How to Overcome Driving Anxiety - Positive Feedback Loop

Summary

This video aims to alleviate driving anxiety by encouraging learners to identify and rationalize their fears. It emphasizes the importance of accepting one's pace and starting with manageable tasks to build confidence gradually. The script suggests that patience, realistic expectations, and positive reinforcement from instructors can significantly help in overcoming anxiety. The instructor's role is to set achievable goals, creating a positive feedback loop that fosters success and reduces nerves. The video also highlights the value of additional practice with friends or family, as supported by Collingwood Insurance, to enhance learning experience.

Takeaways

• 😌 Driving anxiety is common and varies from person to person, affecting how they learn to drive.
• 📝 Writing down what worries you can help rationalize and understand your anxiety better.
• 👉 Ignoring anxiety will likely make learning to drive harder, so it's important to address it.
• 🚗 Accept that as a learner driver, you will be slow and that most people are patient and will wait for a safe opportunity to pass.
• 🔑 Awareness of what's controlling you is the first step to gaining control over your anxiety.
• 👶 Comparing patience towards a learner driver to that of a child learning to walk or an elderly person walking slowly can put things into perspective.
• 🚦 Realize that everyone learns at a different pace, and don't expect to learn as quickly as someone else might have.
• 🎯 Focusing on the task at hand without distractions can help reduce anxiety and improve driving skills.
• 👩‍🏫 A driving instructor should provide positive support and realistic goals to help build confidence and reduce anxiety.
• 🔄 Creating a positive feedback loop by setting achievable goals can boost confidence and reduce anxiety over time.
• 💪 Gradually building up skills and confidence by starting with easier tasks and progressing can help manage anxiety effectively.

Q & A

What is the main purpose of the video?

The main purpose of the video is to help reduce driving anxiety or fear and provide strategies for coping with it while learning to drive.

How does driving anxiety affect people differently?

Driving anxiety affects people in different ways, such as making them hold the wheel tightly, sweat, shake, or constantly look around instead of focusing on the road.

What is the first step suggested in the video to deal with driving anxiety?

The first step suggested is to write down a list of what worries you and then rationalize it, understanding if the worries are rational or irrational.

Why is it important to understand the cause of anxiety while learning to drive?

Understanding the cause of anxiety helps you gain more control over the situation and allows you to address the specific issues that are causing the anxiety.

What is a common cause of anxiety for learner drivers mentioned in the video?

A common cause of anxiety is worrying about holding people up, or driving slowly, which is a natural part of the learning process.

How can a driving instructor support a learner driver who is anxious?

A driving instructor can support a learner driver by providing positive reinforcement, setting realistic goals, and offering encouragement that other people also struggle with learning to drive.

What is a 'positive feedback loop' as mentioned in the video?

A 'positive feedback loop' is a cycle where achieving a simple, realistic goal leads to success, which in turn reduces anxiety and builds confidence, leading to more success.

Why is it important for a learner driver to be realistic about their learning pace?

Being realistic about learning pace helps set achievable goals, prevents frustration, and allows for gradual improvement without overwhelming the learner.

What should a learner driver do if they feel they are not making progress?

If a learner driver feels they are not making progress, they should try doing something easier, find a level of difficulty they can handle, and gradually build up their skills and confidence.

How can learner drivers gain additional experience outside of formal driving lessons?

Learner drivers can gain additional experience by practicing with friends or family members, which can be facilitated by insurance providers like Collingwood, who offer policies for learner drivers on other people's cars.

What advice does the video give for dealing with anxiety when learning to drive?

The video advises to accept that anxiety is normal, understand and rationalize the cause of it, start with easy tasks to build confidence, and gradually venture into more challenging areas as confidence grows.