15/05/2026
Nervous and anxious drivers often get annoyed at themselves and their brains for the thoughts and feelings they have about driving.
For example, you need to drive somewhere new, you don't know the route, and you don't know where to park, and the familiar feelings of anxiety start with a feeling in your stomach and negative thoughts. This is a normal feeling in response to change or uncertainty!
Instead of undervaluing and misinterpreting your brain, maybe we can take a different perspective and acknowledge the amazing job your brain does in keeping you safe.
We can thank our brain for alerting us to the fact that we are doing something new, and respond by planning and preparing the route, looking at Google Maps to see which lanes we might need at roundabouts or junctions. Finding out about parking options, and having a Plan A and a Plan B. You can then reassure your brain that you have the situation under control.
The anxiety you feel is the prompt to get organised, find out more in advance, feel in control, and pay attention and focus on your driving on the new route - all keeping you safe. Your brain is trying to help rather than hinder, so what can you do to feel more in control of the situation?
