How do breathing exercises calm driving nerves?
Learning some simple breathing exercises will help you to calm driving nerves, stress and anxiety quickly whenever you need to, as well as improving your memory and concentration. Several breathing exercises ask you to focus on the out-breath which may seem counter-intuitive but there is a reason.
When we breathe out unconsciously this is actually a letting go rather than an action. Breathing in is an action which is why when we choose to breathe consciously we instinctively start with the in-breath. Breathing out is actually a release of air, when we breathe out we let go a little, releasing the air in our lungs and at the same time, our muscles let go a little, relaxing and softening. Try it now and notice how your muscles respond to the in-breath and out-breath, notice what your shoulders do.
Anyone who does Yoga or Pilates will tell you that they can stretch just that little bit further on the out-breath when their muscles let go a little as they relax and breathe into a move or position. You are much more likely to be able to touch your toes on an out-breath than an in-breath!
Extending and lengthening the out-breath to be longer than the in-breath means that you relax a little more as it triggers the parasympathetic nervous system responsible for relaxation and recovery. Pursing the lips so that you are gently blowing as if blowing bubbles or candles, rather than just breathing out normally helps to control the breathing by slowing it down and stimulating the vagus nerve which is central to your fight flight freeze reaction when you feel stressed. In addition, breathing in through your nose stimulates the memory centres in the brain, meaning you are better able to remember important facts and information. Definitely helpful to calm driving nerves in a test situation. If you can notice a little pause between the in and out breath even better.
Experts recommend that starting with and improving the out-breath will automatically improve the quality of your in-breath and improving your overall breathing habits. Why not try syncing your breath in time to the shape in the video to see how breathing exercises can calm driving nerves.
Purchasing a subscription to Confident Drivers gives you access to several different breathing exercises so you can find one that suits you best. A subscription gives you access to more stress management solutions recommended for learner drivers, read our reviews to see how they have helped others overcome nerves and improve driving confidence. We also have group plans available for driving instructors who would like to support their pupils.
Please help us by sharing this guide with others. There is a good chance that if you found it useful, so will they.
Choose one or both of our FREE tools to help you become a more confident driver
START PLANNING FOR YOUR DRIVING TEST
Download our driving test coaching wheel and put a plan in place to pass your driving test!
5 DAYS TO BEAT DRIVING TEST NERVES
Get 5 days of email hints, tips, videos and advice to help you overcome driving test nerves!
If you have a driving test coming up soon you might find our Ultimate Guide to Driving Test Nerves useful.
What others are saying
Read more of our reviews from happy learner drivers on Trustpilot
It's great to have a website offering fantastic techniques to assist with the challenges of driving. The website recognises the fact that learning to drive can be stressful and there are strategies to help with this. The website's name, 'CONFIDENT Drivers' is what a learner is aspiring to be, so it's very positive. The techniques also apply to building general confidence in all walks of life, so useful again. Thank you!
I was so pleased when my instructor signed me up for Confident Driver. I loved the hypnosis sessions & I recently passed first time with one fault. Recommend 100%
Confident drivers has been a really useful tool in changing my attitude to the driving test. I hadn't recognised just how much my negative thoughts about my ability rather than my actual driving ability have been holding me back and putting me off. I particularly liked the quick fix section that gives you strategies to calm down just before the test!
Stress Management Subscription For Learner Drivers
If you would like some additional help and stress management resources to help you tackle your driving test nerves or improve driving confidence then our subscriptions are created by leading industry experts especially for you.
What is included:
Four relaxation audios
Three ways to use imagery techniques
A range of breathing exercises and a breathing audio
Positive self-talk tools and techniques to manage negative thinking
Four TFT Meridian tapping videos for different emotions and feelings
A range of Coaching tools and techniques to help plan ahead and change your driving mindset
Two hypnotherapy audios specifically tailored for Driving Confidence and Driving Test Nerves.
You will also get a SIX Week Introduction to Mindfulness course - learning skills you can use in stressful situations throughout your life.
These plans are created specifically for individual drivers, you can find out more details on our learner drivers page. We also have a range of group plans created for driving instructors, you can find more details on our ADI page.
One Month
£10
- 8 Stress Management Techniques
- Online Courses
- Created by industry experts
- Renew or Upgrade anytime
Annual
£25
- 8 Stress Management Techniques
- Online Courses
- Created by industry experts
- Great value 12 months access
1 to 1 Call
£30
- Personal Approach
- Answer questions in advance
- Focussed on your situation
- Video or Audio Zoom calls
Articles, Help and Advice for Learner Drivers
Take a browse around our blog for articles written to help learner drivers and driving instructors recognise the most common reasons for experiencing driving nerves and confidence issues. Each article offers strategies and suggestions that may help you.
Things to do when you can't have driving lessons
Your driving goals are likely to need to be more flexible this year. So how can you keep learning and feel prepared for your driving lessons and test
Build your driving confidence
Increasing your belief in your capability to drive will, in turn, increase your driving confidence. So how do we do that? Self-efficacy theory suggests that self-confidence or belief in your abilities is dependent on several key factors...
Have you considered hypnotherapy for driving nerves?
If you struggle with driving anxiety or driving test nerves you may well have wondered if hypnotherapy can help
Are your driving lesson nerves caused by your thoughts?
Learn ways of developing more helpful thinking styles which will help you reduce the signs and symptoms of your nerves and begin to feel more confident.
