Dealing with nerves
Learning to drive can make people nervous, and even if you are a confident
driver then you may get nervous before the driving test itself. If this
happens to you, then don't worry. It is only natural to get nervous before
an important event such as a driving test, so don't let it make you even
more anxious than you already are.
By knowing that virtually everyone who takes the test gets nervous that in
itself could provide some form of comfort to you. And remember that the
driving test assessors expect candidates to be nervous.
Also remember that when the test proper starts and you are busy
concentrating on driving, you will soon get into the swing of the test and
whilst you may still be nervous, you should try to focus that nervous energy
into driving as well as you can and remembering everything your instructor
told you - whilst listening carefully to and following the instructions of
the driving test assessor sitting alongside you.
The main reason that people get nervous before a driving test is fear of
failure. Many have a what if scenario that runs through their mind: what if
I crash the car? What if the assessor thinks I'm useless? What if I simply
fail the test, will my mates laugh at me as they passed first time? Where
will I get the money from for another test?
There are all sorts of questions that can arise. So you should just try to
be calm and take some long, deep breaths before the driving test.
Controlling your breathing can help to calm you down - there are many
websites out there that can give you detailed breathing methods to calm you
down and make you feel more in control.
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