Most people blame the fail on their driving test score due to a nervous breakdown episode. You could be driving the car just fine prior to the driving test but on the D-day, you seem to forget everything. Even worse, you could remember everything but the gas and brake pedals feel brand new like somebody changed them overnight. The good news is that it is very normal to feel nervous during a driving test and you can control it. The bad news is that if you don’t get hold of your nerves, you will probably fail the road test. To put it simply, the good news is that you can avoid the potential bad news if you adapt the following advice. Just look at the bright side.
Prepare yourself
The more you practice driving, the more your body and mind will get used to it. There are candidates who get nervous simply because they did not put in enough hours of practice. For instance, booking a driving test when you’ve not completely known how to parallel park is a bad idea. Make sure you pass a few mock learners tests before you even consider applying for the road test Not sure if you’re ready or not? Take a few driving trips with your instructor and let him/her evaluate if you’re ready. The night before the road test, ascertain you have the required documents to present at the test center.
Watch out your diet
Don’t skip any meal before the driving test. Avoid diet with too much sugar since it will very likely make you jittery. On the hand, a diet with bananas will help to calm your nervous. Apart from the vitamin B found in bananas, they’re rich in tryptophan which is crucial for keeping your mood cheerful once processed in the body. Too much energy drinks or caffeine is not recommended either since it can make you agitated. A normal intake of coffee is okay but be careful not to overdose. Instead of opting for too much coffee, you can try camomile tea to calm yourself. There are other remedies such as Bach Rescue and Kalms that are well known for reducing nervousness. Of course, don’t forget to drink enough water to hydrate yourself.
Don’t tell your friend
You might think telling all your friends about the driving test is a good idea but it will just put unnecessary pressure on you. The minute you start to feel obligated to tell too many people the outcome is the moment your anxiety is likely to kick in. Not to mention the many friends who will be overwhelming you with tips on what to do on that day. However, it is okay to confide in one or two friends who you trust to help boost your confidence.
Use the deep breathing technique
Usually, when people are nervous, they inhale shallow breaths into their lungs. It is the ultimate cue for your mind that you’re nervous. Since you’re taking shallow gasp of air, less oxygen is transferred into your blood and affecting how the nutrients are delivered to your tissues. However, if you take deep long breaths you can control your parasympathetic nervous system. Once you’re in the car, open the window to let more airflow inside. Every time you feel nervous, just take a long deep breath for at least 10 seconds while expanding your stomach. Breathe in, breathe out. Do it for a few minutes and it will work like magic.
Keep yourself distracted
You can arrive at the test center a few minutes earlier than scheduled but you will very likely get nervous while sitting at the waiting room just staring at the wall in deep thoughts. If somebody didn’t know any better, they would say you’re staring at the Mona Lisa at Louvre Museum. Don’t be that guy! Pick up a magazine or a book and read. If there is no magazine around, you can always log into twitter on your smartphone and check out what’s trending. You can also decide to go for a short walk before the test to keep yourself calm.
Take your time
Acting too quickly is normal reflex for anxiety. Watch for the times you find yourself speeding or making turns too fast without properly observing the environment. That is definitely a code red for excessive test nerves. Keep it slow and steady. Always analyze before you act.
Affirm yourself
The human mind is a delicate thing. It believes what you want it believe. It is okay to acknowledge that you’re nervous but don’t sweat it by constantly thinking to yourself how nervous you are. Instead, affirm yourself on a positive note that you’re relaxed. Don’t say to yourself something like “I’m not stressed”. Why not? Because the subconscious mind does not comprehend positive or negative thoughts. In fact, if you mention ‘stressed’, your subconscious mind will take it like you’re stressed. It all starts in your mind before the reaction can be felt through your actions and body. While you’re affirming yourself, think of the examiner as a human just like you who is there to look out for you. Never let the negative thoughts overwhelm you. Take control!
