In the year ending March 2022, 1,538,000 car driving tests were taken in the UK, with just 752,082 passes. That is less than a 49 per cent pass rate, so it’s no wonder people get anxious before climbing into that car and taking their road test. Sometimes however, it’s this very anxiety that triggers the failure. Your brain is so busy running through potential disaster scenarios, your body is so busy producing cortisol, the stress hormone, that your actual capabilities become overwhelmed – little mistakes are made, or the instructor sees someone really not confident enough to be allowed on the roads unsupervised.
If it’s your first test, there are some simple steps you can take to help prepare you:
Get a good night’s sleep, aiming for at least four nights of 6-7 hours sleep, with a regular nighttime pattern and wake-up hour
Do not fill up on coffee before you head off. Caffeine can not only heighten anxiety, it can make you physically a little jittery and, as it’s a diuretic, it can make you need the loo, possibly precisely when you should be concentrating on something else
Use positive affirmations. If you tell yourself you have this, you know what you’re doing and you will pass, it’s a big step towards making it happen. Your brain likes patterns, so if you repeatedly envision failure, that’s where it will head. If you repeatedly envision success, you give yourself a strong chance of making that come true
Your driving instructor knows you are ready and capable. You have had hours on the road preparing yourself for this moment, but somehow when that moment arises, your nerves kick in and you can’t prove your ability. Why?
As I have just said, your brain likes patterns, so it’s very easy to slip straight back into the same state of nerves and anxiety you felt the last time you sat in the driving seat, preparing to take your test. After all, all the physical triggers are the same: same car, same place, same roads… So, how do we break this cycle and give you back control?
Hypnotherapy for driving test nerves is quick and powerful. Your brain can be re-wired to overcome the nerves and predict a positive outcome.
I will work with you to help you, while in a gentle, relaxed state of hypnosis, envision a calm, prepared you, ready to demonstrate your skill and ability to the tester’s satisfaction. We will walk together through the run up to the test and envision your positive, calm responses to what will happen during the test. By implanting new feelings and visualisations in your subconscious mind, we can overcome those mental blocks your brain has set up for itself, and help you take the next steps to success.
If nerves are stopping you from passing your driving test, give me a call and we can chat through how I can help you.
Call me on 0161 374 0227 or, if you prefer, email me at sally@mindsolutions.co.uk
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