In some cases, this phobia is extremely deep seated and professional advice and diagnosis is clearly advisable. Symptoms will vary greatly so psychiatric or psychological checks may be needed.

These steps are a good start, but there is more that can be learnt and put into practice. More comprehensive and advanced strategies can be found in this free report:

The 10 Steps To Overcoming Your Fear of Flying

Click Here For Your FREE Download