During my driving lessons, I make many mistakes repeatedly. In every recent driving lesson there are many driving mistakes that I didn't make in the first lessons and that by now (close to the exam date) I should've known not to make them. These mistakes include dangerous driving. This has never happened to me before. I'm the type of person who is often cautious and kind of learns quickly, meaning I make a mistake, learn from it and from that moment on I do it right every time. Now, I make a mistake, it's explained to me why I shouldn't do it and I keep making the same mistake. I can't explain what's happening because even I don't understand what's going on. I'm surprised at the situation I'm in, this is new to me. I don't know how to deal with this and I can't really rest either. Note that this afternoon I woke up out of control, stress and afraid/scared from a nap after the driving lesson. Every time I fall asleep and dream of making something illogical or dangerous, I wake up startled. Do you think you can help me?
Thank you very much for your attention!
My apologies for the delay! Angelica was unable to answer your submission, but our other peer counsellor, Rebecca, was able to. I hope this helps:
Hi love,
Thank you for reaching out! I want you to know that you are not alone in how you are feeling. Take it from me (someone who failed their road test twice), I made many mistakes when I was learning how to drive. It is very easy to develop a pessimistic mindset, and it’s often difficult to push past one’s fears about driving. It sounds like you are nervous about the upcoming driving exam, which could explain why you are making more mistakes than usual; stress often has that effect. Here are a few helpful tips that helped me before I took my driving exam:
1. Talk to somebody you trust (who is an experienced driver) about how you are feeling. Tell them about your fears, worries, and stressors about your driving lessons, and see if they have any advice that can help you feel more confident. They have likely felt the same way before! Additionally, see if they’re able to go on a drive with you. Having another person present that you trust can help ease your nerves a lot!
2. Remember to be kind to yourself, and know that everybody makes mistakes. Mistakes are how you learn and grow, even if you make the same mistake over and over again. I challenge you to think of your mistakes as opportunities to become a stronger driver in the future because mistakes are OK! As cliche as it sounds, nobody is perfect, and I bet that most new drivers are making similar mistakes. Like everything else in life, driving is a learning process, and you can’t grow without a few bumps along the way.
I hope this helps, and I wish you the best of luck on your upcoming driving exam! Listed below are a few resources that can help you with driving exam nerves, too…
https://www.safedrivingforlife.info/blog/cars/best-strategies-overcome-anxiety-when-you-drive/
https://pierrepauldriving.com/calm-your-nerves-dmv-driving-test/
If you need any more advice or would just like to talk, please, do not hesitate to reach out again!
Remember, I believe in you; you and strong and resilient, and I know that you got this! :)
<3 Rebecca Klein
Hello, @Anonymous Anonymous ! One of our peer counsellors, Angelica, will be answering you shortly. Our apologies for the wait!
To compensate for extended wait times, I'd like to offer you a couple free peer counselling sessions with one of our trained interns. This is live and can be done remotely via text, audio, and video. You will receive a total of two hours of counselling that can be redeemed at anytime. If you'd like to start, feel free to reach out to us at jude@askingjude.org.
Until then, stay strong.